Gaius Posted November 6, 2012 Share Posted November 6, 2012 I’m not sure when, where, why or how I came across the statement below about trumpet plants, ant hills and gopher mounds just this sounds like an old wife's tale to me. Does anyone know anything about this? “The trumpet plant can be a great indicator for gold in the ground, I have used it as a starting place years ago and it works more than not also Panning out ant hills and gopher mounds can get you in to some sweet gold and turquoise” Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bedrock Bob Posted November 6, 2012 Share Posted November 6, 2012 Heard the same about a ring of fishook barrel cactus.Gold is pretty rare. I dont really think you coud establish a correlation there. if you are on a placer though it pays to look everywhere...even under trumpet plants and gopher mounds.There was turquoise found near Cerillos by observing ant hills. And I have used a magnet in the ant hills at Holbrook to recover tiny pieces of fusion crust from broken stones. And my son found a perfect arrowhead on a gopher mound. Just like the railroad and highway engineers found a heck of a lot of gold, any excavation no matter how small could give up a clue or two! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oredigger62 Posted November 7, 2012 Share Posted November 7, 2012 Under the vegetation is probably because its hard to get a detector there and then dig the target. The bases of anthills have been listed because they have been found in gem areas to hold small gems that were escavated by the ants. But there is no real evidence that they indicate gold deposits or nuggets...IMO Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rodd in B.C. Posted November 7, 2012 Share Posted November 7, 2012 Ha HaFind a pack rats nest and you'll find a sack of nuggets too????,let me know how all this works out for URodd Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oredigger62 Posted November 7, 2012 Share Posted November 7, 2012 I have found much more gold under tuba plants._ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Denny Posted November 7, 2012 Share Posted November 7, 2012 Trumpet plants are a good indicator as they like the high iron soil ,Not always but most the gold i have found in the desert the plants were right there,On the gopher holes and ant hills I have been useing them as test digs for years, In the motherload gopher mounds on overburden piles when panned out can give you a good test dig they bring everything up. Now on the ant hills You can pan those out to see what is there , also in the past old timers used the ant hills to help look for turquoise and other minerals, I also think it was a way the indians looked for turquoise opal and such. good luck out there Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bedrock Bob Posted November 7, 2012 Share Posted November 7, 2012 When you are talking about a "Trumpet Plant" you are speaking of Datura Inoxia?Sure they may like high iron soil, but high iron soil is not even an indicator of gold much less a plant that "likes" high iron soil. Hell, a datura will grow about anywhere and you can find high iron soil about anywhere.You can find a little gold in gravel spread out across a placer for miles. You arent searching for a few specks 'cause that is easy to find. You are not searching for high iron soil either 'cause that is easier to find. You are searching for a concentrated gold deposit or paystreak. That is an mechanically concentrated area and has absolutely NOTHING to do with the vegetation nor the amount of iron in the soil. Conversely the amountof gold in the soil has nothing to do with the vegetation on the surface.A Datura Inoxia grows about anywhere in the southwest. There are more of them in the medians and on disturbed ground than can be found in ANY placer area. While you may find some gold under Loco Weed in a placer I dont believe you are any more likely to find it there than any place else. I just dont see any correlation at all.The only reason you might find gold under a Datura is because you cant find any gold over it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
clay Posted November 7, 2012 Share Posted November 7, 2012 I think they are talking about Eriogonum inflatum Bob. At least that's the plant the local tales revolve around.Datura is a lot more common than the desert trumpet plant but they both seem to thrive where there is iron rich soil and disturbed ground in my observation.I think finding gold would be a better indicator for desert trumpets than the other way around. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bedrock Bob Posted November 7, 2012 Share Posted November 7, 2012 Maybe make a strong tea out of those things and then dowse?Datura is supposed to give a warrior the powers of divination. The guys I saw drink the tea were given some really bloodshot eyes and a case of the mumbling stupids. It might have opened up a chakra in their forehead that could find some gold, I don't know. I know it opened up a chakra in their behinds as they had obviously soiled themselves without realizing it.Ant hills have always interested me though. They are great miners and I am into mines, so they get my respect. I have found indian beads, meteorite fragments and little bytownite feldspars on ant hills. The sunlight on those little tailings piles make the moonstones and bytownites really stand out!The very BEST indicator of gold is previous digging. From there on out the very BEST indicator of gold is good values in systematic tests. There is just no other way to do it than the hard way. I have never found gold by divine intervention or any special sign, symbol, indicator or telepathy. But the shovel and drywasher, metal detector and time has been pretty successful. It has been my experience that if you want a big red "X" drawn where you should dig you had better get some red paint and start marking your own in likely places. Add "under all trumpet vines" to that list of likely places by all means but dont forget inside bends, under big rocks and in the lags of hills over a gold bearing drainage. I was always too busy digging in all the likely spots I had already identified than to dig under a certain plant, but if you have scoured all the bedrock and searched all the slopes I guess you need someplace to dig. Why not dig up the trumpet flowers next? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
birdlady Posted November 8, 2012 Share Posted November 8, 2012 Yellow Angel Trumpet blooms can be over a foot long and hang from the tree like trumpet shaped ornaments. All parts of the angel trumpet plant contain toxic, poisonous, alkaloids, atropine and scopolamine which can cause hallucinations, high blood pressure, and even death if ingested. I would be really carefull with this plant.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
clay Posted November 8, 2012 Share Posted November 8, 2012 Not the same plant Birdlady. Not even related.Here in the desert southwest the various Datura species are known as loco weed. They have beautiful large white or purple trumpet shaped flowers. They do contain dangerous levels of atropine. The seeds and roots can kill if ingested.The desert trumpet plant pictured above has almost no visible flower heads but the entire body of the plant seen in the picture is the reproductive system. The actual plant part is smaller than a dandelion. It is named for the bulb like appearance of what looks like it's stem. Not dangerous at all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
birdlady Posted November 8, 2012 Share Posted November 8, 2012 great to know thanks for the update.. the ones I have seen here are the ones like Clay Posted above.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
birdlady Posted November 8, 2012 Share Posted November 8, 2012 Sorry Clay didnt know that was you, but thanks for information.,., Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frank c Posted November 8, 2012 Share Posted November 8, 2012 Ant hills are a great place to gather small garnets like we get when panning our concentratesThe ants bring them up from below. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GlennM Posted November 8, 2012 Share Posted November 8, 2012 Anyone else notice the potential spam injection up a couple posts? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bedrock Bob Posted November 8, 2012 Share Posted November 8, 2012 Eeeew! A spam injection! Now I feel dirty all over....I must admit I kind of like that feeling. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
birdlady Posted November 8, 2012 Share Posted November 8, 2012 what is a spam injection,dont have one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
birdlady Posted November 8, 2012 Share Posted November 8, 2012 are you guys playing with me. I am just trying to learn like anyone else.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oredigger62 Posted November 8, 2012 Share Posted November 8, 2012 A spam injection is needed to help you see plants better... it reacts with the cerebral cortex in the brain. Painless but in the wrong hands can be a real pain. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Au Seeker Posted November 8, 2012 Share Posted November 8, 2012 are you guys playing with me. I am just trying to learn like anyone else..Birdlady, There was a spammer that replied to this topic, in his reply there was a link to a Chinese Metal Detector website, the post has been removed. You have to try and read between the lines with some of the members, they like to have a little bit of fun when a spammer posts something on the forums, which doesn't happen that often, we try to weed out the spammers during registration and very seldom does one get past registration. Skip Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
birdlady Posted November 9, 2012 Share Posted November 9, 2012 sorry Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bedrock Bob Posted November 9, 2012 Share Posted November 9, 2012 Hey Bird Lady! You are O.K.! You dont need to be sorry it is me that was being smarta$$.As usual... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Furness Posted November 9, 2012 Share Posted November 9, 2012 Who you Bob? Naw! Couldn't be! Mike F Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
birdlady Posted November 10, 2012 Share Posted November 10, 2012 well that is ok.. dont worry about it. like to have fun too.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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