What do you offer the landowner?

[hoochiemama]

Say you find a landowner willing to let you prospect on their land, what should you offer him/her in leau of letting you find gold?
A percentage of the poke? What percentage? What's the "going rate"?

 

Amazon Forum Fav 👍

Diving for Pleasure and Treasure - Grab it through Amazon!

[RussCA]

Well I'm not claiming to know, but I noticed on a mining show in tv one miner was paying I think 15% up to 1500 ounces then 20% for anything over 1500. That was to the claim owner but land owner could be similar

 

[Bonaro]

The answer depends on if the gold deposit and the mining operation is recreational or commercial.
If you plan to go in there and pan and sluice on weekends and at the end of the year you have a half oz. to show for it, offering 15% is not going to mean much and a six pack and a pizza may be more welcome.
However, if you dredge the bottom out of it and end up with 20 oz for the season, things change

 

[hoochiemama]

It would be recreational. Method would depend on property. I'm hoping to get on some claims here on Douglas Creek and dredge, highbank, etc.
I thought it might be up around 50%!

 

[KevinInColorado]

Bonaro, I'm surprised to see you use the word recreational here. Pretty sure you mean casual/part-time. Even in private property "recreational" is a poor word choice I think as it forfeits your rights.

 

[gold tramp]

50 & good man , it would be an insult to offer any thing less, to a land owner.

From where i sit recreational mining is not a bad word Kevin, heck if you had to eat or pay bills off your weekly take you would understand what im talking about, not to mention there is not enough good grounds to work to support anything more than Rec mining.

Just my thought dont want to ruffle feathers here.
GT........................

 

[russau]

I have that situation here in Misery! Im planning on dredgeing a creek on a mans land/farm. he charges a small fee. plus when I told him what I wanted todo he said he was thinking also of a % of the gold each person gets............this will be a 3 day weekend to do this. the area is in the Glacial drift area and a very small creek goes right through his property. I did some sample panning when it was 29 degrees out and found 1 speck of gold. I haven't run the rest of the material I dug up before I left for warmer a location. but I told the land owner that I really doubt that anyone really gets a lot of gold. I invited him down to watch what we get so he knows im not bsn him. he has a lot of other minerals there and Indian artifacts that are numerious. the access/camping fee is fine but the % of the gold isn't going to happen , atleast not for this trip! lets see whats there before I spend the bucks. I have offered for other landowners ALL of what I find if they let me dredge their creeks ,just to show them my intentions. Ive got several creeks here in Misery that I want to see whats on the bottom of it! after all , how much do you pay a landowner for approx. 20 specks of gold getting out and enjoying the weekend with friends , you just cant put a price on that!

 

[Hoser John]

Economic viability is the driving force behind a cut. 10-15% is the norm for as long as I can remember BUT super rich lands might get 20% over a pound or so. Always have a agreement in writing as all else blue sky and bs when that gold glows and greed grows- John

 

[Goldwasher]

50% is way high. Ask permission first if the Ol' boy cares he will set the percentage. !0 to 20 is fair. What are you gonna do when you only pull a gram hand over fifteen bucks. If you haul in gear and are there every weekend then maybe offer a % if you get permission to check a spot out you may not need to hand over anything. Some people just like to hear about their properties history. If you set up camp and are really working it be totally open have the owner see your op and let him dictate terms you start showing lucrative color there's a good chance they will ask you to leave vs. working out a deal people get realistic when they see value coming out of their land. Especially if they have even the smallest interest in prospecting seeing color motivates one to dig more than it motivates to share. Get written permission do dig and be on property yes. Sign a contract with numbers on a leased claim yes! For small scale prospecting NO WAY IN HECK!!!!! Let the relationship grow before you make such a commitment to an owner. IMHO

 

[meMiner]

If the guy does not care, a good bottle of wine/scotch or a case of beer is probably most welcome. Also, spending some time to help him out (cutting firewood, offering a hand on chores, etc) might be appreciated. Nobody likes to be taken advantage of. If you hit it, think of a thank you good gift. However, if you strike a deal on percentage, honor the deal. If somebody wants 50%, I would go somewhere else.

 

[goldenIrishman]

When dealing with a land owner for permission to work their land, a lot is going to depend on the owner. Some won't want anything to do with any kind of deal because they're worried about liability issues. With others, what kind of deal you can work out is going to depend on the owners attitude.

I do agree with Hoser John though in that you need to get any agreement you come to down in writing. If you happen to hit a hot spot, greed on either side can really sour what could be a sweet situation for both parties.

 

[Goldwasher]

If the guy does not care, a good bottle of wine/scotch or a case of beer is probably most welcome. Also, spending some time to help him out (cutting firewood, offering a hand on chores, etc) might be appreciated. Nobody likes to be taken advantage of. If you hit it, think of a thank you good gift. However, if you strike a deal on percentage, honor the deal. If somebody wants 50%, I would go somewhere else.

For sureeee I should of mentioned the above....I forget its not automatic course of action for everyone. I normally am at some ones property for some other reason before I ask permission to poke around. Kill a deer offer meat....ditch needs dug grab a shovel....tree down grab a chainsaw. There are several sincere helpful gestures that can get your boots where not many boots go. Where I'm at a handshake and and a six pack is a magnificent skeleton key!

 

[Goldwasher]

A contract with numbers and no proof of reserve can obligate you to a piece of a pie that hasn't even been baked. Leading to disappointment and mistrust. But, I don't hit anyone up until I've known them for a while and let them get to know me. So if I'm heading out with a skunk in the poke they don't have to worry if I'm highgrading. I do understand the above sentiment and agree it will be necessary for several reasons especially in this day and age.

 

[yotaboy86]

Free mercury removal and a new swimming hole lol

 

[Hoser John]

Hahahahaha without a contract you can/will be removed when the gold glows---oops I forgot you must have the expertise to find first.... infintile booze for gold

 

[Goldwasher]

Hahahahaha without a contract you can/will be removed when the gold glows---oops I forgot you must have the expertise to find first.... infintile booze for gold

Contract is not gonna keep you on someones property John...It doesn't grant mineral or property rights.. or remove them from a deeded property owner..If the owner decides your out your out If you get written permission to hunt and the owner decides you are done on his property you can't hold the fact that you haven't shot the deer against him, Like I said the fact that there is no proven reserve when you write a "contract" to look for gold on some ones property creates a huge problem between both parties, like you said" when the gold glows" meaning neither of you knew what was there before you dug. Never been an issue for me or others I know. Guess we're better at making and keeping friends. The question was about what kind of offer to make an owner who is already willing to let you dig. You are talking about a lease to mine. Quite a different situation. Intent liability and property rights hold way more water than any personal contract or waiver....many a small claims case won proves it.

Fellas if you are out there happen to find someone who is willing to let you on his land to hunt anything get written permission. If you make a good find show him ask him if he wants to keep it most likely unless it is a major find he will refuse.....ask if you can come back again at that point he will have decided already if your coming back. When you do come back bring him a few packs of his brand of smokes....or a couple pounds of the venison you butchered or some of the placer gold you recovered. Some gesture in kind. He will like baked goods from your wife, historical maps and anecdotes from local history.
This fella has been around for a while he is from the generation that wishes everything was solid on a handshake, he may not say it out loud but, he likes that you want to bushwack and seek something out... he wants in on your adventure even if he can't follow you to the back forty. If he felt any different he wouldn't have t
let the conversation go this far.
And if you secure this permission you are held to the utmost standard, Be honest, cover your holes and don't disturb anything historical without asking more specifically. Break any of these unwritten rules and you are sure to be ousted and never let back. You will soon find out how many people he knows in the area and your chances of future local access diminish exponentially.
If you are large scale and can secure a lease on a property with proven reserve lawyer up and go by the books.
Contracts only hold power once in court.....Do you really want a property owner to take you to court because you walked out three Saturdays carrying a skunks poke of square nails and pull tabs. Because of a trash layer and the owner doesn't understand what detecting a site actually requires. And how many Saturdays it may take before you even find a coin or small nugget. Who holds the burden of proof? How do you split square nails based on value...Are there full body cavity searches? Or do you have to stop at the guard shack and open your lunch box? Are you going to spend the money in small claims if he breaks the contract?
Get written permission great!!! Someone wants a "Contract" WALK AWAY!!!!!!!

John nothing advised by anyone was "Infintile" why do you always resort to insulting your peers just because they have a more sophisticated view?
Keep in mind there are other people out there doing this that don't have problems securing access, and may just do it differently than you to no ill effect.
You are not the know all, end all, be all, in respect to gold mining treasure hunting and detecting some of your stories are interesting and your work from a long time ago commendable but, sometimes you just cross the line and just become insulting.

 

[2cmorau]

yuuup, have least out the claims w/handshake and they be skippin out, gold does funny things to people.

is the landowner looking for a deposit? how wll do you know the landowner?

a friend of a freind invited me up in true northern California, to detect for gold, the property owner guy had a cut already done on a hillside with some bedrock exposed and a large mucked out pile, anyway, sure enough swingin the GM3 came up with a couple of watermelon size nuggies, i offer it up to the claim owner, " nope you found them, them be yours" he fired up the cat.

 

[Duckwalk]

Here in georgia, ive asked several land owners to poke around in the creek. some let me test a pan or 2 and the politely let me know that they do not want the creek dug up. no problem, ill just move on to the next place. Ive never been asked to give a percentage, but i always give them something even if they set no terms. usually a 30pk of Bud red down here. Hell even a cheap pack of PBR can be enough! Down here, beer is worth its weight in gold anyhow.

 

[RussCA]

At first just get permission to do some sampling. If you find good gold make a contract for a percentage quick before it goes to the landowners head. If you're a small scale miner and only find enough to keep you coming back, a more casual agreement will keep the landowner more at ease with allowing you on his land

 

[Goldwasher]

yuuup, have least out the claims w/handshake and they be skippin out, gold does funny things to people.

is the landowner looking for a deposit? how wll do you know the landowner?

a friend of a freind invited me up in true northern California, to detect for gold, the property owner guy had a cut already done on a hillside with some bedrock exposed and a large mucked out pile, anyway, sure enough swingin the GM3 came up with a couple of watermelon size nuggies, i offer it up to the claim owner, " nope you found them, them be yours" he fired up the cat.

couple of watermelon size nuggets