Help A Newbie?

sagthegreat

sagthegreat

Full Member
Jul 12, 2012
175
43
Sterling VA
Primary Interest:
Prospecting
My guess is that you guys have gotten lots of these types of threads, and srry for posting another. But I have been on the Tnet for a while , mainly in the CRH/Metal Detecting Sections, and have been stockpiling silver so that after collage I could cash out and buy a gold claim and start hunting for nuggets :P. My question is how does one go about buying a gold claim that isnt a scam, and will produce a decent amount per yard? Also what would be the cheapest and best equipment for a newbie to start out with?

Thanks and hh
 

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sagthegreat said:
My guess is that you guys have gotten lots of these types of threads, and srry for posting another. But I have been on the Tnet for a while , mainly in the CRH/Metal Detecting Sections, and have been stockpiling silver so that after collage I could cash out and buy a gold claim and start hunting for nuggets :P. My question is how does one go about buying a gold claim that isnt a scam, and will produce a decent amount per yard? Also what would be the cheapest and best equipment for a newbie to start out with?

Thanks and hh
Click to expand...

The best way is through research and sampling. The worst way is trying to learn how to do it on an Internet forum, or buying one on the Internet. For every good gold claim there are 100-bad ones, or flat out scams. Buying and selling gold claims is a cut-throat game. If you're a "Greenhorn," they will eat you alive.

Cheapest equipment? A Garrett gold panning kit, a shovel, gloves, and a Five-gallon bucket. Best of luck!
 

I researched first by putting boots to the ground. Hike around in a known gold area and look for likley spots. As Terry said sample once you found and area that intrests you but before sampling research the area to make sure it isn't already claimed. If it shows good color and it isn't claimed then put one on it. The one I found was an old depression era claim and was abandoned since. I tested it and put in a claim. If you are going to try to buy a claim use caustion as was said. I would suggest you buy from a reputable miner who has a good rep and has actually worked the claim himself. Also ask to work it for a weekend at locations on the claim of your choosing. If he is legit he wouldn't have a problem with that. What a claim will produce is a crap shoot at best. Even assays can be wrong so sample in several locations on a claim. There may be only one small area that has gold. For equipment I would add a sluice, what ever you can afford nothing fancy.


Good Luck!

B H Prospector
 

We were all newbies at one time. You will only get past it by getting out there and start mining and prospecting. Join a local club, and that will help your learning curve.
Mining is mostly "Hands On" learning. Unless you apply what you learn to the task, words mean nothing. Get out there and get dirty and wet and dusty, like I did this last week end
SFPC After MiningRed Chispa1.1.jpg
 

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If you are buying an existing claim from someone, don't let them give you a 'dog and pony show'. If they have a legit claim then they can tell you most likely what area of the claim is already known to contain gold, and although they may point you in the general direction of the gold, it's best to test it for yourself. Look around for spent shotshells. Don't laugh. People still salt gravel with a shotgun loaded with gold flakes, etc. I ran into a location last year. A pile of spent shotshells all in the same place, not a likely spot for someone to be target shooting, and just 20 yards away signs that someone had used a bobcat to scoop up a nice scoop of surface dirt/gravel/sand from the wash. Not typically where you look for good sign of gold. Go down to bedrock where you can, or at least a good solid layer that is relatively impermeable. Get some samplings. Even where there is good gold, you can easily find locations where there is none at all. Recent case in point. I delivered a commercial unit I manufacture to a customer on a great gold claim. While there I tested a spot that was mere yards from a spot being worked that was yielding good quantities of gold. I dug down to bedrock, got a good five gallon bucket and put it through the test sluice. Nothing. Not even a microflake. So that's why you want to sample sample sample like these guys are tellin ya. One or two holes won't tell you much in most cases. If you are buying a claim from someone, they should let you choose where to dig and test.
 

B H Prospector said:
Hike around in a known gold area and look for likley spots. The one I found was an old depression era claim and was abandoned since. I tested it and put in a claim.


Good Luck!

B H Prospector
Click to expand...

I heard that claim jumpers have gotten shot and stuff, how do you hike around without trespassing, also when u say that u found a depression era claim, and reclaimed it. does this mean that claims expire?
 

Well all claims are either on BLM land or US forest land. No claim owner can keep the public from crossing or even camping on his claim. They just can not extract minerals from the ground that is inside the claim boundries. That is why I said once you find a likley spot to research it to see if it is clear to claim or if it is already claimed. Claims expire every September 1 st. unless you either file by that date a maintenance waiver or pay the maintenance fee. If you file the waiver then you have until December 30th of that year to file an affidavit of labor and pay the fees. If you don't do these you lose your claim. My claim was abandoned because of the outbreak of WW II. No one re opened it until I did. Hope this helps clear things up for you.

Good Luck!

B H prospector
 

You really should look to see if there are any claims open in the area you want to prospect. Lots of private property on the east coast, not all areas have claimable lands. So go to blm, buy the book, read it, ask them questions while you are there. They are honest and very helpful.
 

Thank you, one last thing, what bout patented claims, I thought one had the right to live in those and it became private property
 

...and yet every president since him has continued the policy as he established it.

Mine it and recycle it!
 

what is really sad about it is that an executive order is only good for two years and so Bush 43 had to sign it again to keep it going. We should check into this because if he didn't then it is no longer valid. There is a possability that it wasn't extended and everyone assumes it is still law. If it isn't ineffect we all need to patent our claims.

B H Prospector
 

It's been extended over and over in part because it costs money to run the mining patent conversion program. Conservatives don't want to fund it, greenies don't want it to happen...no gonna happen in our lifetimes.

Mine it and recycle it!
 

so what is stopping us from buying the land with the gold on it as private property, then secretly mining it... It would be the same as me digging around in my backyard lol
 

... Just the fact that the govt won't sell it to you. If you do find private land with gold on it, go for it!


Lots of home sites in the mountains of Colorado are on patented mining claims from the gold rush days. I'm sure many of them still have gold on their property and don't even know it!! Some should also metal detect their land!

Mine it and recycle it!
 

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