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Prospecting Suggestions Please?


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On 1/8/2019 at 10:20 AM, longhn said:

...I read a lot of Steve and others' posts. GPZ's ability is great; but, it has its own bugs such as alkaline, wet ground,... etc beside being heavy. After 3 years testing in fields by prospectors around the world, issues emerge. Minelab absolutely and already learns from it. 3 years is not a short cycle time for an innovative company like Minelab. Sale for 7000 should have dropped almost a year ago when people were asking if new version of GPZ will come out soon. Many responses excited in a few days and that's all. Thinking like you and me, we can guess 7000 is not selling hot anymore. Example: Look into the ebay, a 7000 almost like new to be sold for 6999, and it has been there for a while; and, so maybe Steve's.

7000 has no big competitor; on the other hand, it has many smaller competitors from Turkey, French, and of course US with evolving electronics. With competitive industry, if one doesn't get ahead, it falls behind.

Steve sold his GPX5000 for GPZ7000. Now he is selling his GPZ7000. Read between the lines, if that new GPZ X000 comes out, price of 7000 drops fast. Not selling it now, then when??? Just my two cents for this analysis (Sorry Steve, I try to pick your brain!, and it may not be true at all)

The problem for me though, is that i have exclusive access to a land in mother lode. Outside of its perimeters, old gold mines are just everywhere within 100 ft. I have gut feeling that this land has serious gold; but have no mean to prospect it yet. For this area, gold is not in shallow. I need some good MD to punch thru the top layer of earth. GPX is good; but why GPX if there is GPZ. 

In gold prospecting, I am a new kid in town and have so much to learn. You have any suggestion for me. Anyone???

Thanks you so much.

For a new kid in town you sure seem to know a lot about detectors, enough to be opinionated.. Anyhow...

I'm sorry needing to say this, kind of again, but you continue to hold us to an un-necessary disadvantage.. How can we possibly give you better / best choices, or can you expect better information, when the extent of what we know about where you want to prospect is 'somewhere in the mother lode'.. Further, from what little you've shared location-wise and otherwise it continues sounding to me as though a detector isn't even the correct recovery tool / method for serious exploration and recovery of values..

If you have exclusive access to a land in the mother lode, theoretically meaning you cannot be 'claimed out from under', how about at least sharing with us which county or mining district the property is located -- and better yet the N-S-E-W area of same..? How many acres are you talking about..? Is it private property that just happens to be surrounded by old mines or is it someone else's claim..? If claim, patented or unpatented..? Has the parcel of land ever been worked (mined in any manner) in the past..? Are there any visible outcroppings on this land..? Mountainous terrain, hilly, rolling, flat..? Etc.

You really need to give us useful information to work with if you truly expect useful information and recommendations in return.. Because as things stand right now it sounds to me as though a detector would be useful only for picking up surface residual from hard rock mining.. And I again have to ask what makes you think there's near-surface gold on this property when it's surrounded by mines..? What's different about this property from its neighbors..? It continues feeling to me what you're wanting to do is detect leftovers from hard rock mining rather than committing to working the property properly, either because of the hassle and expense of doing so or more likely because it's already been mined.. Please convince me otherwise..

Swamp

EDIT: Please understand the above is meant to help you help yourself as well as for us to be able to help you the best ways possible; it is not meant as a slight or cut.. Having a permission to detect a gold producing property is great.. However, if that property and everything around it are hard rock producers and one wants to go in swinging a detector, welll, expectations and methodologies need adjusted..

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  • 2 weeks later...

Thanks SwampstomperAl.

For a new kid in town you sure seem to know a lot about detectors, enough to be opinionated.. Anyhow...

"what we know about where you want to prospect is 'somewhere in the mother lode'"

"what little you've shared location-wise and otherwise it continues sounding to me as though a detector isn't even the correct recovery tool / method for serious exploration and recovery of values..

"how about at least sharing with us which county or mining district the property is located -- and better yet the N-S-E-W area of same..? How many acres are you talking about..? Is it private property that just happens to be surrounded by old mines or is it someone else's claim..? If claim, patented or unpatented..? Has the parcel of land ever been worked (mined in any manner) in the past..? Are there any visible outcroppings on this land..? Mountainous terrain, hilly, rolling, flat..? Etc."

"What makes you think there's near-surface gold on this property when it's surrounded by mines..? What's different about this property from its neighbors..?"

Thank you Swamp for posting all these questions; and, I am sorry for late reply because I need to take pictures and to learn from this website...

So here we go... Sorry! I was not straightforward in the first place. After i graduated from UC Davis in 90s, one of the first thing i did was to drive down the 49, got a gold pan and just panning on a creek. It showed some specs some color. I had dreamt this and that; then, I joined Service, went back to school, and worked traveling for hi tech technical stuffs for many years. And, suddenly, it was a land in Groveland, California, that i just bought. The ancient dream comes back. I think gold rush is in ones's blood like us... 

I am quite opinionated because it just built up after working  so long in process, product hi-tech development domestically and internationally and manufacturing management. On the other hand, I have open mind for learning new things, anything and open heart for compassion... So that is where i am from...

The land that I plan prospect on is my land, it is only 3 acres, between Groveland and Flat Oak, on 120 near Merrell Street. On MLB, it has a gold mine called Violet on the other side of the Merrell. But I think, the location on MLB is not accurate, it is right next to my land. because for about 100 ft, there are many holes going down to a tunnel down there. This land is really rolling hill. I just not find any difference between my land and the next which is about 6 acres more or less. Oh, the difference, is that my land has a lot of seasonal creeks.

Talking to the locals, the nice lady cashier from a gas station told me that years ago, people dug everywhere in groveland for gold. Gold is not on the surface anymore, but rather deep down in the ground. She also showed me a gold nugget about half dime her brother just got the other day... 

Inspecting my land, it has 3 to 5 seasonal creeks that is very deep and steep ; hence, one can see the layers of geology. Top ground is red with quartz, then about one to two feet of thick clay, bed rock, then bolder underneath... I think there maybe some gold in the bed rock... Panning these semi dry creeks show some specs.

I inspect a "cave" less than 50 from the boundary, it shows a lot mining activities on the conglomerate ground. Attached are a few pictures that show the creeks,  a "well" that i do not know if it is a well or a mine, and wall of rocks that believed built by Chinese miners according to literature...

So, how I am going to prospect this land... Honestly, I do not know... Maybe, I will get the PI and prospect along the narrow sidewall of the creek under the clay and dig in from there. Or, just detecting from the top; that I do not think there much left and/or, there maybe a lot of junk... 

I will get a used ATX from market of facebook; and start doing some detecting... But first, I will have to do some DOE (Design of Experiment - it is a part of engineering work) to learn about my detectors. Parameters are different type of metals such as small gold nugget, aluminum, silver, copper, iron with varying depth; focus on learning sounds and discrimination from the machine. And, I will report more in this journey...

If possible please advise about this land! what you think about the "well" can i dredge from the bottom or it may have the side tunnel... any possibility of finding gold on this land? Or maybe I should dig some cave on my land...

Any suggestion is great...

thank you so much

 

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If the gold is beyond two or three feet a metal detector will not help much-if at all.  You certainly do not need a GPZ to find surface gold nuggets...a vlf or Pi will do. A gold pan and a shovel is your least costly survey tool...

Over thinking will only take you in circles...

fred

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21 hours ago, longhn said:

Talking to the locals, the nice lady cashier from a gas station told me that years ago, people dug everywhere in groveland for gold. Gold is not on the surface anymore, but rather deep down in the ground. She also showed me a gold nugget about half dime her brother just got the other day...

Deja vu.  I was at a local creek where people (past and present) pan, sluice, and dredge.  I asked a self-proclaimed expert if gold in the area could be found with a metal detector.  He scoffed at such an idea, then proceded to point out a place in the creek where he moved a large chunk of concrete and subsequently found "the largest nugget anyone from around here had ever seen recovered".  I asked him what it weighed and he couldn't tell me.  But he did indicate it was about the size of the fingernail on his pinky finger....

It is pretty much guaranteed that gold in the area you want to hunt is more difficult to find than in the past.  That's typical of the "low hanging fruit is the first to be harvested" reality.  But it's not all gone.  You have access to better tools and knowledge than the old-timers, which allows you to reach the high hanging fruit.  One thing you have in common with them:  they worked hard.

 

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Longhn -- Thanks so much for the add'l info and overview..

Andyy -- You nailed it.. Steve had already moved the thread early on.. Now with the add'l info & photos supplied I too agree a new thread kicking off with longhn's overview should among other things attract responses from those familiar with the geology of this area.. Looking Fw to the hopefully forthcoming insights..

Swamp

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I'm curious about the boulder under bedrock..?

Be that as it may or may not be -- when you are saying boulder are they round or angular..? And if round are rounded cobbles interspersed as well..?

What I'm trying to understand / figure out is if you might have an ancient river channel through your property..? If others worked the property back in the day I figure clues would be exposed.. But I really don't see anything along that line except maybe something happening in the 3rd photo rounded-wise..?

Can you take & post a photo of the boulders..?

More later -- must jet for a bit..

Swamp

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Longhn - I wish I could offer some advice, but your area looks way different than those I prospect.  I like to find areas that were known for gold and then work out on the fringes.   But looking at your creeks, it is very important to know where the bedrock is at, if you are considering detecting, as well as the average size of gold you are looking for.  This will better determine what tools you have to use.  It sounds like you are looking for small gold, so the previous VLF recommendations may be your best bet.  But you still have to get to near bedrock.  So you are going to have to move some rocks around the typical locations that gold hangs out (around the large boulders, widening flows, inside bends, .... etc.).  

Either way it sounds like an interesting treasure hunt.  If anyone tells me that there isn't gold on the surface anymore, I take that as a challenge.  :cool:

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Wondering if the 'cave' was the start of a drift mine.

The creek pics look as though they have been worked pretty heavily with all the throw rocks on the hillsides. 

Groveland is indeed great prospecting ground. Search your property carefully, there will be more clues.

Good luck.

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