What really matters

[MadMarshall]

Gentlemen.. I still can't explain it... How many people put so much time into their equipment.. really I mostly pan as I rarely move allot of dirt rocks being most of my debri. So no real need to set up a sluice just to run a half of bucket of actual dirt. I am confident with the sluice and have used a high banker or two. Anyway I am often seeing threads and vids of how to make the sluice catch smaller gold ect ect.. It seems the SIMPLE and I mean SIMPLE art of sluicing is now a science. I put all my efforts in understanding gold and finding it I spend very little time if any caring about my sluice box and recovering the gold. I am of the thought that the gold dictates the equipment! I am often thankfull that allot of modern prospectors put so much stock in their equipment. More gold for me.... How the waterway's emptied when dredging was outlawed.. dredging seems was the only way some men could find gold!!. I wonder how many men rely on their gold detectors? I wonder how many men would be unable to find gold with out it? My point is if one who really want to be a succseful prospector one must rely on himself! Equipment is the way to recover gold that is it! Now once in a larger scale of mining yes the science will be valuable but for most of us it is worthless and I do mean worthless. Once you start spending your time finding better gold deposits and stop worrying about every piece of fly poop that may be lost I am positive in the long run your gold recovery will go up by leaps and bounds..

 

[kuger]

As you would guess, it depends on the status of the land and may be affected by state regulations. Here in CO that means my friend can't go to some places you or I could go on our own since they are city land with a regulation that says "no commercial activity". He also can't provide transportation so participants have to drive themselves. Additionally my friend does have access to several federal Mining Claims and private land in the CO mountains. ...thus my offer to connect my friend with him to share tips on how to approach this.

Kevin...was/is it not ok to ask questions on here anymore?
This state is slightly....just slightly more Liberal than yours,but this state is still pretty anti- go out and make a dollar for yourself.....for instance...when I tried to set up dredge trips the permits were more than I could have made

 

[TheNewCatfish]

Met a fella at the Point Bar Colorado BLM who arrived and started unpacking his SUV. Looked like about $10,000 dollars worth of equipment. When the guy started pulling on a dive suit and tank and dragging his floating dredge down to the Arkansas River i thought, "This guy is gonna get himself drowned". I asked him, "You ever done any dredging before" ? "Nope" he says.. "It's my first time". Now i'm really curious. "What's the galvanized trash can for" ? He says, "I cut the bottom out and i'm gonna sink it to the bottom of the river and suck the sand out till i reach bedrock".. "That way, the sand won't pour back in and fill up the hole". Well i watched this guy all afternoon and i gotta tell ya' i never laughed so hard my entire life. I could'a showed him some already dug coyote holes a hundred feet away where he could'a scraped out some dirt and got a little flower gold, but i was havin too much fun watchin this greenhorn fighting with that garbage can and a fast current. Moral of the story. Find some gold FIRST.. Figure out a realistic way to get it.. Then buy your equipment.

 

[KevinInColorado]

Kevin...was/is it not ok to ask questions on here anymore? This state is slightly....just slightly more Liberal than yours,but this state is still pretty anti- go out and make a dollar for yourself.....for instance...when I tried to set up dredge trips the permits were more than I could have made

Hi Kuger, ask whatever you want. Especially for you, I would answer anything! Most places in CO you don't need a permit or anything for a dredge with up to a 4" nozzle (one key exception being the Arkansas River below Leadville where BLM requires one). That said, my friend does more Gold Cube oriented trips than dredge oriented I think.

I only said to PM for the contact info about my friend since he is not a participant on this forum...so I'm not going to publish it publicly.

 

[kuger]

Hi Kuger, ask whatever you want. Especially for you, I would answer anything! Most places in CO you don't need a permit or anything for a dredge with up to a 4" nozzle (one key exception being the Arkansas River below Leadville where BLM requires one). That said, my friend does more Gold Cube oriented trips than dredge oriented I think.

I only said to PM for the contact info about my friend since he is not a participant on this forum...so I'm not going to publish it publicly.

Thanks Kev,I mis-vibed your response

 

[KevinInColorado]

All good

 

[MadMarshall]

I admit I have considered teaching. Though the thought is always fleeting.I have seen people throw up adds on caigslist and such. This by far is the easiest way for me to make a buck.. Never ever!! I wish to be a prospector not a tour guide nor a teacher. Plenty of men who retired who are better suited to teach and more knowledgable then myself. I feel also that I would undermine myself and people who seriously believe Small scale mining is not to be confused with recreation. It would be too easy to mine people for their gold! (maybe I was confused with some of these heavy names Keene Goldhog ect ect they prospect people not minerals..) I prospect for minerals. That's why I get to be called a prospector. For me putting a feather in my hat doesn,t mean that I am an Indian. Anyway I would like to thank clay for helping me make my point.. Also Dizzydigger.. I am often at loss when explaining myself and you guys helped salvage my intentions...Thanks....