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The Great Debate Of Discrimination, Iron ID And Target #'s When Detecting For Gold. (long Read)


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Noriv - I'm totally content with you using zero DISC for those open areas.  When I visited Au back in the 90's, I never once even thought of using DISC as the sites we hunted were as your mentioned and pretty much trash free.  Sure there is the occasional surface target (usually trash), but nothing like I encounter here in the US as I mostly hunt previously worked gold bearing ground.  And yes I agree, as we age with wisdom, we learn to conserve the amount of energy our body provides us each day and use it most wisely.  No more spring chicken left.  Thanks for chiming in.

Gold Catcher - Yes for the average beginner Joe, I feel using DISC or Target ID features is not desired.  Those folks have not learned the ropes yet and need to dig their share of holes.  Heck, that's exactly why I don't mind having a group of newbies go swing an area before me.  Just make sure they pack the trash out that they are digging.  In the end it makes my job much easier when they remove the majority of trash.  Yes, small gold and even bigger gold at depth will not register properly on all detectors.  Each one built that has such features, there's a depth or ground conditions that all of them can be fooled.  That's why when I'm at sites like Rye Patch and realize the gravy is gone, I'm more apt to use ZERO DISC.  I usually won't chase those screamer surface targets out there either as 99% of the time, they are fresh bullets.  Knowing when to be selective is very important.  Thanks for adding.

Andrew - I'm glad to see you chime in as I know your experience with a PI for relic hunting is near the tops.  You have tested, compared and listened to enough targets to teach yourself the fine lines of PI's and how they respond.  Heck, even your skill with many of the VLF's is tops.  I've seen enough of your posts and videos to know you're one of the few who takes the time to go out and just compare/practice/train your ears.  Using DISC in your head is very important and you do better than most.

Jasong - Interesting quotes my friend.  Being a WY guy who travels to many areas/states hunting gold, I think you/I are alike as we encounter many more options of gold bearing grounds.  The rules to gold hunting?  I honestly don't think there are rules to hunting gold, as there are to many variables for the ones who travel.  That's part of the reason why some have success more often.  But being able to adapt is a big part of it as well.  Thanks for providing.

Dirtman - The ear is a great tool.  I just wish more newer customers relied on it and not the LCD screen on their detectors.  Even advanced hunters such as yourself use Mind Discrimination and make a decision based on signal width, strength and site location.  I noticed your profile does not give a location of you and it's hard to tell where you spend your hours swinging?  Based of your comments and style of detecting, I'm willing to gestimate you usually don't hunt dredge tailings much?  No worries, as many folks don't, just for the facts that not are around.  Everyone has one.... I've seen that before. Alls good and thanks for input.

 

 

 

 

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Hey Gary-----What a fabulous, fabulous bunch of gold!-----Especially those two breath taking pieces--the one by the dollar bill & the one by the Goldmaster.----Please tell us the whole story when & how you found them---the whole ball & wax.-----But you didn't have 'em in your mouth though!!!------Anyway, if'n you get tired of looking at them feel free to send them up the road to me at Baker City. :)-----Seriously--if I would have found something like that I'm sure I would have had a heart attack on the spot!----What lovely pieces.----------Del

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30 years ago when I lived in W.A. and did far more detecting, I would feel confident to answer. Now I live in Tasmania and while I'm still finding gold it's not with a detector, so I'm prepared to be "shot down with a feather". It's hard not to agree with Gerry on the points he makes, from my perspective having a dig all in all metal approach takes away the one advantage that a VLF has. I can only comment on using my nox 800, I can't see much if any improved performance in All Metal.

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Thanks for taking the time to give us your perspective Gerry.

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20 hours ago, Norvic said:

Top insights Gerry to start this this thread, I`ve not used iron reject/discrim at all in my 45 plus years, mainly because there is not any need for such out in the unworked fringes where an occasional horseshoe/nail/bullet/pellet is encountered. Aged legs are dictating those long searches in rugged country via shanks pony are near over so part of this season on day trips I`m amongst the junk in closer to the mines/settlements.

I will be following this thread with much interest to pick up any hints from those who work such areas that may help the Manticore or Axiom w/. DD score amongst the junk without losing what`s left of my sanity from our crazy fever. Young fellas get out into the unworked fringes whilst your legs can...... it can only drive you crazy but.... when you score... tis magic no.

100% Norvic 40 years ago in W.A. I never used disc on my Ground Hog, now I'm older and the equipment has improved  "just a bit"

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There is an art in discriminating, but I have seen a lot of failures with it. Most of my spots are virgin areas and not much junk and when it is fully of junk I conserve my  time walking away from it. In the photo below got gold right up to the junk (It is not the junk you can see that is the problem it is the small bits)  and I walked  ½ a mile away I got my largest specimen 3.5 kilos with 16+ gold in the second photo.

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SnakeJim - Glad you are using the features some detectors provide and saving your back/legs for another hunt.  Yes, I too used to dig it all and then wondered why some machines have those features on them.  Just like a new truck has options and features most of us never use, but in the right situation, those bells and whistles actually make the truck that much more enjoyable.  Thanks for the input.

D&P-OR (Del) - Eastern Oregon (my stomping ground as well) has some really nice gold.  Here's a golden grin of the Idaho find before I cleaned it.

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Below is a pic after cleaning.

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Your neck of the woods below (Eastern Oregon).

The 10 ozt. specimen below, I recovered in ore dump piles with a GM-1000 while training customers.  They were running GPX detectors and the amount of iron they were digging was very frustrating for them.  I tried explaining the importance of using different gold detectors in situations that can save time and energy.  I used one of the students Monsters and recovered this $5000 rock.  I didn't keep it though.  When you hand over a chunk of gold that size to the claim owners and explain why they make different gold detectors with varying features, it surely makes a believer out of them.  Could a GPX detect it?  Most certainly, but they had about given up with those machines as most PI's raw depth and power is a double edge sword.  It's a hard pill to swallow, when someone with a $5000 gets so frustrated and then a sub $1000 recovered the gold with much less effort.  Just another reason why I try to help educate folks on the importance of different technologies and detector methods.  As for the piece I recovered with 24K, that's an Idaho find from ore dump piles.  The gold in the pic with the bill, is from Oregon and was also Ore Dump piles using Iron ID.  Thanks for your enthusiasm.

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Blackjack - Most certainly different regions/areas require varying tactics.  Knowing where/when to use Iron ID/Target ID/Disc is key.  At one time (we all) used to dig it all.  Some of eventually wonder if there is an easier or more proficient way.  Most certainly is in many (not all) situations.  Glad you are open to trying features on your detector.  Heck, when the Equinox 800 came out, how many people actually used it for gold?  Most laughed at me and thought it was all salesman talk.  

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 I'd say more on the subject, but my mouth is full at the moment.  Thanks for your input as well.

Geof_junk - Yes, it's an art in a way and knowing when/how to use it can be very beneficial.  I realize many areas are not the same as I hunt here in the USA, but the area you show in the picture with rusty cans and tin, is a good place for different detecting techniques and approaches.  Expert hunters as yourself even said you walked away.  That's exactly my point.  The best of us give up on certain areas and explore the fringes and outer perimeters of that site, in pursuit of less trash.  But in all honesty, here in the US, it's time to go back to such sites and use features some of the detectors provided.  1st thing I would do on that site is drag some super magnet bars and try to remove as much as possible.  You're experienced enough to know different tricks to get a few more pieces.  Now, I agree 100% if small bits in that trash area, then I'm not as desiring to spend a lot of timing cleaning up the trash.  Sure, I know some gold may still be there, but I'll chase bigger stuff 1st.  Actually, at my stage of gold nugget hunting, I'm not one to get excited on small bits anymore and I don't do it for a living.  the last 5 yrs, I spend most of my time focusing on the few bigger chunks.  Thanks for adding.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Well done, old son. Perhaps the finest and most informative article you've written to date.  If I was still at "Treasure" magazine it would certainly get published. After 40 years of wearing out my knees digging the Most Happy Yellow Metal, I (k)need all the help I can get. HH Jim

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18 hours ago, blackjack said:

100% Norvic 40 years ago in W.A. I never used disc on my Ground Hog, now I'm older and the equipment has improved  "just a bit"

Just a bit alright, "discrim... groundhog... " , We are spoilt rotten now days

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