GPAA New Mexico

Thinking about an April trip to NM for some nugget shooting and maybe drywashing. How is the southern central NM claim? Know anything about it?
 

If you are talking about the one in Orogrande, I've done ok there. Honestly, most people I know do better there with drywashing, but nuggets are there and do get found. April is also a gorgeous time in those little mountains. Wind has quit, things are greening up. Really pretty in that weird, harsh desert way.
 

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i agree with the last post. i would bring the drywasher for best results. i was there probly 15 years back and i had fun DWing. watchout for claims. some of these guys are pretty touchy!
 

Thanks for the info. I just hope my son gets the drywasher made for me.
 

About four years ago a man contacted me saying he detected a hunk of gold at Orogrande. His
pictures were blurry so I was unable to confirm that is was gold. He wanted to know where to
get it smelted and I gave him a reference. Later he said they took too long and got it back.
Last I heard he was going to melt it with a torch.
 

Lastleg, I wouldn't mind having that problem!
 

my wife and i tryed the claim near ancho didnt find anything. truck broke down had to be towed to town by lucky s towing.. then we went to the caballo mountains w /drywasher found gooood gold Jonesy
 

in elephant butte for another 3 weeks ----only thing i got was a trip to the doctor for allegeries,and dust . in the caballo mountains where you on a private claim? would like to go home with a little color
 

no private claim just drove up the big canyon 3 or 4 miles stopped on the dry wash started working... there were no claim markers or obvious work. an old man (george Clanton) showed us where to dig.got gold in every pan out of the drywasher... dug down about 3 feet then found a very old light bulb socket deep.. later found out the first foot was the best gold jonesy
 

That area in Apache Canyon and Caballo Canyon is private land (Ladder Ranch property) and they do patrol. Lot's of claims on the way up there too. The area around Pass Tank, Flat Tank, Horse Tank, Green Canyon and Red Hill are also private property. It's checkerboarded private and BLM all over that area.

Always check the land status before you go. There is no requirement that claim owners or private land owners notify you or maintain signs. It's up to you to do the research and know where you can prospect.

There is some good gold around Caballo but it's not cool to spend your prospecting time being booked for trespass. Mining is serious business in New Mexico and the Caballo area has a lot of mining.

Look around and you will find some open ground there. Try the area just East of Caballo reservoir where Granite Canyon enters the lake. Stick to the South side of the Canyon to avoid the claim on the North side. Good gold there and you won't be stepping in anyone else' claim or property.
 

So, I will be traveling from Tucson to ABQ and hoping to stop and prospect/drywash for a few hours en-route. I see the GPAA Sunrise Claims near Hillsboro, NM in the Mining Guide. Also, Clay Diggins said:

"There is some good gold around Caballo but it's not cool to spend your prospecting time being booked for trespass. Mining is serious business in New Mexico and the Caballo area has a lot of mining.

Look around and you will find some open ground there. Try the area just East of Caballo reservoir where Granite Canyon enters the lake. Stick to the South side of the Canyon to avoid the claim on the North side. Good gold there and you won't be stepping in anyone else' claim or property."

I can find Caballo Reservoir just east of I-25 on the map, but do not see any roads to access the east side of the reservoir, and don't know where Granite Canyon is. Any suggestions on a decent spot to kick around for a few hours?

Clay, I ran into GoldenIrishman at his new claim at Gville and he says you helped him out a lot -

Thanks all!
 

The dam is closed on both ends now russau. No driving or walking over anymore. I'm guessing it's been awhile since you were down there?

There is a large culvert where you can drive under the freeway a few miles downstream that the locals use to get to the other side it's just a little hard to explain how to get there that way. You can cross over on the Big Hole bridge too. It's a little further to drive back up the river but at least you won't get lost and it's a nice drive up the river through the little chile fields..

Stop in at the little cafe in Arrey, have some huevos and green chile and ask the locals how to get over from there. It's just a few farmers roads to negotiate just down past the Percha irrigation dam.

I'm not real current on the claims status there this summer but unless you really know your way around you are better to stay out of Apache Canyon and try your luck on some of the little washes where they enter the lake. Even then there is a lot of private property to avoid.

I'll look over my maps tomorrow and see if I can't find some areas open with good gold.

Heavy Pans
 

yep Clay its been awhile! I was there a year before they drain the lake down to repair the dam. I was working on some patent land and I had written permission to be there. that first weekend it looked like I was in the middle of a hiway because of all the traffic driving up this mans land! there must have been 20 vehicals driving around. I heard they were gpaa from el passo. we left after seeing that!
 

I was just up at the butte for the firework show... On my way back today stopped in the caballo and went into granite canyon (thanks clay) got some good gold and acouple of bass to boot!
 

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