Nugget Patch Size Question

[Cascade Steven]

As a beginner, I am trying to understand the details of the concept of nugget patch size.  As I understand the concepts, a nugget field is defined as a general area that may contain gold.  And a nugget patch is a small area within a nugget field that actually contains a group of gold nuggets.  From what I have read so far, some patch hunters define a patch as any location that produces two or more nuggets within a distance of a few tens of yards.  Is this a reasonable definition of a patch?  This then implies that there is much barren space between the patches.  I have several questions specifically on nugget patch size: 1) what is the range of sizes of actual nugget patches; 2) does the size vary depending on location (valley/gulley/gulch vs. mountain or hill); 3) does the patch size vary depending on geography (desert vs. a temperate area such as Sierra Nevada or Cascades); 4) is there a patch size relation to the age of the geology, that is, older rocks generally have larger patches? Any help in learning what to expect in the field would be appreciated.

[geof_junk]

The old and flatter ground the bigger the gold spread, the reverse applies.

Have a look at my post "Nugget spread"  ....LINK....

[Steve Herschbach]

When my friends and I talk about going to a nugget patch, we are just referring to a place where gold has been found before. Patches tend to be more a desert thing, where exact edges of a location are determined over time. The size depends on the underlying geology. A patch could be 10 feet across, or a thousand. They can be any shape at all. I found one “patch” that was several hundred feet long and only a few feet wide. The gold was bleeding off a vein, and from there made a straight path downhill that barely varied off centerline.

We have a place here called Rye Patch which refers to many square miles of terrain where gold is found.

I’m used to detecting in river country, and people rarely discuss patches. Instead it is specific creeks where gold is found.

Every situation is unique, and the answer to nearly all your questions boils down to “it depends”. For instance, geof mentions patches spreading with time. In flat country, that may be true, but where I hunt gold concentrates over time into stream and gully bottoms. So much so that there is no gold to be had outside the stream channel - very common in steep terrain. There are bench deposits, downhill bleeder deposits, alluvial fan deposits, etc. etc. in almost endless variety around the world. People who hunt certain terrains find that things are a certain way, but the more you know about where and how gold deposits, the more the term “gold is where you find it” comes to life.

Gold Prospecting Information

[Cascade Steven]

Thank you Geof and Steve for your replies.  I appreciate the sharing of your insight.