Canadian Nugget areas

[M3R1IN]

Does anyone out there know of any nugget rich areas in Canada?
Specifically BC or Alberta?

 

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[marjo]

I to would like to find Canadian Nuggets

Only in the Ontario area Hey does anybody know how to request a mining claim

I heard that you could still do that stake out a mining and minerals claim
and do you need any special skill's other than old fashion hard work

I would be vary interested in learning about prospecting and mining any Canadian info is welcome


Thank You All

 

[Willy]

Well, if you're talking nuggets, B.C. is where it be. Check out the Cariboo Gold Mibers Association forum at: http://p098.ezboard.com/fcariboogoldminersasociationfrm42 . You'll find tons of info about B.C., A.B., and other parts of Canada.. as well as a lot of good tips. ..Willy.

 

[buscadero]

Guys, I've got plenty of general locations in B.C. There are few decent size Nuggets found in Alberta! Let me know a General Area, & I'll
give you some info! OK?

Joe

 

[M3R1IN]

Im in Southern Alberta around Lethbridge, I also have land in the foothills near Waterton Nat'l Park, between cardston and Mountain View
Found lots of black sand, vey little gold though
theres my general area

 

[buscadero]

M3: Pretty much only Flour Gold in Alberta, but here goes, Gold in the Bow, Milk, Old Man, Red Deer, & South Saskatchewan Rivers,
& the Wintering Hills, Whitecourt, Wetaskiwin, & Villeneuve Gravel Deposits in Central Alberta!

B.C. is Much Better!

HH Joe

 

[M3R1IN]

yeah i know BC is better, if it wasnt expensive to live there compared to Alberta, thats where i'd be. But i do frequent BC so do u have any areas in BC?

 

[1PgGuy]

Was there a reply to the BC area's that I missed?

 

[Functional]

Was there a reply to the BC area's that I missed?

Theres not many areas of BC that don't have gold in some amount. I've panned mostly in southern BC, more as a hobby and to help recoup the cost of a holiday away from this little south Okanagan tourist trap I live in.

For those concernec about the cost of living in BC, as a holder of a free mining certificate, you can prospect as much as you want within the legal limitations of the land you prospect on. In the past, I've lived in a travel trailer and never had to be concerned with rent in the warmer months. When it gets colder, thats the time to find someplace with running water and central heating, (which I admit is expensive here), but there are some places available like motels with off season monthly rates.

F.

 

[Functional]

Well, if you're talking nuggets, B.C. is where it be. Check out the Cariboo Gold Mibers Association forum at: http://p098.ezboard.com/fcariboogoldminersasociationfrm42 . You'll find tons of info about B.C., A.B., and other parts of Canada.. as well as a lot of good tips. ..Willy.

Thanks for the link Willy. Not a very busy forum as yet, but some useful info on there.

F.

 

[M3R1IN]

Does anyone know how one would go about applying for a B.C. freeminers certificate?
Ive heard that you have to be a resident of BC to get one

 

[Willy]

Well, the cariboo Gold Miners Assoc. Forum is slowly getting there. Need more people to stop lurking and sign up 'n post. ..Willy.

 

[Functional]

M3RiIN;

Regarding your first question, not too many people want to give out the"best" locations. (I think thats why they call it "prospecting".) I have seen some really nice nuggets come out of the Atlin Lake area, but I haven't been up that far north and I don't know how consistent the gold values are. I'm happy to cover expenses and if I make extra, thats great too.

Personally, I like to pan in known locations in southern B.C., such as the Frasier Valley and Similkimeen / Tulameen river areas. I plan to go out to the East Kootenays for a look out there, but I have a limited budget and prefer not to take too much of a gamble by wasting money on exploring too far afield.

Does anyone know how one would go about applying for a B.C. freeminers certificate?
Ive heard that you have to be a resident of BC to get one

You can get the form for a Free Miners Certificate online here:
http://www.frontcounterbc.gov.bc.ca/authorizations.html
(Just scroll down to the letter F, its a word document that you can fill out and I assume email back.)
I think you can even pay for it online, but I've never tried that. So far as I know, the only requirement is that you be resident in Canada for at least 183 days in the past year, (and I'm not even certain that that is a requirement, or if they just ask that for tax, or record keeping reasons).

You can also purchase the certificate, (I think its still $25.00), through any Gold Commisioners office. Theres a list of them here:
http://www.empr.gov.bc.ca/Mining/Titles/TitlesSearch/gold.htm

And I think you can buy the certificate at any government agenst office. A map of locations with links is here:
http://www.governmentagents.gov.bc.ca/locations/map.htm

There is also map information here:
http://www.mtonline.gov.bc.ca/
(Or you can buy maps from the office of the Gold Commisioner normally located at the local court house in the places mentioned in the previous link.

And depending on what size and type of operation your interested in, you may wish to review this page:
http://www.al.gov.bc.ca/clad/tenure_programs/programs/mining/index.html

F.

 

[Willy]

If you'd like to have a bit of fun panning and camping, take the Othello road turnoff on the Coquihalla Hwy and cruise up the road that follows the Hwy. You'll cross over the river and then there's tons of nice camping spots. Plenty of gold in the river.. some in literally every pan; sometimes a picker or 2. ...Willy.

 

[Functional]

If you'd like to have a bit of fun panning and camping, take the Othello road turnoff on the Coquihalla Hwy and cruise up the road that follows the Hwy. You'll cross over the river and then there's tons of nice camping spots. Plenty of gold in the river.. some in literally every pan; sometimes a picker or 2. ...Willy.

Thanks for the tip Willy. I hope the place isn't packed by the time I finish getting my little renovation job done on my travel trailer. I'm looking at June before I can expect to have everything done here, but I'll keep that spot in mind. Most of the stuff I've been getting out if the places I've been going in the past, is flake, or dust. I'm just hunting around the web now for plans to build a better mousetrap, (home made sluice, or recirculating unit). Panning is ok, but sometimes I'd like to be the one to be taking home the nuggets that people with suction dredges seem to take for granted.

F.

 

[Willy]

Ya better watch out for DFO! They'll crucify you if they find you'd stuck a sluice in the water. According to them, it's pan & shovel (metal detectors are Ok 'cause they're not intrusive).. anything else will kill off all the fish. WHAT A LOAD OF KIFE!!! Anyway, figured that I'd warn ya.. hate to see another goldminer sacrificed on the altar of political expedience. ...Willy.

 

[Functional]

Ya better watch out for DFO! They'll crucify you if they find you'd stuck a sluice in the water. According to them, it's pan & shovel (metal detectors are Ok 'cause they're not intrusive).. anything else will kill off all the fish. WHAT A LOAD OF KIFE!!! Anyway, figured that I'd warn ya.. hate to see another goldminer sacrificed on the altar of political expedience. ...Willy.

Incase anyone is reading this who wants to seriously be involved in mineral, or placer claims, (or any other business that might need online access to B.C. government services). It would be a good idea to get a British Columbia Electronic Identification.

Links to additional information relating to "Recreational Hand Panning", which does NOT require a Free Miners Certificate in some instances can be found here:
http://www.em.gov.bc.ca/mining/titles/InfoUpdate/default.htm


It's been awhile since I reviewed the legislation on placer mining, but from what I recall, self-contained recirculating systems are ok, so long as the tailings don't go directly back into the water and the device is non-mechanical. I'll be sure to review though. And I'll carry a copy of what I find, just incase theres a problem.

I've got several links to plans for DIY type, home made devices and as soon as I've figured out whats allowed under the legislation, (the Mineral Tenure Act and Regulations are a dry read), I'll decide on which device I'll take a crack at constructing. If all else fails, I'll still pan, but if theres a better option, I'll consider it.

F.

 

[Functional]

Heres a useful piece of information for those who eventual choose to stake a claim in B.C. The quote that follows is taken from a news story titled "Company Grabs Mining Rights to Premier’s Land" that can be found here:
http://thetyee.ca/News/2005/04/19/CompanyGrabsMining/

"— And on January 12 of this year, BC replaced its traditional claim staking method with an Internet system. No longer do free miners need to drive actual stakes into the ground to mark their claims. Nor do they have to walk into one of the two provincial Mineral Titles offices to register. Since January, all a registered free miner needs to do is to log in at Mineral Titles Online and stake a claim with the click of a mouse."

Quote regarding Free Miners Certificates here:
http://www.em.gov.bc.ca/subwebs/mtonline/part2_how_work/04_acquire/part2_04_02.asp

"To qualify for a FMC, an individual must be at least 18 years old, and ordinarily be a resident of Canada for no less than 183 days in each calendar year. A non-resident who is authorized by the federal government to work in Canada may also acquire a FMC. Canadian citizens, regardless of their place of residence, are, by virtue of citizenship, authorized to work in Canada and may thus acquire a FMC."

F.

 

[M3R1IN]

wow, functional and Willy, you guys seem to have all the answers
I know i will always get an answer when i pick one of your guys brains
Thanks so much for the info, hopefully i'll get out to some of those areas this season.
I am planning to go to the Yukon and/or Alaska this summer and B.C. is always nice as its next door.
again, thanks

 

[Functional]

wow, functional and Willy, you guys seem to have all the answers
I know i will always get an answer when i pick one of your guys brains
Thanks so much for the info, hopefully i'll get out to some of those areas this season.
I am planning to go to the Yukon and/or Alaska this summer and B.C. is always nice as its next door.
again, thanks

I haven't been up that far north, but if your going there then you should definitely be looking into the mining/prospecting laws in the Yukon. That seems to be where the nuggets are most plentiful still. Take lots of supplies with you though. I've heard the prices of most everything are high. An extra spare tire and a good jack wouldn't hurt either.

Here's a link to the forms used by the Yukon government:
http://www.gov.yk.ca/forms/
I'm not sure if they have a license like the BC Free Miners Cetificate or not, but there are forms for placer and quartz mining. Seems that they have something called an " Assay Coupon Program" and a "Yukon Mining Incentive Program" to help prospectors.

Pretty much everything you need to know is here:
http://www.yukonminingrecorder.ca/

Yukon Law is quite different from BC's. It allows non-citizens to prospect and mine. The following is copied from the Placer Mining Act, (PDF File on this page), here:
http://www.emr.gov.yk.ca/mining/legislation.html

"Right to acquire claims

17(1) Subject to this Act, any individual
eighteen years of age or over, on their own behalf,
on behalf of any corporation authorized to carry on
business in the Yukon, or on behalf of any other
individual eighteen years of age or over, may enter
for mining purposes, locate, prospect, and mine for
gold and other precious minerals or stones on any
lands in the Yukon."


"Permits to prospectors

33 Any person, on satisfying a mining recorder
that they are about to undertake a bona fide
prospecting trip, may, on payment of a fee of two
dollars, receive written permission from the mining
recorder allowing them to record a claim within
the mining recorder’s mining district at any time
within a period not exceeding six months from the
date of the staking the claim."

I can't tell from what I found, whether or not a person has to have a license of some sort just for recreational panning, and whether they allow devices other than gold pans for recreational use.

F.