newbie with goldfever

[oldgoat]

I'm a newbie as far as panning is concerned and I have a question....be kind. I have been looking at a gpaa magazine and noticed a lot of ads for concentrates. The question is has anyone tried them and is it worth it? Not a lot of gold in Texas and I'm not able at this time to get to some of the pay to pan places, thought this might be a way to get my feet wet and learn to pan, with a possibility of something to show for it. Opinions, please....goat

 

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[B H Prospector]

Hi Goat,
I have bought Felix paydirt a couple of times. It is very good. There are cheaper paydirt places out there, Gpaa tom & perrys paydirt, but not as good. Felix has very nice gold in his bags. The more expensive bag you buy the better the gold. It is very good for practicing panning.

B H Prospector

 

[oldgoat]

BH, thanks. That was one of the ads that I saw and since they have a free sample, I called their free offer line and I should be receiving a sample bag in the next three weeks. I will post up and let everyone know how it works out....goat

 

[Ky Hunter]

Hey OG
I am a newbie also and would like to try panning so please let me know how your sample turns out. Thanks Bob

 

[stilllookin]

I too was hit by the fever. Here's a picture of my find in the Felix Paydirt sample. Not the best quality picture, but it will give you the idea. I was very surprised and happy with their sample. Have fun.

 

[oldgoat]

Hey OG
I am a newbie also and would like to try panning so please let me know how your sample turns out. Thanks Bob

Will do bob, I have seen a couple of other post asking bout the same question, in each case they were told the same thing, check out felix, hoping that is a good thing....we'll see.....goat

 

[oldgoat]

Thanks for the picture, stilllookin, I am chompin at the bit to see the sample get here. Can't wait, was wondering tho, if I pass my md over the bag if it will show up there too, it should......lol. anxiously awaiting delivery....goat

 

[Ky Hunter]

I was wondering the samething. I know my M6 picks up very small Items but not sure about the real small gold.

 

[stilllookin]

I was going to mention you get about a teaspoon of gravel in the sample. I don't believe you will get anything with the MD it's pretty small. The only way to be sure is give it a try.

 

[oldgoat]

got my sample today....now I really have the fever, lol. used a coffee can lid to lay it out on and started tapping right away I found dust (gold) can see a couple of pickers...I'm really happy. as soon as I can get it separated and get pics taken I will post them....as a disclaimer tho, the sample was just as stilllooking said bout a teaspoons worth. there is enuff gold in it to make me happy and want to order a real bag....next month, dang bills....goat

 

[Ky Hunter]

sounds good OG I might have to order mine now. Bob

 

[Produce Guy]

You might want to check out this web sight www.iowagold.com and scroll down to Texas and start hunting.

 

[63bkpkr]

Hello newbie's,

How much to expect to pay for these samples?

Before I would purchase a dirt sample that has had gold added to it I would learn to pan on small lead shot mixed with dirt, try the pellets from a .22 Caliber birdshot casing as its about the size of pepper. BE CAREFUL to not crush the ignition rim on the casing or it will go off!!!!!

After you've learned how to keep the bird shot in the pan you will be sure that you can find gold out in the wild without having purchased a panning sample. There are MANY "How to Pan for Gold" free information sites on the internet there are also many videos on how to pan and there are a variety of specialty pans shown in videos that are posted as advertisements to sell new pans, all of these are free on the internet.

I'm in Northern California and I backpack so I have access, at the moment, to the rivers and streams of the California gold rush country. When I started I purchased a pan and went to one of these rivers and started panning, that was in 1964 and no internet info was available. Though I'd guess that IF I'd looked in the prospecting magazines of the day I could have purchased some instructions. But I did not check the magazines as I was going to go to the river anyway and never gave it a thought that I would not find gold. I spent a lot of time fishing, exploring, learning about camping/backpacking in the mountains, fishing and I did some panning. I actually don't recall how the panning went at first as I was having so much fun fishing and exploring but I did find gold in my pan. All of you are fortunate to be starting now as the information on how to pan is readily available on the internet so go look it up and save yourselves a lot of back ache and wasted time.

If you metal detect like for coins and have picked up a small gold earing or even a ring you can make your own 'gold' samples by cutting up small pieces of the gold object, this is what I've done. I have a White's GMT and I ALWAYS carry a gold test sample with me out into the hills, it's a Small piece of gold solidly glued to a white poker chip and it has served me well!

A note here on being able to go out into the National Forests of The United States of America as well as to any outdoors location and be able to prospect for gold and Any valuable mineral. There are Environmentalist Groups that are propigating LIES currently about Dredging operations with the intent of Closing ALL access to ANY PUBLIC LAND, forest area and etc. to Dredging. They will not stop with Dredging!! I attended a meeting last night in Sacramento and saw first hand what these Dirty Environmentalist Groups will do to stop Dredging in this country. Some very good presentations were given by miners that in my opinion Showed that the Department of Fish & Games report is BOGUS. I doubt that this will slow the lies and half truths of the report and I expect that we will have a court battle ahead of us. It is all about who has the most money to spend on the issue that will eventually decide the outcome of this LAND GRAB that has been going on for some time in this country. Eventually these Environmentalist Groups will try to outlaw any and all types of prospecting in this country and then the Large corporations will take over just like has happened in Russia. Go to You Tube, type in Magadan: Russia's Gold Mine and listen to the Modified News Video and actually look in the background to watch the strip mining operation as this is likely what will happen in years to come in this country. In the video it states that the prospectors of that area were stopped from mining the area by recreational means, that harsh penalties were put in place for anyone caught prospecting and recently the end of the video was modified as when I first watched it at the end the commentator commented that he wondered if this is what was going to happen in the United States. I watched the video just recently but that part of his comment has been cut off though when you watch it you can tell he is still talking.

What I'm asking here is that you look up the Dredge Ban on the California Department of Fish & Games web site, write a letter to the DFG telling them to not institute this Dredge Ban and send it in. This is true even if you do not live in California, please do it and Please pass this message on to your metal detecting clubs as this BAN will eventually spread to all forms of Treasure Hunting. In several foreign countries Metal Detecting is banned and it could come here IF we do not get involved and Support Each Other. Remember United We Stand, Divided We Fall well that is still true and even more so now that we've become complacent about issues in this country.

Regards and good luck with your propspecting...........63bkpkr

Attached is a picture of the gold I detected, panned and sluiced last year. There is more out there

 

[stilllookin]

OG
I'd love to see your pics and how well you do. I feel the sample you get for the $ .88 is well worth it, Even if you are a bad panner. You don't have very much gravel to pan so you can do it a hundred times over for practice. If every bag contained as much gold as is in Felix sample, proportionally they would go broke. I can spend $ 70.00 easily in a day here in VT and not find anything so I enjoyed the sample.
Wayne

 

[stilllookin]

63
I was going to comment in my last reply to this post but was interrupted. It was not many years ago when Vermont banned dredging and it is difficult to do anything but hand panning anymore. If I want to sluice on a particular river I'm supposed to get a annual permit $35.00. It is only good for the one location on the river. If I want to sluice down river I need to get another permit and so on . It's not worth the trouble to get a permit. Right now I can sluice in NH and ME without a permit and they have better gold prospecting. Each summer I vacation out of state for this reason. People here do not realize the lost revenue due to their ignorance about gold prospecting. I imagine these people can only envision prospecting as the hydraulic mining operation of the 1800s which is outlawed everywhere today. 1000 people sluicing on a small stretch of river does not disturb the ecology 1/1000 as much as Mother nature does every year due to spring runoff, Heavy rains, etc. I cannot imagine where these do-gooders get there education regarding gold prospecting. As I see it they are either jealous or envious or just too lazy to do it so it should be outlawed to everyone. I will do all I can to see our heritage protected. I'm not really sure how I can help the Californian prospectors but, we have to stick together and show our support. It's a little late for us but you still have time.
Wayne

 

[oldgoat]

63bkpkr, first off, I didn't spend any money for my sample, just a phone call and I wasn't looking for a bonanza strike...lol. I just wantedd to see if there was anything to their claim, a free sample. I agree with you bout the tree huggers, they just don't realize the devastation that MN does every year. The world is still here, if we as panners or recreational did as much damage as they claim whole areas of our country would be lost. I have found that anytime someone goes out and has some fun, there is always someone trying to take it away...goat

 

[63bkpkr]

Hi old goat & stilllokin,
You are correct, LOL, you will not have a bonanza strike in a free sample but it will be fun to work with and 88 cents is just about free. It will be interesting to see what gold is in there.

Any comments even from out of state especially with some input on your disgust with the system in your state but leave out the part about the fee and for every location.

This stuff is going on all across the U.S., it is insidious! Land grabbing for no good is all I can see! And it is so darn hard to fight especially as when it goes to court they will be using our tax money to fight us!

Time for dinner. 63bkpkr

 

[Ky Hunter]

Hey 63
That sure is some nice looking gold you have there. You got to love the thrill of seeing that yellow stuff in the pan. As a newbie to this hobby It is nice to see that there is gold out there for all the time hard work and money you spend to enjoy prospecting.
I sure hope they don't put a stop to this hobby as there is always somebody trying to tell you what you can and can't do.
Bob

 

[oldgoat]

63, I agree, its insidious....what happened to celebrating the individual and rejoicing in his victories and commisserating with the failures? I read so many articles bout the harm of mankind on this planet, I wonder if the truth were told, that they would be satisfied only in the total extinction of mankind and give it back to the animals....but this way off thread....dang I hijacked my own thread...lol I enjoyed the sample I got from felix and still haven't seperated it out yet but as soon as I do I will post pics...goat

 

[63bkpkr]

Oldgoat,
Mmmmmmmmmmmm, the folks who are doing the land grab are animals,lol. The way mankind is going we are do for a large extinction if not a total one. You got your sample, Cool!

Ky Hunter,
"They" are trying to put a stop to it, just like they did in Russia! check a You Tube video: Magadan, Russia's Gold Mine

I started with a gold pan, a garden trowel and a sifter I made with 1/4" mesh pop riveted into a Tuna Fish can I'd cut out both ends from. The sifter is Totally necessary and its small so it does not take up much room in my pack. My latest goldpan is a 'Batpan', batpan.com. I tested it out for a few minutes last year and it sure seemed to work but I'm really looking forward to using it this year. All one needs to start with is the pan, a sifter, something to dig with and the desire to be outdoors and these do not cost much. A digging tool can be anything but I really like the small Gerber folding shovel, it is smaller than their military model. It is made well and is strong, it folds And collapses down to a small size making it convenient to carry, for ~ $18.00. If you are going to be working around boulders you will eventually need some sort of pry bar. The Eastwing Gad Pry Bar is short and handy for small rocks/boulders but a 5' or 6' bar is better IF you do not have to carry it far. These items are the least expensive ones and prices for the next level of equipment go up quickly. Sluice box, I'd go Angus McKirk $50 to $150 depending on the size/model, Metal Detector $800-$1600-$5000, a suction dredge $$$, a new 4 x 4 truck to haul it all in, another 3 car garage to store it in and as you can see it just goes insane from there,lol.

Have fun fellas.........63bkpkr