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ttmike42
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OK I'm new to metal detecting. I went out yesterday to a creekbed that had been mined with success a hundred years ago during the gold rush. I live in the northern mother lode and am surrounded by abandoned hydraulic mining diggins. I also know locations of the old townships themselves. I tried nugget hunting for the first time yesterday and found nothing. (I also wasnt able to get to where I had researched, so I was forced to just kind of stop at a swelled up creek and prospect there) and ended up finding several old nails and bullets, and what looks to be a very rusted iron valve handle. No gold, no valuables. Here is where I need help!! I have been looking online and apparently folks have done quite well metal detecting these old diggins, as the state decided hydraulic mining was too much impact on farming and outlawed it before most of the gold could be recovered. I'm looking for any advise on finding nuggets in these diggins as possible. Do I need to look on the sides of the banks that have been cut away with water and dig horizontally to find nuggets? or should I just stick to the ground and dig everything (I do that anyway out of curiousity!). Also, what ratio of trash to treasure do you all find? So far all I dig is trash and I'm wondering if it gets better or if I'm not being discriminating enough? If anyone is experienced and wants to help I'll take them to several old mines and they can show me what to do right and look for? any help you can give to a newbie I'm thankful!
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