MicroNugget showing how it's done!

[MonsterGuppy 32]

Received an E-mail from MicroNugget that he was willing to brave the Southern Cailf Desert 100+ degree weather and get in some Nugget shooting.  Soon after I arrived he had a sweet sounding signal on his GPZ7000 and this is a short video of his results.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NVeOykRt07U

[Micro Nugget 770]

Earlier in the day when Monster Guppy (AKA Patrick) spotted my truck and hooked up with me he requested that I let him know when I was getting a clear, repeatable signal as he would like to video the recovery.  I don't use external speakers so unfortunately you can't hear the signal.  The technique of employing two scoops -- one larger with a flat bottom side and the other spoon like -- allows fairly rapid isolation of the target.  Anyway, after a two month hiatus, it was good to get out again even if the heat was a bit uncomfortable.

[kwah 45]

Micro Nugget, very interesting recovery technique.   I think I am going to give it a try.  Where did you obtain the large flat bottom scoop?  

[middleforkminer2 345]

Hmmm....I've never found gold in loose sand like that.

[DolanDave 703]

Nice video and gold, thanks for sharing.

Dave

[Terry Soloman 973]

Sweet!

[Micro Nugget 770]

The flat bottom scoop is an ice scoop available in places like Smart & Final Iris.  The place where we were hunting contains the primary gold down fairly deep mixed with a layer of ironstones in a heavy red clay.  The weather is too hot right now to dig down for a chance at larger nuggs.  Over the long periods of time flakes and smaller nuggets that we call "cornflake nuggets" get kicked up from this clay layer and into the blow sand (think desert tortoises, ground squirrels, gophers for example) or shaken out of the clay layer (think earthquake tremors, P-waves and the like) or washed out (think monsoonal flash flooding).  In cooler weather some of us who don't mind some digging shovel off a foot or so of blow sand exposing a patch of red clay -- say 10' by 10' enough for a day's work.  Then, magnets are employed to separate out the obvious ironstones.  Once done, then we scan for nuggets with our detectors.  The Gold Monsters prove their worth in this endeavor given all the ironstones.  This is followed by scalping off another four to six inch layer or so and then on and on until we hit greenish decomposing granite -- typically around 3' or so deep.  Usually no more nuggets once this is reached -- except every once in a while a whopper comes out from down deep.  Then, next trip we backfill while exposing another day's work.  During the hot weather we prospect the blow sand, marking the patches for later mining digs as described above.  I hope this helps to understand our approach. Please see attached photo.  The 7000 sniffed out three yesterday.  The smallest is .06g.  The other two are .36g and .37g.  The flatfish one is the one I recovered shown in Patrick's video.  All came clumped fairly close together.  Patrick found another one a 100 yds away or so.

[FlakMagnet 412]

It's nice to see you out and doing what you love Martin.

 

[DesertRatPatriot 34]

Thanks for sharing......very cool! I can't wait to get my GPZ this fall.

[Mike Furness 1,522]

Hey Martin .... Thanks for pointing out yet another method of detecting. Most will just scan the surface with little digging. Those with experience ... you for example ... find ways to work their patches to the extreme. The pay off of the extra work can be very profitable!

[frank c 969]

Great video and Beepin  !

[Alwaysdirty 914]

Excellent!