Hooked Newbie

[hunter_46356]

Got a set of Garret pans w classifier yesterday and had to give em a try. I live in NW IN and have a creek running through my hunting property. Gravel bottom and winding. Now I know this is not the best place to prospect but I was just thinking of getting some panning practice in pre season. 21 deg. and some wind and my friggin right boot leaked. What the heck I’ve hunted in worse. I’ll be damned if I didn’t see some color in the first pan. I’m not talking flakes though but by golly there was some micro specs that when you washed the black sand real carefully it stayed in the top of the pan. Even with an overcast sky, pretty sure it was gold or it wouldn’t have stayed. Sand, clay and loamy soil with gravel in the creek I did see a vein of gravel in the bank that I tried but didn’t show anything. The creek has many twist and turns with a few gravel bars. I really think I may have to go deeper and look for the black sand. I got the whole idea with inside turns, gravel bars and the slower water and all. Any other suggestions? This obviously is not going to be my “mother load” LOL prospecting place but it will make great practice till I head south. Did find a piece of pyrite I think and bout jumped outta my wet boots. I also learned I need to make a set of finer classifiers. The one that comes w the set is way to big for this place and probably Indiana in general. I’m hooked and didn’t even bring anything home!!!

 

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[russau]

congrats! now get back to work and get that gold! its got tobe a great feeling have this on your property! it sure will save you a lot of gas money!!!

 

[bluehunter1973]

good luck

 

[Goodyguy]

Go deep!
Down to bedrock is always good.

For sure try to get underneath the loose recent flood gravel layer, then hopefully you will find the hard packed ancient gravel layer that often will have an orange or reddish hue to it. The color is from ground up iron oxide boulder clay that was prevalent during ancient glacial flooding. If you get into that layer you may find the larger picker to small nugget sized gold.

Have fun,
GG~

 

[Bucketfreak68]

Congrats I hit about a week ago myself just out doing some samples and hunting new spots around me I'm actually using a rather large flour sifter to classify with I get the larger stuff out of it smack it on the rim of my bucket and go with it,sound cheap but it works for me and is simple.
At any rate I hope you find a bunch more its an addiction of fun.

 

[hunter_46356]

Good Guy?

The creek has cut deep in this area, 5 to 6 +ft in some spots and the gravel layer I saw in the bank is about half way up from the bottom. This was about 12 to 16 in thick and orange in color with small tight packed gravel. The ground above and below is dark and soil in nature. The gravel in the creek bed resembles the gravel in the bank. Is it possibly what you talk about "ancient gravel bed" being only 3 to 4 ft from top soil?
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[Goodyguy]

Good Guy?

The creek has cut deep in this area, 5 to 6 +ft in some spots and the gravel layer I saw in the bank is about half way up from the bottom. This was about 12 to 16 in thick and orange in color with small tight packed gravel. The ground above and below is dark and soil in nature. The gravel in the creek bed resembles the gravel in the bank. Is it possibly what you talk about "ancient gravel bed" being only 3 to 4 ft from top soil?

Yep it's possible but if it resembles what is in the creek bed doubtful. If it is ancient it would be very packed and very difficult to break apart almost like it's cemented together. It would also most likely lie below the recent gravels and would be larger not smaller.

For anyone in Indiana or in any glacial gold territory I would recommend Chuck Lassiter's book:
"Midwest Gold Prospecting" http://midwestprospector.com/book.html