beaudurkee Posted January 13, 2013 Share Posted January 13, 2013 Here is the senario. I have done my research on the Dale district I go work. All the pro's say... find a decomposing mountain with a good contact zone containing quartz and iron, and your golden (pun intended). I have found such a area. It's about two acres in size. Have only found 2 scratch marks in one corner of the spot and they are old. Finding some old miners trash, which tells me it hasn't been hammered by detectors. It seems like a perfect spot!Between myself and two friends (all with different machines), we have logged about 30 hours on this area. I have grid searched a small portion and just kinda wandered around most of it. No gold. Question is this... How long will you work a good looking area before moving on?Thanks guysBeau Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FlakMagnet Posted January 13, 2013 Share Posted January 13, 2013 Not to sound too pedantic, but work your area as long as you feel there is potential.If you start to lose interest in it, your concentration for detecting will drop off,you'll tend to get sloppy and you'll miss the gold.Sometimes following a feeling or a hunch is better than following a mapand better than having rules about how do to things. I have seen some really unbelievably great finds that came from spontaneous changes in plan.By the way, the Dale is a perfect place to follow your hunches.What a hauntingly beautiful and evocative area. You are lucky to be close enough to be able go there when you like.fwiw. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Au Seeker Posted January 13, 2013 Share Posted January 13, 2013 Have you done any sampling there to see if there is even fine gold on the patch?If you haven't then you don't even know if there's any gold there at all much less detectable nuggets and bits.Bring a pan and some water to do some sampling in the likely spots that gold would accumulate to see if there's any gold at all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Micro Nugget Posted January 13, 2013 Share Posted January 13, 2013 Don't leave gold to find gold. But, if you are not finding gold, keep moving until you do. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Furness Posted January 13, 2013 Share Posted January 13, 2013 Martin ...You beat me to that one ... I agree whole-heartedly ... no gold move on but if there is gold you surely don't run away from it!Mike F Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
T-Bone Posted January 14, 2013 Share Posted January 14, 2013 Nothing like a fresh prospective when it comes to swinging a detector cause just when you think there is none and you give that area up as having no gold just because you didnt find any and here comes joe blow and finds gold,well time for the fat lady to sing right? or redirect your efforts move to another spot then go back doing this helps you hit your area with fresh thinking and renuied prospectives . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hoser John Posted January 14, 2013 Share Posted January 14, 2013 go west young man go west-no oro no John O Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cowkiller Posted January 14, 2013 Share Posted January 14, 2013 Some guys I detect with did a canyon up and back four times no gold then at the end of the day they got a small dink.... went back the next day and found several. They took me there after hammering it and i found a dink and a 1/2 oz. Patch turned out to be a several ouncer. Just keep swinging a couple inches makes all the difference. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
homefire Posted January 14, 2013 Share Posted January 14, 2013 I myself work a spot well after the finds Peter out.Always hitting new spots, I may loose interest in one but there never forgotten. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bedrock Bob Posted January 14, 2013 Share Posted January 14, 2013 Here is the senario. I have done my research on the Dale district I go work. All the pro's say... find a decomposing mountain with a good contact zone containing quartz and iron, and your golden (pun intended). I have found such a area. It's about two acres in size. Have only found 2 scratch marks in one corner of the spot and they are old. Finding some old miners trash, which tells me it hasn't been hammered by detectors. It seems like a perfect spot!Between myself and two friends (all with different machines), we have logged about 30 hours on this area. I have grid searched a small portion and just kinda wandered around most of it. No gold. Question is this... How long will you work a good looking area before moving on?Thanks guysBeauHave you found gold with a detector before? Are you proficient at it? If not then your question cant be answered.Back when I first picked up a detector I looked for 40 hours in a spot I knew had gold. I would detect and find nothing and then drywash 4" and find a half dozen pickers. I would rake, cobble, detect carefully and NOTHING. Then concentrate a layer and find a pennyweight nugget right there in the last 4" layer.I found my first nugget after hunting about 60 hours over a patch that I knew had coarse gold. I found a couple more after a dozen hours and proclaimed the place "nugget free". A month later a guy showed me a big nickel sized nugget he found there with a Minelab 2100 (I had a GB2). I went right back over that spot and found several dozen little flakes with no problem. Over time I have gone back. As my skill increases it allows me to find gold that I missed before. And after fifteen years I went back over that spot with my Minelab 2100 and found a very nice three Dwt nugget even after all of the hundreds of hours and dozens of guys detecting there.So a hammered area for a novice is a virgin placer to an old sourdough. Your experience level has everything to do with detectable gold potential. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jim mcculloch Posted January 15, 2013 Share Posted January 15, 2013 Beau, the gold deposits in Dale are well scattered. Personally I taken AU from about 20 different locations. My suggestion "Go to where gold has been found before" and THEN go to the next ravine or hillside over. Remain positive and optimistic. Eventually you'll score. Remember, the FIRST nugget is the hardest. Hope this helps; HH Jim Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beaudurkee Posted January 15, 2013 Author Share Posted January 15, 2013 Guy's, You have no idea how much I appreciate the answers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beaudurkee Posted January 15, 2013 Author Share Posted January 15, 2013 Have you found gold with a detector before? Are you proficient at it? If not then your question cant be answered.Back when I first picked up a detector I looked for 40 hours in a spot I knew had gold. I would detect and find nothing and then drywash 4" and find a half dozen pickers. I would rake, cobble, detect carefully and NOTHING. Then concentrate a layer and find a pennyweight nugget right there in the last 4" layer.I found my first nugget after hunting about 60 hours over a patch that I knew had coarse gold. I found a couple more after a dozen hours and proclaimed the place "nugget free". A month later a guy showed me a big nickel sized nugget he found there with a Minelab 2100 (I had a GB2). I went right back over that spot and found several dozen little flakes with no problem. Over time I have gone back. As my skill increases it allows me to find gold that I missed before. And after fifteen years I went back over that spot with my Minelab 2100 and found a very nice three Dwt nugget even after all of the hundreds of hours and dozens of guys detecting there.So a hammered area for a novice is a virgin placer to an old sourdough. Your experience level has everything to do with detectable gold potential. Have you found gold with a detector before? Are you proficient at it?Wow, did that statement/question set of alarms in my head. The truth is "no" and "not sure". It's the old case of "it's not what you don't know, it's what you dont know what you don't know". I just got done barying different size pieces of gold at different depths in my yard and then finding them with my detector blind folded. My wife thinks I have truely lost my mind this time. I was shocked this hadn't occured to me before. I did well, which didn't surprise me. I have been feeling like I was getting proficient with my GB2. When I started pulling bird shot from several inches deep, I started thinking I'm getting this now. I know there still has to be more, because I learn something every time I go out.So, with all the things I don't know about detecting... There are a few things I do know; I know I'll keep going out, I know I'll get better every time, and I know that first nugget is coming . Thanks again Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frank c Posted January 15, 2013 Share Posted January 15, 2013 Beau stay on top of the ground balance with the gold bugs .Keep constantly checking to see if its balanced as you move around and rebalance when nessessary it only takes a second or 2 and is crucial.This tip will find you GOLD along with a positive attitude !!!!!Hapy Huntn Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dizzo Posted January 15, 2013 Share Posted January 15, 2013 Great thread, and great positive attitudes. I went through the same things you are beaudurkee and the only cure is gold plated diapers, I need more cow bell! But seriously, I think the best coarse of action is what was said by Au Seeker. Sample possible areas first and work your way down where it shows promise. To the guys here on this site answering questions, I thank you all for helping all us up and coming prospectors and one day hope to be on your level. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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