Detecting Hydraulic Areas

[calgeologist]

So most of my grounds are hydraulic sites. I wouldn't call many of them pits but rather they are large expanses that seems almost too big to efficiently work through.

I've had my fair share of success usually finding a piece or two, but would like to ask if people have any tricks to tackling such huge areas.

Focus only on bedrock at the thalwag of the channel or work all the various false bedrocks made from the clay stratified layers?

Any tips would be very welcomed!

Cheers
Calgeo

[Shasta gold hunter]

Check icmj last couple years for article on that subject by Trinityau/RayMills. Matt

[Steve Herschbach]

I have worked a lot of small pits and they are pretty much like funnels. The area near the bottom of the funnel get the most attention. But the bigger the area the more diffuse the target. If it has been hunted before the less likely spots may now be the best!

I have had a bit of luck tossing stacked rocks off spots trying to find gold they buried and it has actually paid of a few times. I look for a spot where tossing the least rocks uncovers the most bedrock.

The more I detect the less I know it seems so these days I just try to put my coil over everything. Just a blind squirrel looking for a nut. Seems to work for me though.

[klunker]

  Try something that is different than what the last 500 detectorist did. Something like using a DD coil so that you can get your  threshold ABSOLUTELY smooth and have a bit of discrimination. Or try a small mono coil and work between the nails and pipe rivets and poke it under the brush. Most of the hydraulic mines around here were worked as drift mines first and then again after the debris laws were enforced. The tailings from the tunnels have sometimes been productive but can be hard to recognize as having come from a tunnel. And never convince yourself that a site has been worked out even if you see hundreds of dig holes. 

 I love studying the untold history of these sites so I always enjoy detecting them even if I only find a few ounces each trip.

[calgeologist]

Hey klunker,

I wish I only found a few ounces per trip. Man if I found a 1/4 ounce I would be pumped! (Still am new to the detecting side of things)

The area I'm on is huge and oddly enough there are almost no dig holes. Partially due to it being private and requiring permission to get into. There are some big drift mines and I will look into that idea of checking out the tailings.

Report back this afternoon hopefully with a fist of new nuggets

[klunker]

 Ca.Geo- I fear I didn't make myself clear. "A few ounces" was referring to nails, boot tacks. rivet heads. bolts. nuts, wire. bullets, pocket knives, spoons, forks, shovel heads, pick points, powder kegs blasting caps. mine rail, track spikes, crevasse spoons and hat pins.

 Best of luck to ya.

[Steve Herschbach]

Here is something most of you have not seen. A small Alaska pit. It is on an old channel above the existing creek, and I am sure never been seen but by a handful of people. I only found a couple nuggets on the bedrock area on right side but it was only lightly detected. No doubt we are looking at a few nuggets waiting to be dug. All we have to do is travel 3000 miles, charter a little bush plane to land on a small mountain strip, hike a few miles, and we are there!

[Mugsy]

Hey Steve, When are we leaving??

[klunker]

 Small workings like the one in the photo are some of my favorite places along with sites that require some effort to get to. 6Xnbugs (Ken) has a good story about having a helicopter dropping him and a partner somewhere in Ak. I think they about broke even. I hope to be able to try something like that before I get old and develop common sense.

[calgeologist]

Back from a cold day out in the pit. Both of us got skunked today. We focused on some bedrock that was quite extensive. The old timers clearly cleaned it up well or somebody had beat us to it.

We got to thinking that maybe detecting only bedrock might not be the best. Instead maybe focusing on areas that still have a foot or so of the gravel still on top of the bedrock.

Hope to find something tomorrow. Or at least some targets to keep warm by digging.