Fisher Gold Bug 2 Finds 34 Ounce Gold Nugget

[Steve Herschbach]

There were amazing finds made at Ganes Creek, Alaska in the early years of the pay-to-mine operation there. One of the early visitors in 2004 was Steve Burris of Idaho. Steve was hunting downstream of the airstrip in an area well known to have produced large nuggets in the old mining days. His Gold Bug 2 screamed as loud as a Gold Bug can scream, and when he looked down a dust covered yellowish rock lay at his feet. It was a huge gold nugget weighing 33.85 ounces, and to my knowledge it is to this day the largest gold nugget* ever found in Alaska with a metal detector, though the 32.2 ounce nugget found at Moore Creek may have had more actual gold content. The backside of this nugget is actually mostly quartz showing. Still, a very spectacular find.

Here is a photo I took of the nugget in my hand when Steve was kind enough to bring it by the shop to show to me. It is the best photo I have seen of the nugget and I do not think I have ever posted it before.


Heart of Gold found by Steve Burris of Idaho at Ganes Creek, Alaska

Steve named the nugget the Heart of Gold due to its shape when looked at right and the fact he had open heart surgery not long before visiting Ganes Creek. Steve is a super nice guy and I had the pleasure of rooming with him and detecting on later Ganes Creek visits. Here is a photo of Steve during our visit to Ganes Creek in the last year of operation in 2012. He was swinging a Minelab X-Terra 705 that year that got him a 2.74 ounce nugget.


Steve Burris at Ganes Creek, Alaska in 2012

Steve wrote a story for the ICMJ Prospecting & Mining Journal that was published in August 2004 and can be read online at http://www.icmj.com/article.php?id=1248 if you have an online subscription.

*There have been several larger gold specimens found in Alaska with metal detectors but they were mostly quartz. See http://www.akmining.biz/mine/nuggets.htm

[fredmason]

I should have went there...I should have went there...too late now.

 

fred

[907miner]

I'm glad I took the time to go to gains for a week and meet

some great Guys that knew how to swing and find some good gold.

I took a mxt and a gold bug two and found 3 pieces with the gold bug.

I learned a lot about detecting that week from the guys that really knew their

machines. They gave me lots of pointers that was in its self worth every penny I spent

and also to the success of my first trip. Here are a few things that helped me.

Get to learn one detector like a glove and practice practice practice before spending the money

and time to do a once in a life time trip. This helped me the most when in a big group of guys working

the same ground LOW and SLOW until you get really good.

[Reno Chris]

I got to hold that nugget not too long afterward at the Tucson Gem Show where it was for sale at a high end specimen display that specialized in gold.