Legal question for California-Taking buckets of material home

[Shoesnsocks]

I want to take home buckets of material to run through a highbanker. It would be coming from a currently dry stream bed and it is on BLM property. I live about a mile from the site, and it has decent amounts of gold.

I want to know if this is legal though because I would be carting the buckets past neighbors, who could possibly complain when they see how much material I take out. (Maybe 4 buckets at a time.) I plan on bringing the material back afterwards to fill back in the areas that I mine.

Is this legal? I'm not trying to get a big fine as there is no way I could afford that.

 

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[DizzyDigger]

Shoesnsocks: If I were in your shoes (..sorry, couldn't help myself ) I believe
my first thought would be to talk to those neighbors, and tell them what I was
considering. Be cordial, but stress to them (if needed) that you'll be bringing all
of it back, minus a tablespoon or two.

If they have no beef with it, then you've solved your problem, and maybe made
some new friends. If they're going to be peckerheads about your idea, it's still
better to know, now.

Can't answer the legal question, but I did once cart 17 buckets of classified
dirt all the way from Barstow to NW Washington...

 

[russau]

I'd check on My Land matter's first and the County records to see the land status ! then I'd take DD's suggestion on talking to the neighbor's (if open & dry) I'd bring in a dry washer and bring home the concentrates of your labor !

 

[Goldwasher]

A couple buckets no big deal start removing bulk material and you are mining and it isn't permisable with out at least having a claim.

 

[Shoesnsocks]

A couple buckets no big deal start removing bulk material and you are mining and it isn't permisable with out at least having a claim.

Good to know. I guess I never knew that you needed to have a claim to do that. I always just thought a claim gave you ownership of the minerals.

I will keep this in mind. Is there a certain amount that is considered going over the limit into "mining" territory?

 

[Jason in Enid]

Good to know. I guess I never knew that you needed to have a claim to do that. I always just thought a claim gave you ownership of the minerals.

I will keep this in mind. Is there a certain amount that is considered going over the limit into "mining" territory?

yes and no. No, you dont need a claim to mine minerals. Yes, you need to have a claim, and file all proper POOs and pay fees to mine large amounts of material. If it requires industrial equipment, theres a LOT you have to do. If its a hand shovel, you dont HAVE to anything except make sure someone else doesnt have the rights to the minerals first.

 

[Reed Lukens]

You will be fine, just make sure that there isn't a claim on it now. Just because you don't see any markers, doesn't mean that it's not claimed already. Running the material at home can be loud depending on your set up, buts it's your property, so go have some fun.

 

[russau]

like Reed said about if no claim markers are showing , I've seen several legal claims that the markers were tore down and removed by waco's !

 

[Shoesnsocks]

Thanks you guys. It is not claimed. It used to be but not anymore.