How Far Would You Go To Find Gold?

[Jin]

I read a lot of old mining reports or literature relating to the 1850"s - 1870"s when most of the better gold was won. Sometimes I come across information that is really exciting as you know with cross referencing little was mentioned elsewhere about these finds (nuggets - big nuggets!!) So hopefully few people if any have prospected there.

The only problem is these areas are often almost impenetrable. There either so steep you can barely walk or so over grown trying to get into the area is almost impossible. My biggest fear in these situations is not getting lost but getting bitten by a snake many miles from help. Some of the tiger snakes here even climb trees or lay in the ferns at head height. Which only leaves the winter time to venture in. however during winter the snow is likely going to be a problem. It's really a month or two window of opportunity each year were you have a chance at getting in. 

Anyway I've got one gully id like to try (many miles away from any gold workings/activity) but im pretty sure its overgrown with blackberries. I recon it would take a a good mile to even get into this gully from a nearby road. Not to mention hacking away at the blackberries with a machete.

Ive located several areas like this and usually wait for a bush fire or controlled burn to clear the spot but sometimes this dosnt happen. 

It almost feels like one has to start looking in areas like this where most rational folk would dare to venture to find areas that haven't had lots of attention these days. Sometimes i wish id chosen another hobby, lol

(Note: I carry a PLB, two way radio, mobile, snake bite kit, lighter, whistle, compass, 2 ltrs water, GPS & spare batteries and sometimes a lever action shotgun for wild dogs. I always communicate exactly where im going and have regular check ins.)  

 

[Lacky]

Boy I can't even answer. I wouldn't think twice, but we don't have so many creepy crawlies that can kill me. About all we have in Idaho is rattlesnakes and those are easy to avoid. 

[Lacky]

I just did some research. The chance of dying by snakebite in Australia is only about twice the chance in the US. And most in both are people intentionally messing with snakes. I'd just go for it. If it really sucks you can always bail before it gets too bad.

[Jin]

Yes it would be good if all our snakes over here rattled a warning sound if you got to close.

Just spent 3 weeks in Canada and Alaska and after seeing 20 odd bears on the trip I reckon bears or cougars would worry me more. Imagine detecting and a bear comes up behind you. Certainly wouldn't detect with headphones there.

[Lacky]

Nah, bears and cougars are easy. Unless you get a crazy one they avoid or ignore you. Your far more likely to run into a crazy person in town than you are a crazy animal out in the wilds.

[Guest AussieDigs]

Youd just have to way up the worth the effort through such hospitable terrain against the probability of a strike (gold not snake). Thats your call. Yes ive come across a Tiger snake as head height in a tree out the north side of Mitta Mitta! Not nice. Snow? It must be at elevation! Still, those that venture beyond where most scout have the potential to be rewarded.

[Goldseeker5000]

Jin, your comment of detecting and a bear comes up behind you actually happened to me last year. I was detecting on a creek that dried up and I kept hearing something over behind me to my right side and 3 times I pulled the headphones off and looked back to see what it was. Never saw or heard anything, went back to detecting and I heard it again. Nothing across the creek but something moving on my side of the creek caught my eye. It was a large black bear coming towards me about 75-95 feet roughly away from me. I thought oh crap, all I have with me is my pick and rock hammer for defence. I decided to just stay put and see what happens. The bear looked over in my direction, sniffed the air and turned and went away. I'd be way more scared of snakes. I walked into a snake den in fall and one rattleing next to my left foot and almost stepped on 6-7 baby rattlesnakes. This scared the living crap right out of me. I couldn't stop shaking. Snakes bother me more.

[geof_junk]

In the Summer the plain old brown snake is the worst in Gippsland as they are more likely to be aggressive than a tiger snake.Some of the most poisonous are in WA but in the outback but the ground cover is less and they are shy and get out of the way. In the late 1970s I had 2 occasions of a Black Snake  and 1 occasion of a Tiger Snake in the water with me while Dredging for gold. The closest to being bitten was when I was bush walking and a Tiger hit my Scarpa Boot since then I all keep a good eye on the sunny side of the track. How far would I go for GOLD is more limited to Distance or Time not Wild life or Terrain. 

[Jin]

I was always under the impression that Tigers where more aggressive in the summer and browns in the spring. Something to do with their mating/breading season. The last encounter i had with a brown was at the Laanecoorie caravan park when a baby brown shot past my thongs at high speed. Beautiful creature it was.

Good to know that bears dont go around eating people Goldseeker as I have been invited to go back to Canada for some prospecting by someone i met over there.Thinking a 6 month trip might be in order in a couple of years. My mate says head up to Barkerville for some nice nuggets.

[klunker]

 A few days ago I was wadding through a blackberry patch because I had to go around a poison oak thicket and woke up a large rattle snake. I was so focused on the snake that I didn't see the bear. Lucky for me a mountain lion chased off the bear. When I complained to a friend about my miserable day of prospecting he told me "If prospecting was easy the smart people would be doing it".

I have had several encounters with bears, mountain lions and snakes and as you might have guessed- I survived.

so how far would I go? I suppose as far as necessary.