Is anyone still looking for gold in Western New York?

[Butcher78]

I Just recently started panning and sluicing for gold here in Springville, NY.
If anyone in the area is still prospecting pls share here. I would love to see what is being found, how your finding it, where you are looking and how much you have found.
I am running a Royal Manufacturing 30” sluice box. I’m still learning how to pan and I want to start crevicing for gold if I can find some exposed bedrock in my area.

 

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[njcommercialdiver]

anyone prospect around rochester area? my wife has a bowling tournament there in 2 weeks and was wondering if i should pack some gear or even my Cube?

 

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[Butcher78]

He everyone. Just a little update. I got my bag of paydirt and feel as if I was completely ripped off, but I did find 14 tiny pieces of gold. I can’t weight it lol but I now know what i am looking for in my pan. This pic shows the first bit of what I found.

 

[Butcher78]

Hey everyone, summer break is right around the corner. Does anyone have any trips planned out? I can’t weight to get out on the Creek with my family and do some prospecting. I might at some point make an investment in a metal detector and see how that works out.

 

[brianc053]

Hey everyone, summer break is right around the corner. Does anyone have any trips planned out? I can’t weight to get out on the Creek with my family and do some prospecting. I might at some point make an investment in a metal detector and see how that works out.

Butcher, as a guy who dove into prospecting head-first I can offer this advice: don't buy every gizmo thinking it will get you more gold, especially where you live (Western NY State). There are probably some cool things to find with a metal detector - but raw gold is probably not one of those "things". If you buy a metal detector, do it for finding coins, relics, jewelry, etc.

If you want to see if there's gold in Western NY, your shovel, sluice and pan will be enough to start. Classifiers help too, because you're going to want to separate the dirt into +20 mesh / 20-50 mesh / -50 mesh categories. And you will probably only find -50 mesh stuff where you are, which is great. If you can pan that, you can find better gold other places.

Regarding metal detectors: I have a White's MXT Pro, which has a gold mode, so I took it on a trip to Gold Basin, Arizona. I detected for a day...and only found bullets, no gold.
More recently I upgraded to a Minelab Equinox 800. Great machine, with a gold mode, so I took it to Contrary Creek, VA last weekend. I detected for about 2 hours...and only found a bullet.
Even in known gold areas - Arizona, Virginia - it's unlikely that an untrained person (like me) will find gold.
Just keep that in mind as you decide how to spend your $ and your time.
- Brian

 

[Butcher78]

B

Butcher, as a guy who dove into prospecting head-first I can offer this advice: don't buy every gizmo thinking it will get you more gold, especially where you live (Western NY State). There are probably some cool things to find with a metal detector - but raw gold is probably not one of those "things". If you buy a metal detector, do it for finding coins, relics, jewelry, etc.

If you want to see if there's gold in Western NY, your shovel, sluice and pan will be enough to start. Classifiers help too, because you're going to want to separate the dirt into +20 mesh / 20-50 mesh / -50 mesh categories. And you will probably only find -50 mesh stuff where you are, which is great. If you can pan that, you can find better gold other places.

Regarding metal detectors: I have a White's MXT Pro, which has a gold mode, so I took it on a trip to Gold Basin, Arizona. I detected for a day...and only found bullets, no gold.
More recently I upgraded to a Minelab Equinox 800. Great machine, with a gold mode, so I took it to Contrary Creek, VA last weekend. I detected for about 2 hours...and only found a bullet.
Even in known gold areas - Arizona, Virginia - it's unlikely that an untrained person (like me) will find gold.
Just keep that in mind as you decide how to spend your $ and your time.
- Brian

Brian, Thank you for the. Tips. I wanted to say I did originally buy a 1/4 in classifier. Sadly I have not gotten down the mesh sizes yet. Lol. I do however own a med sized kitchen strainer that can classify even smaller. I have come to realize that if I am to find any gold I will have to get a lot better at panning. So I invested in a smaller 10 inch pan and I am making my own plans to build my own Miller table. I will upload a photo of the kitchen strainer. I think it’s meant to strain oil or flower. I to a picture of it against a quarter for size comparison.

As for metal detecting and metal detectors, I haven’t decided on what one I’d like to buy. I know I’d like to have one with a gold setting but am fairly certain I won’t be able to detect any gold around here. Just seems like another interesting hobby I can pick up when I can’t go panning. Or maybe both. Who knows. Lol.

 

[brianc053]

B

Brian, Thank you for the. Tips. I wanted to say I did originally buy a 1/4 in classifier. Sadly I have not gotten down the mesh sizes yet. Lol. I do however own a med sized kitchen strainer that can classify even smaller. I have come to realize that if I am to find any gold I will have to get a lot better at panning. So I invested in a smaller 10 inch pan and I am making my own plans to build my own Miller table. I will upload a photo of the kitchen strainer. I think it’s meant to strain oil or flower. I to a picture of it against a quarter for size comparison.
View attachment 1717985
As for metal detecting and metal detectors, I haven’t decided on what one I’d like to buy. I know I’d like to have one with a gold setting but am fairly certain I won’t be able to detect any gold around here. Just seems like another interesting hobby I can pick up when I can’t go panning. Or maybe both. Who knows. Lol.

A kitchen strainer is a good place to start. A "classifier" is really just mesh - just like a strainer. The key is getting like-sized material together in the pan; that way, the heavy stuff will actually be heavier than the "other" stuff in the pan.

Metal detectors are fun. If you don't have one, you may want to start with a cheap-o (our first one was a White's Prism), because those will still find coins (and nails...lots of nails). Or better yet, borrow someone's if you can. Trying it out for a few hours will tell you if you have the patience for it. (on our Virginia trip my son decided after 30 minutes that he did not like using the detector to try to find gold, since all we were finding is hot rocks and that bullet I mentioned. But he LOVES finding coins - in the park, at the beach.)

Good luck!

 

[KevinInColorado]

FYI Butcher, the kitchen strainers are typically about an 18 mesh. A good start for processing your concentrates but you also want to go much finer like my friend Brian says. 30 and 50 mesh are smart. You can learn more about finish processing your concentrates ( the heavy material in the pan after you pan off all the lighter stuff) in my web article about this. Just go to
(deleted by mod for rule violation)and search on “concentrates”.

 

[Butcher78]

@Brian and @Keven, thank you guys for the tips and support. I will definitely have to look into and learn my classifications of my paydirt. I just need to make sure I have the right tools for the job. Right now I only have a 1/4in classifier, a 14in pan, a 10in pan,sluice box kitchen strainer, 4 5gal buckets, a snuffer bottle and a tiny little vile that might hold 1/2 an ounce. Oh almost forgot. I picked up a neodymium magnet. I haven’t used it yet because I want to put it in a Black Sand magnet housing for better pull then the cheep magnets that come in them. Lol I don’t even own a scale yet.

As for a metal detector I was considering getting a used one online, rather then paying full price for one I may not like. Also is something I would have to learn to use.
I am all about treasure hunting in whatever capacity. I just have to find the right balance and time.

 

[brianc053]

@Brian and @Keven, thank you guys for the tips and support. I will definitely have to look into and learn my classifications of my paydirt. I just need to make sure I have the right tools for the job. Right now I only have a 1/4in classifier, a 14in pan, a 10in pan,sluice box kitchen strainer, 4 5gal buckets, a snuffer bottle and a tiny little vile that might hold 1/2 an ounce. Oh almost forgot. I picked up a neodymium magnet. I haven’t used it yet because I want to put it in a Black Sand magnet housing for better pull then the cheep magnets that come in them. Lol I don’t even own a scale yet.

As for a metal detector I was considering getting a used one online, rather then paying full price for one I may not like. Also is something I would have to learn to use.
I am all about treasure hunting in whatever capacity. I just have to find the right balance and time.

I started with a magnet in a rubber glove or plastic bag so the black sand wouldn’t stick right to the magnet.
Used detectors seem fine. Im the second owner of my Whites MXT.
I hope you fill that vial quickly (but have realistic
expectations.)

 

[KevinInColorado]

I started with a magnet in a rubber glove or plastic bag so the black sand wouldn’t stick right to the magnet.
Used detectors seem fine. Im the second owner of my Whites MXT.
I hope you fill that vial quickly (but have realistic
expectations.)

I glue a screw (head end) to a magnet and use a yogurt container as the housing. Red neck engineering all the way!

 

[Butcher78]

I think I have realistic expectations for my area. I know their it some gold here. Just might be challenging to find. I have a friend that wants to go down by the dam here in town. I don’t know much about dams but I do know that on the low side their is some good exposed bedrock right in the middle of the creek/river I could crevice. He brought me a couple samples of the dirt that he could grab. I love his enthusiasm!

 

[Gold & Blues]

I don't know if this is considered Western NY, but I ran a half-dozen test pans in Canajoharie Creek just south of the Town of Canajoharie yesterday, and I found 2 tiny pieces.

 

[brianc053]

I don't know if this is considered Western NY, but I ran a half-dozen test pans in Canajoharie Creek just south of the Town of Canajoharie yesterday, and I found 2 tiny pieces.

I’d say you found a pretty good spot there. Great job!

I used to pan and sluice a couple hours east of there in Massachusetts just south of Brattleboro, VT. I bring that up because it is about the same northern latitude (not that this directly correlates to glacier activity).

 

[Gold & Blues]

Thanks! It was fun, and I wish I had more time out there. I live in Missouri but was out there for work a couple of days this week and found a couple of spare hours for prospecting. I will be in Albany a lot for work over the next year, and I'll try to drive out to Vermont when I have a little more time.

 

[Butcher78]

Hello everyone. It's nice to continue on this this thread, and to see how many people have found my thread.
I recently got myself a Bounty Hunter LandStar Metal Detector. I have not used it yet but am looking forward to going out next spring to see what I can find in my area. I have not given up on planning or Crevicing for gold.
If your still following this and your in western NY post your finds please.

 

[No gold in NY]

I have done a bit of research with what is available for NYS. Not a lot is out their because of the law in NY. Not many want to document their finds in fear that the state will take it from them.
That being said I have an overlapping map showing where the glacier that covered NYS ended on the 3 pushes it made through the state. One being about right where I live. Proof that it is correct lyes in the state parks where massive builders pushed by the glaciers ended up. My map overlaps these state parks.
I know where to go to look for the best deposits... I just don’t have permission to. So ya I think I’m pretty well educated about my area and what is available to me at this time. As stated before it’s just a hobby for me. Kinda like fishing for some folks. You go out for hrs on end, cast your line and wait for a bite. No guarantees. I’m off my butt, outside enjoying nature, spending time with my kids when the help. And I’m learning more everyday by doing.

Hi Butcher78,

Been reading your thread. I have read on Tnet that guys have been finding gold in the Rochester area. Also there is a GPAA group that operates in the finger lakes area.
I don't prospect in NY. Some say NY taking your gold is a myth. However, NY is very protective of their streams. My only fear is having an Encon officer see me disturbing the stream bottom or returning turbid water to the stream. It's a trip for you, but the wife and I go to the Ludlow, VT area or South of Brattleboro, VT. It's 80 to 100 miles one way depending where we go. VT is pan only. $300 fine for using a sluice though some still do. Sometimes we camp over. We have a great time, AND we do not make gas money. Our main spot is 3/4 mile downstream from a long ago hard rock mine. Sometimes we find mercury contaminated gold. In two holes I dug this past season I found raw mercury in my pan. If you get the urge to prospect VT, PM me after the the temp goes up and the water goes down.

 

[Silveraith]

If you can get to eastern NY try Trump Tower. It's full of gold.

 

[KevinInColorado]

If you can get to eastern NY try Trump Tower. It's full of gold.

Yeah, Russian gold lol!

 

[Hunter1805]

FYI..... I was stopped and Questioned by a NYSDEC officer while metals detecting in Zoar Valley. They asked me about one thing... They asked me if I was looking for gold or silver and wanted me to know that it is "Illegal to remove minerals from Zoar Valley " but detecting they did not mention as long as I was looking for coins and not minerals.. PS .. In the valentines flats area I have found over 50 silver coins including a 1820 bust dimes along with many barbers. This was 10 years back ,, Its always nice to be the first one at a virgin locations. For those of you who have time if you walk the creek above the high water mark you will see old camp fire pits. we found so much silver coin that you can be sure that where we stopped you can walk another 2 miles and you should do good. Barbers, halfs and sterling form the 1960s when the Hippies took up living in Zoar Valley you should be good. PS stay off private property you will be arrested !!!!!

 

[ncclaymaker]

I don't know if this is considered Western NY, but I ran a half-dozen test pans in Canajoharie Creek just south of the Town of Canajoharie yesterday, and I found 2 tiny pieces.

The only gold in NY it usually found in a jewerly store. I've tried streams that have exposed bedrock, hardly found enough to buy a dog buscuit.