Jin Posted June 25, 2020 Share Posted June 25, 2020 Anyone had experience being part of a group that owns claims that allows its members to prospect on? Here in Australia "Little Ripper Gold Inc" has formed a not for profit group that has 4 or 5 claims already and will be using members yearly fee of $100 to buy more. Im told that you Americans have similar setups over there. https://www.facebook.com/FreeGoldCamps/ https://www.facebook.com/groups/LittleRipperGold/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oneguy Posted June 25, 2020 Share Posted June 25, 2020 I belong to a club that has 10-12 claims open to members. Pretty well beat to death on the 3 I've been to but have found a couple nuggies. Only $20/yr and worth it to always have a "plan B" or backup location if all else fails....imo 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mn90403 Posted June 26, 2020 Share Posted June 26, 2020 Jin, We still have many clubs here in the states but the number certainly was higher. The biggest is the Gold Prospectors Association of America (GPAA). It publishes a book with claims in it and claims reports. https://www.goldprospectors.org/ I belong to it and several other clubs. Each of them suffers from the charge that their claims are hammered and you can't find any gold on them. The truth is that there was more gold at one time on their club claims but the members keep finding more and more. I found my first piece of gold on a hammered club claim and many ounces have been found on it since then! Good prospectors manage to find gold on flogged patches as they say. It is an alternative until you find an unclaimed patch of your own here. Once a claim is placed in the states on public land someone can keep it as long as they keep paying the fees which now can be more than the cost of joining a club. Most clubs here are non-profits also and they have monthly meetings where new members are guided into their area of interest in the detecting types. One club I belong to is a club first and a 'claim holder' second. By that I mean the members are more important than the claims or the type of detecting because they also encourage beach, park and ghost town detecting outings. All of us can do that on our own but it can be more fun in a club. Mitchel 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GB_Amateur Posted June 27, 2020 Share Posted June 27, 2020 8 hours ago, mn90403 said: I belong to it and several other clubs. Each of them suffers from the charge that their claims are hammered and you can't find any gold on them. The truth is that there was more gold at one time on their club claims but the members keep finding more and more. I found my first piece of gold on a hammered club claim and many ounces have been found on it since then! Well stated, Mitchel. Although it's true that one piece of gold removed from a claim is one less piece available for future prospectors, it's also unfortunately a human shortcoming to blame one's poor performance on anyone or anything but where it squarely belongs. Thanks for driving another spike in that vampire's heart. 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeterInSa Posted June 27, 2020 Share Posted June 27, 2020 A bit similar but not club orientated a town in WA Oz has purchased a lease to have tourists get interested in gold detecting and stay longer in their town. Probably the first town in Oz to do this. https://www.farmweekly.com.au/story/6371824/gold-rush-lures-new-prospectors/ 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mn90403 Posted June 27, 2020 Share Posted June 27, 2020 Clubs make it 'easy' for someone to go out and give gold prospecting a try. If you don't like it then you just don't go back. If you do like it you will generally find someone willing to teach and share just like they do here online. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mn90403 Posted June 27, 2020 Share Posted June 27, 2020 I think I should also add that in ALL of the clubs I belong to there is a group of prospectors who love to teach new people about prospecting. This is where people get access to old timers and have a short cut to success. If you are an 'old timer' and your kids and family don't care about your pursuit of gold, join a club and show others what YOU do so that someone else can COPY you. So much knowledge about people, places and things gold related have vanished before it was passed on to others. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
speedman2049 Posted June 27, 2020 Share Posted June 27, 2020 Here where i am the whole province is open to public exploration as long as the land isn't under claim and is not private property. It would be a impossibility to explore all of it in a lifetime so tons of untouched land! This includes areas that are known and have active mining for gold and just by panning 1 or 2 weekends i had found some teeny tiny flakes without knowing the area to well and try some random spots (hope it's not pyrite lol! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GB_Amateur Posted June 27, 2020 Share Posted June 27, 2020 8 hours ago, speedman2049 said: Here where i am the whole province is open to public exploration as long as the land isn't under claim and is not private property. And you are where? 8 hours ago, speedman2049 said: It would be a impossibility to explore all of it in a lifetime so tons of untouched land! Then you won't mind letting some of us in on the bounty! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
speedman2049 Posted June 28, 2020 Share Posted June 28, 2020 4 hours ago, GB_Amateur said: And you are where? Then you won't mind letting some of us in on the bounty! Haha sure! It's pretty much like that for all the provinces in Canada and in my case Quebec! Cheers! 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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