Greetings from new member/Trumpet plants

[Jason in AZ]

Hello all,

Although I have been monitoring the forum for a month or two, this is my first post. Currently based in Phoenix, Arizona, I am a native of British Columbia, Canada. I began detecting for nuggets about two months ago and have made several trips to the Little San Domingo area near Morristown, AZ. I suppose I've spent about fifty hours in total searching in that general location. Thus far, I've dug approximately six hundred targets and have yet to discover my first nugget. The LSD area is very beautiful and am enjoying my time beeping there with my Tesoro Lobo regardless of the absence of positive results.

Based on recommendations from local prospectors, the exact locations I've been detecting have been parallel to North Mine Road between a quarter mile to three miles north from the Castle Hot Springs Road turnoff, as well as south and west from the Coyote Flats parking area, toward Ox Wash. I've been beeping the washes and banks and the mesas between the washes too. As I am not a member of any clubs yet, my search areas have been confined to the unclaimed state land in this area, of which there is quite a few square miles.

Here is my question: How good an indicator of gold are trumpet plants? There are many areas of high trumpet plant concentration in the areas I've been detecting and, when I come across these plants, I slow down and focus my searching on these locations. The root structure of trumpet plants is very delicate and would not seem likely to capture nuggets of any significant size. Are these plants merely a general indication of highly mineralized soil, or are they linked to gold specifically? I notice in areas of high trumpet plant concentration there is usually a large amount of caliche present too, often cited by old timers as being a favorable sign for gold prospecting as well.

Any thoughts? How much weight do you place on trumpet plants when detecting in the desert?

Regards,

Jason

[Terry Soloman]

Hello Jason and welcome! I find that Trumpet plants are a good general indicator of Iron, not gold. With that said, where you find ground highly mineralized and iron rich, you also find gold. I think the answer is a good "general" clue that gold may be about. Big Nuggets! - Terry

[Hoser John]

There are quite a few decent books on GEOPHYSICAL PROSPECTING and goldenrods rocks--John

[Nugget Shooter]

Welcome to the forums and indeed there are many different plants that seem to do well in highly mineralized soils and in the deserts you will find Trumpet Plants where you find iron rich soils and often as mentioned gold can be associated with these same iron rich areas...

Good Hunting...

[Au Seeker]

Welcome to the forum Jason!!

As Hoser mentioned there are many reports and books on this subject of gold prospecting and indicator plants.

http://www.bing.com/search?q=Indicator+plants+for+gold&go=&form=QBRE&qs=n&sk=

Skip

[Jason in AZ]

Thanks for the welcome and for your opinions, gents!

I'll try to focus less on the actual trumpet plant patch locations and hit harder the roots of the larger indigenous trees and brush. John, the geophysical prospecting web pages I've looked at so far have all been very scholarly articles having to do with seismic and chemical testing, none of which I am qualified to do, however I'll keep researching this scientific methodology of prospecting.

The weather is finally warming up, so I'm heading back to the gold fields for three days of simple pleasures.

Jason

PS: Ah, a new reply just posted as I was posting this. Thanks for the link, AU Seeker, those sites are much easier for a layperson such as myself to understand rather than the pages I was looking at! And I've learned a new word today: geobotany.

Horsetail...Equisetum arvense and confusa....Hmn...Interesting.

[Uncle Ron]

The LSD is an interesting area and somewhat different from other gold areas...It is a large pediment with gold deposited both above and below the caliche...While trumpet plants are a good indicator of mineralization, you should also look for compass cacti (barrel cactus) in a large ring associated with gossan, rich red stained ground...At LSD gold is on ridge tops, side hills and on bedrock in gulches ... Look for old timer working and concentrations of old trash ... Thought the trashy areas can be frustrating to work, they suggest that someone was having good results back in the day and stayed in a productive area long enough to trash it out...In some areas, cholla thickets can be productive because many beepers avoid them...Be careful when hunting them, especially when you squat down to dig a target...You'll quickly learn that a cholla ball on your heel readily transfers to your butt in a most painful way... ...Do join one or more clubs..At LSD you need to be a member of Roadrunners and of GPAA ...Those two clubs will give you more than 50 claims to work, a few with good potential... :twocents: Cheers, Unc

[Sledge]

I'm also new to this area and shooting around the same areas as you. Give me a shout if ya head up.

[Fergus]

I go near stanton and up near Prescott, I like the weaver mining district and I'm a member. I'm allowed to take a guest. Feel free to let me know if your coming this way. Be happy to get you in.

[GlennM]

Skip is always quick with a very useful link

And there is no gold left at LSD... Bill and Blake have made sure of it LOL

Welcome aboard and keep at it. Just know that you're not likely to find gold from a loud signal. It is most often going to be that very faint, just a little break in threshold, sound. So keep your gain just below overload and your ears tuned to the hum.

[frank c]

I am not familiar with the LSD area. I have never detected there.

However I will tell you this from my experience in N.W. AZ.

I have detected gold from within patches of trumpet plants and also in areas without. As others have stated the plants give us a general sign of the soil conditions in which they prosper.

But do not guaranty gold is present.

This is much the same with your comming across areas with Quartz be it white or dirty looking. It does not always produce gold but sometimes the area does.

They are general indicators.

You have certainly dug your share of targets in that area and eventually one of them is going to be gold.

PERSERVERANCE and thinking out of the box will be your best "next steps" as gold is "where you find it".

Welcome to the forum and Good Luck an Hapy Huntn

[adam]

Ummmmmm......This thread is over a year old Gold can be anywhere is the lsd , and I suspect the original poster using a LST wasnt hunting bedrock or not properly. OX wash has lots of small gold for that type of detector, but the ground along OX can be very hot ....

[GlennM]

Like we read when stuff is posted

[jim straight]

Hello... I just opened website and saw "Trumpet Plants." It was first

noted by Fremont in his 1844 expedition across the Mohave Desert. Over

the past 50 years or so, it has been listed as one of the indicator

guides that the old timers looked for in their search for gold. It

likes disturbed ground and I have personally found it of potentual value

by looking for it while driving along a roadway and looking for it

on the road shoulder. But keep in mind it just one of the indicators

and there are many other indicators as found in articles relating to

geochemical prospecting and on the subject of plants as a guide to

mineralization. I believe Hoser John has known of this as he

may still have one of R. T. Axworthys books on Geochemical Pospecting.

In my younger years I had a Bondar-Clegg geochemical kit and used it.

But I stopped when I found out some of the chemicals were carcenogenic.

[frank c]

Oh Well just shows we don't pay much attention to the post date when there back up the top again.

I ain't too swift lately anyway comes with the age group !!!!

[El Dorado]

Here in the Sierra, Horsetail Fern are also a good indicator

https://www.google.com/search?q=horsetail+fern&hl=en&client=firefox-a&hs=BeU&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&prmd=imvns&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=ZFBaUJTQL6ndyAGx14GwBw&ved=0CCQQsAQ&biw=1540&bih=798

[MacGump]

Hello... I just opened website and saw "Trumpet Plants." It was first

noted by Fremont in his 1844 expedition across the Mohave Desert. Over

the past 50 years or so, it has been listed as one of the indicator

guides that the old timers looked for in their search for gold. It

likes disturbed ground and I have personally found it of potentual value

by looking for it while driving along a roadway and looking for it

on the road shoulder. But keep in mind it just one of the indicators

and there are many other indicators as found in articles relating to

geochemical prospecting and on the subject of plants as a guide to

mineralization. I believe Hoser John has known of this as he

may still have one of R. T. Axworthys books on Geochemical Pospecting.

In my younger years I had a Bondar-Clegg geochemical kit and used it.

But I stopped when I found out some of the chemicals were carcenogenic.

"...I stopped when I found out some of the chemicals were carcenogenic." That will motivate you.

Besides, anything associated with Clegg is bad news---at least that's what I told my wife before we got hitched.

[boulder dash]

A old timer once told me that if you take a dead stock of the trumpet plant. Make a whistle out of it then whistle gold out of the ground.

[Nugget Shooter]

A old timer once told me that if you take a dead stock of the trumpet plant. Make a whistle out of it then whistle gold out of the ground.

Did it work

[frank c]

How bout usin those trumpet plant stalks an makin mini divining rods for gold dust !!!!!!!

[adam]

A old timer once told me that if you take a dead stock of the trumpet plant. Make a whistle out of it then whistle gold out of the ground.

This whole trumpet plant thing prolly got started because you could use the dead stalk to blow out crevaces , thus finding gold..... Thats why they always say to look for trumpet plants

[GlennM]

I ain't too swift lately anyway comes with the age group !!!!

See, I have a theory on that... and you're helping prove it.

You put gold on the ring finger of a man's left hand and all brain functions diminish in a very rapid fashion.

I'm 15 yrs in and forget which drawer is socks and which is shorts all the time. Never mind...

Uh, what was I talking about?

[jim straight]

boulder dash and Bill... Here is another one: When a "stink bug"

sticks his posterior in the air and lets it rip, many oldtimers

just knew he was pointing down to a motherlode. It is also said

that while the trumpet plant's stems taste a bit sour, but have

been used in the olden days in salads.

[LostDutchman]

As I am not a member of any clubs yet, my search areas have been confined to the unclaimed state land in this area, of which there is quite a few square miles.

Beware of prospecting on AZ State Trust Land. It is illegal without very expensive and time consuming permits.... It'll also get you a very big fine, and your gold and equipment confiscated to boot.... Just sayin'...

[shep]

GlennM, I put em in same draw. Only have 3 underwears and only wear them going to doctor (why ? ). If they go over my knees and not going to doctor, I try the process again. Oh and once a year, I buy a dozen pair of white socks (no stripes)- all match and no complications first thing in morning.

Dang! gotta get out pretty soon and stop posting dribble