Prospecting & Detecting
It's Another 'Ben Day'
April 2020 by Ray Mills
I looked over and saw Ben on his knees, digging at the edge of the Manzanitas, almost underneath them. I thought back to the previous weekend when we were planning this trip—that day had been a “Ben day.”
Time for a New Approach: Detecting Float Gold
The first pieces found were in a spot that most gold hunters would not even detect, right in the middle of a downslope meadow.
Bedrock
I am going to break bedrock down a bit and explain my view of the varying scenarios I come across in the field.
Gold in Unlikely Places—And 'Eating Crow'
The red dot on the diagram points out where the gravels there were also carrying, but not as much color. The gold was sparse below the point indicated.
Gold Detecting Strategies for Hydraulic Mines and Debris Flows
The old timers typically washed these areas down to bedrock, and some areas appear terraced. I would imagine this is because these hydraulic mines were generally where the miners found old Tertiary river channels on the sides of mountains that were gold-bearing.
Pinpointing for Gold
This rock had been with a family for many years and they were cleaning up an old workshop that had lots of minerals and miscellaneous “ore” samples.
Small-Scale Miners Rock the Mining World
With the high price of gold, there are many new prospectors out in the hills all over the United States, and while we would all prefer to be finding those larger nuggets, it doesn’t always work that way. Sometimes all that is available is nothing more than a few small flakes. The truth is, new prospectors are sprouting up all across the planet—especially in the developing nations.
It's Not Always El Dorado
This was “pocket” country. All around were “pockets” that had been hand dug by old and new miners.
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The Bawl Mill
• Sampling for Success—Part II
• Ask The Experts - Investing: How do you know which companies have potential?
• Miners Fight Back When BLM Says 'Your Claim Is Too Long'
• How to Research Prospecting Locations and Mining Claims
• Some Tips and Tricks for Dredgers: Determining Pulley Size and Belt Length
• Where Will The Gold Price Go From Here?
• Holcomb Valley Gold, Southern California
• Gold Prospecting for Better or Worse: The Good Luck and Bad Luck of Prospecting With Animals
• Lode Miner Continues to Find Pocket Gold
• Judge Backs Minnesota's Twin Metals Mine in Lease Dispute
• Over the Divide: Rick Lague
• Melman on Gold & Silver
• Mining Stock Quotes and Mineral & Metal Prices
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