Stream Turbidty, Sluices, Bear Country

[tvanwho]

I am planning a trip to New England this summer to prospect In the White Mountains National Forest in New Hampshire. They will allow gold panning AND up to a 3 foot long sluice box. Not sure on shovels altho trowels are ok. My question is on stream turbidity at the discharge end of my sluice? They want the water to be clear as defined in some rule they have between New Hampshire,Maine,Vermont.

 

How does one not muck up the water while using a sluice box or dredge either,for that matter? Do they ticket Mother Nature when she creates havoc during floods? In New Hampshire ,shovels are illegal to dig with altho you may scoop gravels with a gold pan they say. But you can shell out $50 and get a permit for a sluice or dredge up to 4 inch. In Vermont, no motorized stuff period and permit required for sluice. They've pretty much outlawed dredging in Maine thanks to Trout Unlimited.

 

Looking forward to some mountains and fast moving creeks with color.

 

Ps,this is bear country. How do I store food ,garbage, without attracting Yogi? In my car, up a tree,? On the forest website,it mentions bear proof food containers,never heard of that? I will stick to canned food and no stove . Pss, who makes the best bear spray? How far do they shoot? When should you actually  use the spray . I take it running from a bear is a bad thing? No guns please. If I hear noises in the woods or see a bear, do I throw rocks , do nothing, yell and scream, find that bear spray?

 

-Tom

[1515Art]

I don't know much about it and you probably have already seen this, but there is a company (gold hog) that makes something called a gold hog pan. Its a gold pan identified device that will process and sample material faster, they claim performance similar to a sluice, but it is legal like a gold pan.

[1515Art]

Don't keep food in the car, bears can and will tear the car apart to get at the food they smell. A bear proof food locker on site or up a tree that's not right next to the tent is what I've learned. If you have to store food near camp have your friend sleep on the food side and tie his shoelaces together after he falls asleep.

[beatup]

U DAP makes a good pepper spray,if it is not sold were you live then try Counter Assault spray both made for use on Grizzly Bears,both brands will spray out around 30 feet.if a bear is running at you then your in trouble already so have the spray handy were you can get it fast and aim it low and at the bears head pull the trigger until the spray is emptied.If you are worried about bears while hiking just make noise so they here you coming and they will be gone before you come up on one.Tom just keep an eye out for moose up in that part of the country i have been chased an run up a tree by moose when I"ve been out in the woods, sometimes they don't run when they hear you coming and if it is a mother and calf watch out, bear sprays works on them to.

[tvanwho]

thanks guys, maybe a trip to Cabelas or Gander Mountain might be a good thing here? That Gold Hog pan is a rather steep $300 but I just might go for it? How can I keep the sluice discharge from mucking up the water then? The stream is in the mountains so am assuming its got a fast flow which would be great for my Bazooka Prospector sluice with no need to classify.I modified mine to accept 4 adjustable legs for deeper water and glued in a small piece of ribbed rubber mat  to verify there is gold in the gravels.

  I think we will stick to hiking in the creek bed but will still have to get thru 200 feet of woods down to the creek tho.

  Would one of them air horn things scare off a bear or moose?

[sjmpainter]

tvanwho, Check out the Roto Pan that may be a good alternative to a sluice.

http://rotapan.com/

[Steve Kiesel]

I picked up a used Rotapan this last winter.  Heading to N. Ca in a week.  Will be using it for the first time.  I'll let you know how it works out when I get back.  I got it for packing into the hard to get to places and as a sampling tool.  Stay tuned.

[sjmpainter]

Steve, I will be looking for that post. Interested to know if they are worth wile.

[tvanwho]

I better pass on the Rotapan as the govt types might consider that to be a mechanized form of gold recovery which they have about outlawed in New England.  I already wasted $150 dollars on a Pyramid gold pan in an Indiana creek, The bottom center part cracked and the plug fell out as I was panning and half the riffles had cracks as well. A good idea but poor quality or else I got a lemon?

May need to consider than Hogpan instead for rapid panning down to cons,then dump in a bucket,and pan down later vs a sluice.

 

I found a local gold guide in Vermont .He has posted numerous videos on YouTube and seems to be a great gold finder and just pans for it. His price is $150 daily altho he is willing to take me to his best gold creeks. The local gold gurus in Phoenix area by comparison, want $300 a day for a day long gold nugget detecting trip. I could only swing 1-2 half days with any of these experts without breaking my vacation budget tho? BUT I will have to admit, every time I've gone to a new state to gold hunt, I've had very little success if only there a week or less on my own. So,maybe a day with a local expert might be a good thing?

 

I've heard mixed reviews on the Rotapan,some love it,some hate it. I like my Hex pan personally, easier to dump the cons out of than a round pan ,easy to hold onto while panning, big and small riffles. 

 

Trying to get things figured out before I get on the road in 2 months vs last minute planning..

 

-Tom