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Gpaa Claims Vs. Blm Land


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EDITED.........For a first timer just doing some experimental nugget hunting would it be worth a GPAA membership for access to the claims or just doing some research and hunting BLM land?  Will be in Phoenix visiting a friend after a work trip that ends in Vegas. I am entertaining renting a car instead of flying and trying my luck for nuggets along the way!  

Thanks...Noah

 

 

What group/club is best for AZ or NV gold detecting claims???   First time detector prospector looking for a nugget!!!

Relic/coin hunter from Florida planning a vacation.    Thanks

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Would not the Rye Patch Nugget Shoot on Sept.15th be a good place to meet same minded folks in Nevada ?

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Noah,

If you are going to Phoenix then you need to try to find a nugget there.  There are lots of nuggets still being found within 2 hours north and west of Phoenix.  Many of us still find nuggets in Quartzsite.  There are several metal detector dealers in that area but I would call Bill Southern at 623-910-0345 and that would be on your way to Las Vegas thru Wickenburg.  You could see Rich Hill and the LDMA ground there. 

Go to MyLandMatters and find some unclaimed ground where gold has been found in the past.  (That is your best chance for getting lucky!)  If you join GPAA then you can skip a lot of research.

The idea of you going to Rye Patch would be a very, very long drive.  It is about 800 miles.  You would be better swinging a detector on ground where nuggets had been found before rather than driving all that distance.

I've hunted nuggets in Arizona and Nevada.

Mitchel

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On 7/12/2018 at 2:18 AM, Noah (FL) said:

For a first timer just doing some experimental nugget hunting would it be worth a GPAA membership for access to the claims or just doing some research and hunting BLM land?  Will be in Phoenix visiting a friend after a work trip that ends in Vegas. I am entertaining renting a car instead of flying and trying my luck for nuggets along the way!

It's difficult to rent a vehicle (4wd) which will get you through many of the trails you'll be wanting to travel on.  Think of it this way -- the easy places to access are the first ones to get picked clean.  That doesn't mean there aren't places to find gold close to the paved and well-maintained non-paved roads, but you need to 'dig deeper' in your search to find them.  As Mitchel pointed out, joining the GPAA and accessing their claims saves a lot of research.  If you were a seasoned prospector then going on your own (the Land Matters search for unclaimed federal land) would likely be more productive, but you need considerable knowledge/experience AND likely a true 4wd vehicle for that.

Considering your cost of travel, etc., joining the GPAA is a bargain.  You get two periodicals, a gold panning kit, a catalog of claims (hardcopy and online access).  There are a handful of GPAA claims in the Wickenburg area as well as the Prescott area -- more/less on your way from Phoenix to Las Vegas.  I've been on several of them myself.  A good clearance 2WD (such as a Nissan Rogue which can be easily rented) will allow access to some of those GPAA claims.  Don't expect to drive right up onto the claim.  But getting within a mile or so is doable.

I didn't see when you were planning on being in AZ/NV.  If soon you need to be EXTREMELY AWARE of the hot weather.  I know it gets hot (and humid) in Florida, but American Southwest is a whole 'nother ballgame.

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Thanks for the advice!  I have been doing some land research based on the links Steve has in his wonderful beginners articles on the website.  I guess I'll focus on the Phoenix area since that will maximize family visiting time as well, and I'll be able to borrow my uncles truck instead of getting a rental stuck in a cactus.  

Probably just give it a shot with my MakroMK or Tesoro Mojave.   I know they aren't ideal specialized nugget machines, but both are capable of detecting tiny bits and at this point I'm in it more for the adventure.  

When  it happens I'll pack plenty of H2O and stick to the morning and evening shifts!

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