Why Pan???

[starsplitter]

Silly question here...

if my gold detector can pick up flakes, nuggets, and even black sand that might contain gold, why not just walk up and down the stream with the machine? Why pan? Or, why not save the panning until the detector has picked up significant target groupings?

Thanks.

 

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[Underburden]

Most gold won't be detected by a MD. It's too small. If all you want are pickers and nuggets, then by all means, swing away but your beeps will be few and far between.
Bob

 

[russau]

thats true, but to each his own!

 

[TerryC]

Silly question here...

if my gold detector can pick up flakes, nuggets, and even black sand that might contain gold, why not just walk up and down the stream with the machine? Why pan? Or, why not save the panning until the detector has picked up significant target groupings?

Thanks.

If you are content with the flakes and nuggets you are finding with the detector, well, Touché! I'll gladly take the rest... with my pan! TTC

 

[Fullpan]

80% or more of gold found in normal placer deposits will be small enough to fall through window screen. However your thoughts on targeting black sand
areas are good.

 

[Goodyguy]

Silly question here...

if my gold detector can pick up flakes, nuggets, and even black sand that might contain gold, why not just walk up and down the stream with the machine? Why pan? Or, why not save the panning until the detector has picked up significant target groupings?

Thanks.

Nothing wrong with using a detector to put you onto a trail of black sand before panning or using it to snipe cracks or crevices for nuggets.

But I usually can find the black sand areas just by reading the waterway. And panning material from the cracks and crevices usually provides gold that a detector would not pick up on. There is also usually so much metal in the streambed (lead, rusty nails, etc.) that you would spend a lot of time on false signals.

Plus It's just easier to pan and not have to worry about getting the detector soaked or damaged from an accidental fall or slip or fumble.


GG~

 

[starsplitter]

Thanks for all the input. I'd planned to follow feeder streams up into the mountains (those above the concessions) with my detector. My thought is that nuggets and larger flakes are more likely to be found going up. Of course... I am about as green as green can be so... Again... thanks.

 

[63bkpkr]

starsplitter,
We are all Green as can be when we start. I started by cleaning cracks in creek bedrock and panning the dirt and some times there was gold there. I now detect and remind myself all the time about how hard it is to detect and trust that the machine is right and that I'm using it correctly. I still take a known target with me into the hills when I detect as it helps to keep me linked to what I'm supposed to be listening for. Sometimes when I Do Not hear good targets I check by panning as this also tells me what I need to know. Then again I use the detector to check piles of dirt I'm digging up so I know if it is worth working the dirt any further. There are many ways to use various pieces of equipment together to help search for the yellow metal. I suppose if I ever become totally confident that I am doing the right things along with being confident that I know my machine inside and out and confident that I understand every piece of ground I will ever walk on then most likely I will still use several pieces of equipment to cross check the place I'm working.

Picture 8517 with a small pile of gold on a U.S. Half dollar is of gold I found by using the detector combined with the pan as well as a sluice.

Picture 9175 is an even smaller pile of gold and found lead shot on a U.S. Dime that I found with the detector and in some cases used the pan to finish washing it. Most of the gold was found by the detector though some of the gold I just moved rocks and there was the gold. Why was it all small? Why did I not find larger pieces? Both amounts of gold were found on the same river but on different sides of the river and about a mile apart. The larger pieces were found further up river. There are times when one must locate the "right spot" on a river in order to find any gold and that takes more learning than I currently have.

Good luck with you prospecting and what machine will you use? I use a Whites GMT and I love my "BatPan".



8517 9175

 

[TAKODA]

If you are content with the flakes and nuggets you are finding with the detector, well, Touché! I'll gladly take the rest... with my pan! TTC

Roger That .

 

[TAKODA]

Nothing wrong with using a detector to put you onto a trail of black sand before panning or using it to snipe cracks or crevices for nuggets.

But I usually can find the black sand areas just by reading the waterway. And panning material from the cracks and crevices usually provides gold that a detector would not pick up on. There is also usually so much metal in the streambed (lead, rusty nails, etc.) that you would spend a lot of time on false signals.

Plus It's just easier to pan and not have to worry about getting the detector soaked or damaged from an accidental fall or slip or fumble.


GG~

Roger this too .

 

[starsplitter]

63bkpkr... thank you for the input and advice. I'm sure that everyone seeking advice from old hands (like) appreciates it when they get usable information/help. Smart $%# remarks don't say much more than, "I'm just a $&^%#^.

About me... moved to Ecuador, retired at age 54 but still in good shape, detected/treasure hunted for decades but really want to pursue gold hunting/panning - lots of possibilites here. My last machine was a White's XLT. I am looking at both a Garrett AT and Minelab Eureka to replace it. Maybe both as my elder son will be living here too. I have no experience prospecting, but have a friend here who has been doing it for several years and has three concessions.

Again, thanks!

 

[63bkpkr]

Good Sunday Morning starsplitter,
I've received so much help from others on this site that it would be small of me to not share with others what I can. I am curious about why you moved to Ecuador and where did you move from? I was born in Detroit Michigan, my father was from Germany and his family was German from way back and my Mother was a classic American in that her family was a mixture of many nationalities mostly from Europe though back there somewhere was American Indian. Me, I'm currently 68 years of age, still do heavy backpacking and currently work a full time job in the Medical Device Industry. I've a high school education with two years of college but no degree. I love being outdoors!!!! I go there every chance I have and on my trip last weekend with a light 55 pound pack I found that I really have not exercised enough and so it took me a long time to hike back out. I enjoy prospecting, fishing, shooting though I've not hunted in years, photography and lots of other things and I love my children, grandchildren and great grandson.

I started prospecting back in the early 60's but never really took it on seriously till about 10 years ago and even then I was still not heavily into it. In 2010 I found the spot that the gold on the half dollar came from. "The Spot" just looked interesting: down river side of a VW Bug sized boulder with a large vertical crack in it. There was a small nugget in that crack which caused my mind to ask "if that was in a vertical crack then what is behind the boulder and just slightly uphill from there". The trench I dug was quite large, took me several weeks and I finished working the spot with the detector, gold pan and a Keene A52 sluice box. After "I" was done I knew there was still more gold there but I was finished for the year so I filled the trench up with boulders so the hillside would not wash away. In all it was a Large amount of work and I knew I was doing it for the adventure/experience and not for the value of the gold. My 'take' amounted to about 1/4 oz and the amazing part was that for such a small amount of gold it was quite heavy. A good experience. I wish you good fortune in 'your adventures' and I would appreciate your staying in touch with us or with me.

Regards,.............63bkpkr/Herb

the picture was taken on a heavy duty back country/wilderness trek I took in Northern California a few years back. some gold, some rattlesnakes, some animals and some really lovely pools to swim in.

 

[starsplitter]

What brought us to Ecuador? Several things, but most imporant just a seeking opportunity and a new life. Family is numero uno here. We taught in the states, but grew tired of the nonsense hitting teachers. So, we quit. Retired... sort of. More like we literally sold he farm and just dove into something new with children in tow.

Anyways, there is plenty of gold and silver in Ecuador, Columbia, and Peru. I'm also hoping to find gems (incidental to prospecting). Gems are the reason I'm investing in a portable UV light and gem identification gadget (I figure for $250 bucks why not sweep the tailings and see if anything pops out) We'll see. Mostly, I want to get "out there" and enjoy it all before I'm too old.

My friend who holds the concessions and is currently dredging in Zamora was kind enough to give me the names of two rivers he's personally prospected. They are "out there", but he says well worth the trip. One is shallow, so that's what I'm going for - with a detector or two, a pan, and and sluice. I'll have to backpack in so you can imagine it might be brutal on a 54 year old carrying all that equipment. I'm hoping it is not as bad as the satellite pics make it out to be. Problem here are the roads... as in you get to a point and there aren't any, just trails (if that). You'll see villages on a map, but there's no way to get to them except by light plane or boat (if you're lucky).

Beyond the above, my strategy is to start out with baby steps, get topos, and do concession overlays to identify where gold has been found in quantity. From there, I will follow the feeder streams (those on maps and what I can find) and follow them into higher elevations. I will detect, pan, and sluice my way up. Hopefully, I will pick up on something. Eventually, if I get lucky and become competent enough, maybe I'll invest in a 5"-8" dredge and boat. Thought of a backpack dredge, but have been advised it is too small - I thought it would work for cracks and crevices. And, I'd have to hump in fuel. We'll see. I will post on the backpack dredge and see the responses I get - hopefully something helpful.

Good luck to you and be careful out there. Let's stay in contact. If you ever make your way to EC, I'll buy you a cerveza. Thanks again for the input.

 

[TerryC]

Starsplitter, I will apologize for my "uppity" remark. I was only trying to state how important panning is to ANY kind of gold prospecting, be in physical or electronic. Panning can put you onto some spots you might miss if only stopping when your detector gets a "hit". I have found one nugget in over a year of detecting yet have found much more while panning and highbanking. Don't overlook the possibilities of the pan.... with or without the detector. Take care. TTC

 

[Bell]

The real problem here with detecting placers is the trash and mineralization. still doable though.

 

[homefires]

If you don't us a Pan I be your walking over 100 time the gold you find.

 

[pawpawsullivan]

went gold panning in villa rica in small creek. first pan gold' got alot of small small gold. anybody else prospect here?

 

[starsplitter]

TerryC... no biggie. I appreciate where you are coming from with the panning. I am greener than green at prospecting - my "experience" amounts to reading and watching videos. I started TH'ing with my father more than 40 years ago, but there is no comparison between cache hunting and prospecting.

It is very different in Ecuador. Opportunities for treasure hunting are limited. Yes, there is some insane stuff out there - if you have the connections and a backhoe. Small cache hunting is a also unusual. In the states you can do your research and pretty much fly under the radar. Not here. You're a "gringo" - there's no such thing as a wallflower gringo in Ecuador, especially in the sticks.

There are sites, ruins, that are known by locals and relationships create opportunities. However, even these present unique difficulties. If you find relics they are usually archeological artifacts. Then, you have to be concerned with selling. You cannot legally remove historic artifacts from EC. If you sell them to a dealer here, weird stuff begins to happen - such as being followed. The only way around it is to melt the stuff down. I could never bring myself to do such a thing. Other than that, if you're out swinging a detector a local might approach you with, "My great great abuelo buried a treasure on my farm" sort of lead. The above comes from someone who's been here - done that in EC for years and has a proven track record - one that would make a typical Norte Americano TH'r envious. I trust his input.

The learning curve is steep and goes beyond prospecting. Today, I went to a well regarded local adventure tour company to inquire about guides. I figure they operate tours into the Oriente, they should have contacts. Easy, no? The owner asks me to show him on a map the places I want to go. Now bear in mind that I want a "guide" to just show me the outback ropes. I'm not even prospecting yet only exploring different areas and getting a feel for terrain and other basics. I've spent weeks in humping the boonies under all sorts of circumstances, but never a jungle.

Once he was convinced that I understood what I was asking for (thought I was some dumb gringo who had no idea what I was asking), he commences to tell me there are no roads where I want to go. For my first trip, it takes 7 days of trail walking to just arrive at the jumping off point. The only alternative is taking a little bush plane and it may or may not show up, coming or going, for days. There is no such thing as scheduled river transporation, even informally. Add to it all the expected adjustments and dangers of the jungle - even with a local guide. All this just to eventually get to shallow rivers and feeders leading up into the montanas for prosecting. I'm not complaining though - it's downright exciting. Brutal? Yes. But, exciting.

You can see why I'd value every scrap of experience based information I can get. Learning terrain and jungle well enough to survive and function will be challenging enough. I forgot to mention the banditos, but I've been told (in all seriousness), that in the Oriente the snakes are more likely to get you.

Fun stuff.

 

[TerryC]

Starsplitter. It is difficult for me to imagine finding gold in a JUNGLE. Do well, my friend! Terry

 

[starsplitter]

63bkpkr... made it to Quito to the Instituto Geografica Militar for topo maps - 42 quadrangles yet still a drop in the bucket. A bunch are "permission only" quads along the EC-Peru border and some odd in the middle of nowhere north and south maps. Tomorrow we are heading to a different place to pick up some geological maps. Trying to get hold of three or four maps in particular. One of them is tough to find; a survey of ancient rivers done in the early 1950's. It shows the locations of ancient millions of years old river beds that are now at high elevations. One former prospector and geologist here commented on cutting through forest thousands of feet up and encoutering swaths of river bolders - river rock that has no business existing at altitude. Best news is being linked up with an experienced CA prospector. Making progress.