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Looking For Tips And Info About Crow Creek And Hatcher Pass


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I am planning on bringing my SDC 2300 or my gold bug pro with 5” coil to one of these places. I am looking for any kind of info or tips on the likelihood of finding anything in each of these places since I’m pretty well new to detecting and have had no luck in past outings. Never been to crow creek before and spent only a little time in Hatcher Pass. Every time I’ve gone out with the GBP I was overwhelmed with hotrocks, which made me purchase the 2300 in hopes of seeing through them without trouble. I still find hotrocks with the 2300 but not as bad as the GBP. 

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Went to crow creek and only brought the 2300 alone. I wish I had also brought the GBP so that I could follow a signal with iron discrimination to save lots of time. When I walked down there from the parking lot and started swinging I was finding nothing but bits and pieces of tiny rusted metal that fell off of all the trash metal in the area. I did find a couple spike looking things that were like small railroad spikes. They were deep and under big rocks so when the signal was faint I got excited until digging and scraping to get under the rocks. 30-45 minutes later the sound was screaming, dang big let down but I pulled the targets out anyways and checked the holes to see if there were anymore signals, nothing but trash. I was really hoping after clawing and digging so much for a good outcome. Next time I go there I will be bringing both machines to check for ferrous and non ferrous metals. That will save so much time and energy deciding whether to dig or not dig. 

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Thanks phrunt, I have been reading some of your content with your GBP and was excited to read about your trips because I have the same detector, only the small coil though. I know you have luck in actually finding gold with yours and would love to learn more about this machine. I’m trying to keep that nagging feeling at bay of wanting to get a GM1000 or EQ800 before I have luck with the GBP. I want to at least someday let the machine pay for itself before I get one of those beasts, and don’t get me started on the P.I. Side of wants. Haha

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Very well said, after I had gotten back I read a very descriptive post from Steve about that place I went to and was able to paint a picture with my mind with what he was explaining. Now that I have a better understanding of what to look for I think when I go back I will have better luck. ? unfortunately most of the gold up here that I can think of is tiny stuff more suited for the GB2 or dredges with the rare nuggets around, don’t get me wrong because I’m sure there are still plenty of big ones out there. The GM1000 has me drooling though. I know better than to go straight out and get one even though I could get one without a second thought if I didn’t want to give my current ones a fair go first.  I didn’t research the machines before buying them just to put them on the shelf and get a different detector after not having luck. Oh man how I would enjoy having at least one friend that had an interest in this same hobby. I’d be having more outings and gaining experience much quicker than my current rate. As for the GBP I think I will be getting the 10x5 coil soon but I haven’t heard of the sharpshooter so that’s sparked my interest. It’s gotta be an online order so it could be some time before I could put it into use because my work schedule has me working 2 weeks on 2 weeks off. Thanks again phrunt

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Greetings; I'm just outside of Wasilla. I have been to Crow Creek but not with detectors, so can't help you there. As for Hatcher, may I ask whereabouts did you detect in Hatcher? Most of the Hatcher zone is off limits unless you own/ have access to a claim; and pretty much the whole region is claimed, and for some time now the lands the claims are located on is private property -- the owners of the claim own the land and own the mineral rights too, not just a state or federal claim on state or federal lands, but is their patented claim, which simply means private property including private ownership of the land and its surface/ subsurface minerals. All of those old mines are patented claims and privately owned lands now; and some of those old mines are active mines. Venture onto that land without written permission and you're at extreme high risk for liabilities -- it's considered not just trespassing but the intent to commit theft of minerals locatable on those patented claims.

As for Independence Mine, not just the mine itself but the entire perimeter of the historical site -- which covers a large area; extends down to the road thru the pass; includes most of Skyscraper mountain, etc -- forbids detectors. All historical sites in the state have this law; and laws actually state it's illegal to have a detector in your possession. It doesn't even need to be in your hands; need not even be in use! If you are driving through or parked within the zone (Independence Mine State Historical Area), and have a detector in your vehicle, you're violating State statutes and can be fined rather substantially/ put on courtview and facebook. And I suspect they're fine-happy rather than prone to give warnings, same as ADFG/ AST, are likely intolerant of non-awareness and instead, giving of fines and court dates.

Summit Lake is an AK State Park/ Recreational Area and those lands are also off limits; cannot do any digging nor defacing of vegatation in any Alaska State Park/ Recreational Area/ Wild & Scenic River, etc. The Hatcher Public Use area may allow detectors but I'd advise verifiying it via a call to the DNR or visiting their Anchorage office for info. I have only panned there. I have access to claims in Hatcher on upper Willow Creek but haven't detected there yet, just dredging and sluicing in the past. Unrelated to detecting, for a business project underway, I'm in the process of gaining permission to access old lode gold mines; wish to climb to the tailings and inspect/ photograph certain things. However, not even that is easily gained. Miners here by and large are wary and guarded and rightly so, the commercial mine owners and patented claim owners especially due to liabilities. So my advice before heading out is checking DNR online mapping system so you know what coordinates are off limits and plug these into your GPS/ cell phone so as to avoid risk of inadvertant trespass and/or claim jumping, or detecting in state/ federal areas that prohibit it. 

What I repeatedly find -- and find extremely frustrating -- is in much of the state, detecting is allowed yet searching for what is detected is prohibited; you can use a detector, but you cannot disturb the ground, nor disturb nor deface any vegetation, nor break a root, etc. So basically, detector use in the way a detector is meant to be used, is forbidden. No one uses a detector just to get a signal then move on to the next signal, never doing any digging to find the target. Yet the state laws and municipal and borough codes expect this and issue fines and court dates if you violate it. Thus, no City of Wasilla property including but not limited to parks allows you to use a detector and dig for a target. Since becoming a detectorist last summer I have discovered more restrictions for detecting, than restrictions/ regs for fishing and hunting combined, which is quite the statement but accurate. It's ridiculous and frustrating ... detecting/ digging targets is no more destructive to riparian habitat than digging to feed a sluice and dredging over cobbles where salmon fry thrive. But convince the state employees of that and don't hold your breath.

All of this nonsense is largely why I opted to buy a mining claim for my own exclusive use and now own claims in different gold bearing districts just so that I have unrestricted access to detect at will. Problem with that, however, is the state demands a percent of your gold! So it's best to not go the claims route unless you're really heavily centered on full scale mining with excavators and dozers in addition to detectors, and that's where I am likely headed. 

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Hello Mac,

I have only detected in the public use area along the little sue river with no luck other than hitting hot rocks. Before I went swinging out there I was aware of the consequences and was kind of worried. I called a number and was able to talk to a park trooper I think? He told me I can use a detector as long as I stayed by the streams where the soil is not vegetative and not to venture away from the streams. He said I can get into trouble if I were to detect away from streams and were to disturb the soil in its natural state. Lots of rules to abide by and thanks for the reminder that I should call again before checking out different spots to be sure I’m not breaking any rules by accident and suffer the consequences. Definitely steer clear of the independence mine because that is illegal. Ahhh a fellow detectorist around my neck of the woods? I just recently got into it myself and don’t know anybody with the same hobby. Maybe in the future we could meet up somewhere and have a go with our detectors? Just a thought and a hope anyways.?

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2 hours ago, Boogness said:

He said I can get into trouble if I were to detect away from streams and were to disturb the soil in its natural state. Lots of rules to abide by

You definately played it smart by calling first and being prepared. There are indeed too many restrictions and I fear more are coming. The cannot "disturb the soil in its natural state" is such BS. This is unncessary and discrimination against recreational prospectors and miners in my opinion, and as big of a double standard as it gets. Immense damage, irreversible destruction of the soil and vegetation, occurs in a commercial mining operation and yet that's just fine and dandy. But the recreational hand miner with a pick-axe, digging a 20 inch deep narrow hole by hand and returning the soils/ rock to cover the hole, is persecuted. 

It is possible but unlikely we could meet for detecting given I'm more of a loner than social when in the outdoors, especially when hunting gold, which consumes my mind even during the drive (am thinking of my hunting strategy during the drive rather than chatty) and also, my wife and I detect together and she's much like me in the loner category. A big factor is also how extremely short our summers are, which really severely limits what can be done due to other commitments be it the kids or our business, etc. And we detect on our claim as much as we can manage and it's not close by so that's an issue too. In a month it's moose hunting season which is really going to be tough fitting it all in ... summer now more than half over already and am not too happy about it either ha. My wife is winning the contest of whose going to find the most gold in 2018 and am running outta time to catch up

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Day late and a dollar short here but simple answer is if I were looking for gold with a metal detector between the two choices it would be Crow Creek all the way for me. There was a of gold found there with detectors but the sad reality is it has been pounded to depth. That means you now have to "scrape and detect" to have any reasonable chance at success.

Scrape and detect at Crow Creek in 2011 - I and others found quite a bit of small gold along this bank. I found it like I usually do - just pick spots and get to work. If nothing shows up in 30 minutes, move and try again.

Detecting Micro Gold Nuggets at Crow Creek - 9/13/09

scrape-and-metal-detect-crow-creek-alaska-herschbach-1.jpgscrape-and-metal-detect-crow-creek-alaska-herschbach-2.jpg

and small gold found....

scrape-and-metal-detect-crow-creek-alaska-herschbach-3.jpg

The detectors do not matter much as long as they are hot on tiny gold. It is the way you slowly scrape the material to get the gold closer to the coil that matters most.

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I have only detected with Steve twice at Crow Creek, but both times I made an amazing discovery.

The first discovery I made was that you don't ever let Steve get in front of you, the ground will be sterilized after he passes through.

The second discovery I made was that you don't ever let Steve get behind you, he's like a turkey on a June Bug. Anything you miss, which is everything for me, he will have it in an instant. In other words, you get it the first time or it is gone forever, no second chances.

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I'm new to detecting, got an Equinox 800 last week,  in Anchorage.  Thanks for all the info Mac, there does seem to be a maze of regulations, as far as I can there is nothing prohibiting detecting in Anchorage Parks, I've searched all the Muni websites and regs, but I'm sure digging holes in grassy areas would be frowned upon, and would be best to avoid busy times at parks.  It does seem a lot of land is off limits: state and federal claims, historic sites, which is very vague, some State Parks, National Parks, and some Wilderness Areas of National Forests, other areas are limited to just the stream bed and gravel bars.  

It is a shame the commercial miners and oil can get their permits and dulldoze massive sections of public lands but recreational miners are given such a hard time.  The National Forests seem to have the fairest regs for rec miners and detectorists. Still excited to find a nugget though, so far just been detecting old trash on my property.

 

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