How To Tell If Land Is Claimed

[brchcar1445]

Hey everyone, first post! Just ordered my bazooka 36 inch sniper today and I'm ready to find the motherload! Anyway, rather stupid question here. Up until this point I have just done some panning, finally found a place with a little color but before I get into any kind of sluicing I want to make sure I'm not on anyones claim. I want to be respectful to any owners, but I'm having one heck of a time finding these maps. I looked on the BLM site and have tried googling, but I'm not finding anything. Seems like this info should be much easier to obtain? If anyone could point me in the right direction, I would sure be appreciative. Thanks you!

 

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[H&F909ORO]

First welcome to the forum, you can learn much from the people that are here. Usually maps don't show claims, try looking up Minecache they show most claims and have regular updates. There's a free trial for 7 days online, you need to have google earth for it. Also it depends where you are going to. Which river? Just giving my two cents worth.

 

[rodoconnor]

You need to ID the spot you are interested in.The county recorder is the next step. Once the piece is ID'd You can look in the records to see if there is valid and current claim . If it is not privately held and hasn't got any gov B/S restrictions. it is abvailablr to claim. Get out your checkbook if you want it. The BLM LR 2000 is notorious for not being up to date. BTW you're not asking a stupid question , just the opposite. You are doing what is called due diligence. G/L

 

[brchcar1445]

Thanks guys! Rodo, can tbose records be accessed online. Im in north idaho fairly close to the st joe. Do I just search on the county website or do I need to make a trip to the court house?

 

[Clay Diggins]

You will probably need to go to the County Recorder's office of the county where the area you are interested in is located. I only know of two Recorder's offices that have the information you are looking for online and they are both in Arizona.

The County Courthouse is not where you want to go. Neither the County Court recorder nor the County Assessor have the claims locations records. It is the County Recorder's office where you will find the claim location notices.

Figure out which Township, Range and Section (TRS) the area you have an interest in is and take that information to the County Recorder. You can find out where your Recorder is in most States in the West by using Ruby's interactive Recorder's map:

County Recorder Websites - Western U.S.

Get copies of the active location notices for that TRS and study the maps attached for each claim. If the area is free of claims you will still want to check the BLM Master Title Plat to check for mineral withdrawals and search for recent claims markers on the ground.

Heavy Pans

 

[rodoconnor]

I guess it all depends. A lot of places you cannot. You have to walk in to the office and do it there and knowing Id , I would suspect that they are a little bit behind in the technology department. On the bright side ,however most of the people I've met here in the Recorder's Office have more than helpful. BTW , people are notorious for saying " every square inch is claimed , don't waste your time". You will find it surprising how many claims have returned to public domain and are open to claim. G/L 1445

 

[brchcar1445]

Wow, you guys are incredible. I'm glad I made an account here, you were more helpful then hours of searching. Ya, sniffed around the county's websites and it looks like I will have to go in, good old Idaho. Lol. Again, thanks for your help, I very much appreciate it. I wish it was easier to see where claims are and what land is available to dig in. I can see why there are so many claim jumpers to be honest, it's a lot of work figuring all this out. I will be going to a very remote location, no roads, a place I have to hike to. But the trail I'm following goes to an old time gold mine. So I'm hopeful it's not all claimed up, but at the same time if there was a gold mine there, logic states that others have figured this spot out.

 

[KevinInColorado]

Wow, you guys are incredible. I'm glad I made an account here, you were more helpful then hours of searching. Ya, sniffed around the county's websites and it looks like I will have to go in, good old Idaho. Lol. Again, thanks for your help, I very much appreciate it. I wish it was easier to see where claims are and what land is available to dig in. I can see why there are so many claim jumpers to be honest, it's a lot of work figuring all this out. I will be going to a very remote location, no roads, a place I have to hike to. But the trail I'm following goes to an old time gold mine. So I'm hopeful it's not all claimed up, but at the same time if there was a gold mine there, logic states that others have figured this spot out.

You can also ask your local chamber of commerce about places the public can prospect. Also find out about lands owned by the city, county, state and learn whether they allow small scale prospecting via sluice on their property...many do.

Oh and the references to TRS....this is Township, Range and Section...they refer to the way surveyed land is located on a map.

 

[Clay Diggins]

You can also ask your local chamber of commerce about places the public can prospect. Also find out about lands owned by the city, county, state and learn whether they allow small scale prospecting via sluice on their property...many do.

Oh and the references to TRS....this is Township, Range and Section...they refer to the way surveyed land is located on a map.

Good suggestions. Every State is different but many do allow casual prospecting.

Township, Range and Section aren't just whats on a map Kevin. They are the units of the Public Land Survey which predates the Constitution. Go to one of the corners indicated on your map and you will find an actual brass survey pin put there as part of the PLSS official survey. Those corners are actually there and they define the very description and ultimately the ownership of the land they are located on.

Heavy Pans

 

[delnorter]

Good suggestions. Every State is different but many do allow casual prospecting.

Township, Range and Section aren't just whats on a map Kevin. They are the units of the Public Land Survey which predates the Constitution. Go to one of the corners indicated on your map and you will find an actual brass survey pin put there as part of the PLSS official survey. Those corners are actually there and they define the very description and ultimately the ownership of the land they are located on.

Heavy Pans

Good info Clay. It is interesting the PLSS predates the constitution.

As to the actual physical corners on the ground, they are of many different types besides brass. They can be as simple as the original stone mound (the accompanying post is usually rotted away), an aluminum cap on an aluminum pipe, an iron pipe or rebar with aluminum or plastic cap by a local surveyor etc.. Since these original surveys with stone mounds and posts, many corners were re-monumented with brass caps in the early part of the 1900s.

There have been many independent and dependent resurveys of these public lands in later years by the BLM as well as private surveyors (usually on contract to the BLM). Often these later day surveyors used aluminum posts with aluminum cap appropriately marked with the corner information (T R S 1/4S, date, etc.) The aluminum lasts a long time and weigh a lot less than the iron pipe and brass cap.

Much of the public lands (especially here in the northwest) were very poorly or fraudulently surveyed by the original surveyors. Many of the these corners, which are interior to the boundary between public and private lands (within National Forests and BLM lands) have not been re-monumented at all beyond the original stone mound and post. This can become important as you get further inside these exterior boundaries into the back country.

On your USGS quad maps you will notice that there will be a symbol (a T or a +) at township, section and 1/4 corners where they were set and subsequently verified. Where the section lines just intersect, without the symbol, they are approximations of the lines. The corners may be there but have not been formally recovered and acknowledged as of the date of that particular map making.

I know you know all of this already Clay and were keeping it simple. It's just a fascinating subject, this whole PLSS. It was a real unique idea by some very smart people to map out the lands. I've done a lot of retracements surveys looking for these original corners. It's really a thrill to be the first to find the old stone mounds built (often gone) or open up a bearing tree scribed by the original survey so long ago.

Mike

 

[gunflintguy]

Wow, you guys are incredible. I'm glad I made an account here, you were more helpful then hours of searching. Ya, sniffed around the county's websites and it looks like I will have to go in, good old Idaho. Lol. Again, thanks for your help, I very much appreciate it. I wish it was easier to see where claims are and what land is available to dig in. I can see why there are so many claim jumpers to be honest, it's a lot of work figuring all this out. I will be going to a very remote location, no roads, a place I have to hike to. But the trail I'm following goes to an old time gold mine. So I'm hopeful it's not all claimed up, but at the same time if there was a gold mine there, logic states that others have figured this spot out.

brchcar1445 First welcome to TNET. You mentioned that you have a 36" sniper and plan to hike into a remote area. A couple of thoughts: Put some thought into the pack you are going to use as you are walking in the woods. Because of its length it doesn't fit allot of the normal backpacking packs.

I was out today with my 36" sniper and ran into all kinds of problems with overhanging tree branches. The pack I use allows at least 10 to 12 inches of the sniper to stick out above the top of my head so its hard to get around and through some of the overhanging branches. Most times no problems, but today I bushwhacked off a trail back to a very small creek and the trees drove me nuts. I ended up repacking everything and just carried the sniper by the carrying handle.

Good luck

 

[brchcar1445]

Gunflint- thanks for the heads up (down?) brother. Im covered in backpack, you see my first passion is just that, backpacking. I have an 80L REI backpack. The thing is a monster, I can almost put my house in there. Im gonna have to be careful not to over pack however since im not used to packing mining equipment. Im actually more worried about my buckets. My pan and classifier should fit in the bag with the sniper nicely. Im even considering putting my tent in there and staying the night. Im also into photography, so I have to find room for my Canon 6d slr as well. Im so excited, this week is going to last forever. Im hoping to get some good pics and vids for you guys! I guess that poses another question. When trying to pack fairly light what tools must I take?

 

[KevinInColorado]

Gunflint- thanks for the heads up (down?) brother. Im covered in backpack, you see my first passion is just that, backpacking. I have an 80L REI backpack. The thing is a monster, I can almost put my house in there. Im gonna have to be careful not to over pack however since im not used to packing mining equipment. Im actually more worried about my buckets. My pan and classifier should fit in the bag with the sniper nicely. Im even considering putting my tent in there and staying the night. Im also into photography, so I have to find room for my Canon 6d slr as well. Im so excited, this week is going to last forever. Im hoping to get some good pics and vids for you guys! I guess that poses another question. When trying to pack fairly light what tools must I take?

I'd say skip the classifier and sample with the Sniper. Also substitute 3 gal buckets instead of 5 gals. No substitute for a full sized shovel tho...use it as a walking stick maybe?

 

[gunflintguy]

Gunflint- thanks for the heads up (down?) brother. Im covered in backpack, you see my first passion is just that, backpacking. I have an 80L REI backpack. The thing is a monster, I can almost put my house in there. Im gonna have to be careful not to over pack however since im not used to packing mining equipment. Im actually more worried about my buckets. My pan and classifier should fit in the bag with the sniper nicely. Im even considering putting my tent in there and staying the night. Im also into photography, so I have to find room for my Canon 6d slr as well. Im so excited, this week is going to last forever. Im hoping to get some good pics and vids for you guys! I guess that poses another question. When trying to pack fairly light what tools must I take?

First off go with what Kevinincolorado says. I wouldn’t bother with the classifiers you don’t need them. I have gone to a full sized shovel myself. The shorter the handle is on the shovel the more you have to bend over. However it depends on how far you have to walk. That is your decision.

Think about the water you will be working in for your foot wear. Is it deep, cold, etc.

I would go with a snuffer bottle if you will have a pan with you, otherwise, bring something to carry the concentrates in, if you don’t plan on using your buckets. Some people use plastic zip lock bags or even plastic drink bottles.

As for the sniper, it works great. If you don’t have enough water flow, use something to divert the water into the sniper, such as rocks. Read prior posts on the bazooka’s If you haven’t already done so, on how to set them up. As Kevinincolorado says Think Less, Shovel more, it works.

Good luck

 

[Hoser John]

Classification increases recovery,speeds sampling, and makes it easier to see gold/matric mixed specimens. NEVER leave home without at least a 1/2". You lose your specific gravity edge as when rocks get larger you then push out gold by sheer weight. To keep grains with ounce+ rocks not good as MUCH more than 19 times heavier. Some folks don't fret the small stuff BUT I want it all AND them mixed matrix also. Different strokes for different folks as less than a 1/2 lb and a great tool-John

 

[brchcar1445]

This is all great guys, I was going to take a small shovel but you convinced me otherwise. Good call on the smaller buckets too, that makes way more sense. Also great call on the plastic zip lock. I hadent even considered my concentrates! Here's another question about the classifier though. The place I want to try has a creek, but it also has some old tailings from a mine that pulled gold. Now... The creek is probably 200 feet from the tailings. I was going to bring the classifier to classify material to carry in buckets to the creek where my bazooka will be set up. Do you think thats logical, should I be messing with the tailings, or would I be better off sniffing out some bedrock on the creek? These tailings are off the beaten path with no set road or trail going to them anymore. The mine was open around 1920. They mainly produced copper but with a great success with gold as a byproduct. Your input is extremely valuable!

 

[gunflintguy]

I am not sure I can answer that for you. I have no experience with what you are talking about. The comment by Hoser John would be consistent with what you are asking, when you are wondering about classifying material.

 

[KevinInColorado]

This is all great guys, I was going to take a small shovel but you convinced me otherwise. Good call on the smaller buckets too, that makes way more sense. Also great call on the plastic zip lock. I hadent even considered my concentrates! Here's another question about the classifier though. The place I want to try has a creek, but it also has some old tailings from a mine that pulled gold. Now... The creek is probably 200 feet from the tailings. I was going to bring the classifier to classify material to carry in buckets to the creek where my bazooka will be set up. Do you think thats logical, should I be messing with the tailings, or would I be better off sniffing out some bedrock on the creek? These tailings are off the beaten path with no set road or trail going to them anymore. The mine was open around 1920. They mainly produced copper but with a great success with gold as a byproduct. Your input is extremely valuable!

Yes classifying makes sense to reduce how much material you are carrying that far. Good thinking!

Yes you should test/sample the tailings area and the bedrock and the gravels in the creek too :-D

Hope you find some good surprises...

 

[brchcar1445]

Thanks Kevin, I'm going to make sure I get some pics of the area, maybe even some videos. Hopefully that media will consist of some good gold! If not oh well, I am lucky enough to live in such a beautiful place.