How much gold did you get in your first season?

[The Gilded Lens]

Just curious being that we (my husband and I) really got into prospecting this spring. We haven't gotten much, but in the spot we've been going it's only "hands and pans" ( so stupid ). Loving the hunt, the outdoors, and it just adds to my love of hiking.

Here's are measly take thus far... don't laugh too hard guys. A hair under a gram. All the same gold, just different piles.


Classified it today. 10, 20 and 30.


Also, does anyone know the laws regarding waterways under bridges? There are several creek bridges where I could totally park and pan or set up a sluice, but who owns the property under a roadway? Would love some education in this area.

 

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[gold_seeker]

your doing great, I found maybe a ten millionth of penny the first time I panned for gold.

 

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[VERMONTPACKRAT]

I started in August. My total for my first year is just under 1/10 gram. I loved every bucket full of back breaking dirt!

VPR

 

[H&F909ORO]

Hmm well I'm not sure how much my total is but I know it is very little. I'm coming up to my first full year of mining (even though I have only been out for about 9 times). Sometime near the end of December. Not much gold but isn't gold only adding to the adventure?

 

[dunc]

My first season about 9 grams. But that wass when dredging was legal and then the next year illegal. Plus I found a 6.3 gram nugget that helped that total. Since that first season I have gone much less and found much, much less.

 

[GLDPNR]

I found .4 grams in PA in 2 months.

 

[Capt Nemo]

1.01 g. Nailed a BB sized nugget early on, but flour ever since. But so far, I've hit at least one speck everywhere I've tried. (except for one beach checking if the BS was magnetite or just stain)

 

[hunterbill]

My first time finding gold was with a sluice. Not enough to register on the scale but I had found gold and was over the moon about it. Something about that place keeps me coming back, though it only gives up a couple specks. That was 15 years ago and I have come a long way as a prospector. I have a place where I go that is pans only too. It took me 34 days over 3 years to add up one ounce. Needless to say it is rich up there and I have certainly been tempted to cheat. But I like knowing it's there and if everyone cooperates it will always be a good spot. Besides, good fortune is a fickle mistress who favors the honest man. At least that is what I choose to believe. Here are a couple tricks to hopefully up the production you guys. Get a couple small metal pans like 6'' or so. They are GREAT digging/scraping tools with one in each hand, also get one big pan for dumping your cons into instead of messing with it 'till it will go up the sniffer. Get a good pile of pay dirt ready where you can reach it from your COMFORTABLE (most importantly) panning station. Pan after pan just get down to black sand, checking only occasionally that you are still in the gold, and dump it till that holding pan is full. That stuff is fun to play with @ home and you will do a better job when you are less tired and not in a rush. Also do get competitive with your partner with a mentality of " I won't be outworked and I won't quit until I have more than you" Looks like you have a good spot, now see just how efficiently you can use your time there without a bunch of getting up and down or being hunched over. Also, resist the urge to claw @ the ground with your fingers.
One more top secret trick if you find the right place for it. Dig a shallow trench on the edge of the creek and just pretend that it is a sluice, then at the end of the day, block off the flow of water and take pans from that spot. It can seem wasteful just dumping pay into the creek, but it dose work when you have more material than time. Good luck, have fun, and welcome to prospecting.

 

[KevinInColorado]

Great stuff Hunterbill. I can sense the energy, creativity and gold fever in your writing!!!

 

[agolddigger]

Still in my first season so we'll see - stretch goal is 5+ grams, realistic goal is 2-3 =)

 

[KevinInColorado]

Still in my first season so we'll see - stretch goal is 5+ grams, realistic goal is 2-3 =)

I think you'll hit 5...we'll find the right spots!!!!

 

[Hamfist]

My first season was pretty weak...something like half a gram. Then I discovered that there was life outside of sluicing in East Fork San Gabriel.

 

[Kenmitch]

Guess technically this would be my 1st season. Made a sight seeing trip last year.

In March I made a trip up north and met up with Goldwasher and stayed on one of his claims for 6 nights. It rained on and off the whole time which messed up our plans. I didn't move much material in the end. Guess maybe we spent about 8 hrs or so at the creek? Back was sore so I took some metal detecting breaks.

This was what I wound up with. Lots of fly poop in the pan which was hard to photo. The pieces witb quartz were gifted too me by Goldwasher.



Was a fun experience in the end. Looking forward to more adventures in the coming months ahead.

 

[The Gilded Lens]

Very nice, Kenmitch! That Goldwasher guy is ok in my book. We briefly met him when we picked up out Zooka. You have some great looking flakes and pickers there!

 

[Ragnor]

Well, I got real lucky my first year and hit a nice pocket that turned out over an ounce in one day. In about 10 pans actually. I have not had that kind of luck since. On my favorite creek I average .10 grams per day. running a sluice and have gotten up to a half gram or so a day running the hydroforce as a highbanker combo.
Every once in a while however that creek gives up a chunk and I do like that about it. Ive got one here that comes in around 7 grams but it's only about 10 carat, the color of a cheap wedding band. My best day dredging turned up about 6.5 grams of nice yellow gold. I know that's allot more than you asked, but it should give you an idea what to expect.
My new spot this year is supposed to have given up some real clinkers in the early days, so I have high hopes for this coming season.