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Showing content with the highest reputation on 01/17/2017 in Posts

  1. Picked up an SCD2300 for my son from a fellow member of this forum right before Christmas. Thanks Allen! Finally made it out for just a few hours today with my 9 year old son. Third target, a nice little picker! First 2 targets were the tiniest shot I have ever found with a detector. I am amazed at the response from the SDC on such a tiny target. We were working around a small bedrock outcropping and I was teaching him what to listen for and how to retrieve a target. After the first two targets were lead shot within about 12 inches of each other, the third target had to be shot also (within the same area). I wanted to move on and he said no way let's dig it. About an inch into the decomposing bedrock the target had moved. He grabbed a handful of dirt and had the target in his hand. The target was small and he was having a little trouble figuring out how to split the dirt between his hand and the scoop, but when he finally had a few small bits of dirt in the scoop I could see a glint of yellow. Once he realized it was gold he kept saying I told you we should dig that target! Dad you wanted to walk away! I will probably never hear the end of it. Well, he was right! We spent about 3 hours out in the Motherload on an absolutely beautiful afternoon. Temps on my truck showed 60 degrees. We moved to another spot that I found several nuggets at a few years ago to give the sdc a go to finish the day. Steve H. you, Chris R., and Steve W., and Mike G. were there the day I found the nuggets at this spot. First target was the tiniest piece of gold I have ever found with a metal detector. It does not even register on the scale. I didn't take a picture of the tiny piece cause it probably would not even show up in a picture it was so tiny. I am amazed that any detector could find a piece of gold so small. I doubt it will even register on my gmt. We had a great day and my son should be able to really use this detector on his own next time out. He took to it like...on... Funny thing he found some old rusty sardine cans and a broken old flashlight to take for show-and-tell at school tomorrow along with his piece of gold. Looking forward to getting out again!
    16 points
  2. Hey Kennedy, I have been a Minelab dealer here in the US since the early 90's. I hate to say it, but that is a counterfeit control box at a minimum. I would contact the seller ASAP if possible to get your money back. I would also report the buyer to Minelab Americas so others don't purchase counterfeit Minelab GPX's. This has been a huge problem over the last 5-6 years starting with the Sudan Gold Rush. Here are a few links that might help you out - http://www.minelab.com/customer-care/stop-counterfeits http://www.minelab.com/usa/customer-care/stop-counterfeits/counterfeit-update http://www.goldcitydetecting.com/counterfeitgpx5000.htm Hope this helps a bit, Rob Allison
    5 points
  3. Just Wondering if the Forum has any good wild plant stories? Care to share any Tips' of Real Nugget Digs associated w/ plants , flowers, trees.etc. I don't besides Horsetail(see pic) is supposed to grow in Gold" ground. "Geobotany" Starts Here: Vegetation as a Guide. Sometimes the vegetation on the two different rocks, especially when decidedly unlike in composition, is so different that the line of contact may be traced by it alone. In open countries free from heavy timber, like Arizona, this is strikingly the case. Probably the most distinctive vegetation in those localities is the various forms of "yucca," of which the "Spanish bayonet" is a sample; and the "ocotilla" (o-ko-te-ya). The yucca is confined to the granite or quartzite rocks, evidently liking a soil abounding in silica (quartz); the ocotilla is as decidedly confined to the clay-slate regions, the line of contact being often drawn on a hillside by these two plants as if defined by a fence; while the cactus frequents the limestone outcrops and the areas of eruptive rocks. In other words, for successful growth, the yuccas require quartz, the ocotilla clay, and the cactus lime. In the broad washes or beds of summer torrents, called "arroyos," where the rocks are mixed, all three may be found growing if the debris is of a suitable character. A fissure may also be defined by the vegetation growing on it being different in character, or a line of contact may be traced by the same means, as in California, where the rim rock of the gravel channels, even where covered and obscured by dense brush (chaparral) can be followed along the mountain side by the elderberry bushes, the white flowers of which are very conspicuous in the gray brush in spring. These bushes require permanent water and have located themselves along the bed rock rim where the water in the gravel flows over it or on the top of the pipe-clay just below the lava cap. Cheers to All from IdahoGold
    4 points
  4. Hello, Ive been away working 2 jobs 16 hours a day for last 3 1/2 months. With only a couple days off a month. And it has been some hard times for my personal live losing my best friend, another good friend and my Aunt. but forward I shall keep going. Anyway on my very few days off I went detecting with Nokta Fors plus, makro Gold Racer & makro Racer 2 to find some bits of gold. They are all great gold detectors and I will get back out again soon for more. hope everybodys new years is starting off great. Good luck!
    4 points
  5. The desert trumpet plant thrives in mineralized soils and is present in the goldfields that I frequent throughout Nevada and Arizona: https://www.google.com/amp/nuggeteer.com/gold-prospecting-and-metal-detecting-adventures/desert-trumpet-plant-eriogonum-inflatum/amp/?client=safari
    3 points
  6. All I can Say is the "Quote of the Day"... Stick a Fork In Him He's Done! Tremendous Post! Dreams do come True! Thanks for sharing!
    3 points
  7. Took me some time to find a working link to this document but here it is. Kind of a classic. Gold From Water (and Other Mining Scams) Nevada Bureau of Mines and Geology Special Publication #22
    3 points
  8. Oh no. "WARRANTY VOID IE REMOVED". They couldn't even spell IF. Sorry for your loss. Good luck to you in the future.
    3 points
  9. I have not even scratched the surface of this website link. All kinds of diverse articles and photos from all over the country. There are many photos of legends in the prospecting world. I tripped over this site years ago, forgot about it, and then found it again yesterday while doing research. Check it out at http://www.billandlindaprospecting.com/
    2 points
  10. Got out a little about 4 weeks ago and made gas money...lol.... That small amount was recovered from about 4, 5 gal buckets full of beach sand. Other than that not much to report. Not much to report since the snow. Conditions are still less than favorable and the beach deposits haven't really formed yet. Last time I went there wasn't even any surface black sands and no layers to speak of even 2 feet down. Will go take a look again this coming weekend most likely.
    2 points
  11. 530 pages of rock and mineral collection sites all over the United States.... Bob Beste's "Location Guide for Rockhounds in the United States, 3rd. ed. 2005": Part I--Alabama through Idaho (PDF, 155 p.) Part II--Illinois through North Dakota (PDF, 186 p.) Part III--Ohio through Wyoming (PDF, 193 p.)
    1 point
  12. I am doing up a more detailed coverage of this for the ICMJ, but I want to post at least a little on this here: I've gotten several contacts in the last month from folks who have bought claims through ebay or by other means over the internet. These are people who don't know much of anything about mining or claims or anything else. They make old weird beard on Gold Rush look like a know-it-all mining genius. They ask me for help in recovering the millions and millions of $$$$$$$$ they just know are on their claim. I've also been contacted by folks who have filed legitimate claims and had encounters with these folks who stake over their valid claims to sell them to the inexperienced. Now don't get me wrong, it is totally legitimate to stake and then sell a mining claim. it's totally legal to stake a claim with the idea that you might sell or lease the claim to another person. No problem there. The problem is mis-leading your buyers with things that just really are not true. Leading your buyer to believe there is valuable ore on the claim when you have no sample data to show that is simply fraud. What they sell is more like a dream than a business - the buyer thinks something like: ooooh! Owning my own mining claim sounds so dreamy.... Those of us who have been doing this for a while are less dreamy eyed and more practical about it. I know most of the guys who regularly post have a reasonable level of experience. I post this to the new guys and those who lurk here to learn. Here are my iron clad rules about buying mining claims that you should always follow: 1. Take everything the seller says with a giant grain of salt - they want to make a sale and will tell you what you want to hear. Let the buyer beware! 2. Never buy a claim until you have the skills to go out and sample the claim and evaluate it for yourself. Until you have those skills, you have no business trying to buy a claim. 3. Never consider buying a claim until you have the knowledge needed to go out and stake your own claim independently and maintain it with the government in good standing. You will need this information to determine if the claim you are buying is valid or not. 4. Never, never buy a claim without first inspecting it on site and in person, and performing a full property evaluation for yourself as noted in No. 2 above. Buying a claim is a business decision and should be made like a business decision, not made as a daydream to seek and hope for something good.
    1 point
  13. Bill and Linda's is loaded with lots of great stuff. We met him and his dog Coco several years ago out in Rye patch. Before I found this forum, his was my go to prospecting site. I still look at it daily. Norm McQ
    1 point
  14. I have definitely found nuggets near trumpet plants. But this mineralization usually covers a very large area and there are many trumpet plants throughout these areas. I just take it as another sign that I might be close. I have never thought to use it to identify hidden contact zones. Interesting thought. I must add that I have found more than a number of barrel cactus sticking out of quarts reefs that set off my detector and make me "think" the cactus has a hearty skeleton full of gold. Only to be sadly disappointed digging a crater around said cactus. Funny, I did spelunking before nugget hunting and we would look for agave as possible areas for caves. Just happens they like a specific type of limestone. But again, it was just an added sign. Interesting topic ...
    1 point
  15. We have talked about it but currently have bigger fish to fry . If you get the Z-Link you'll get a pass from the factory in Sweet Home ... though your MXT might buck and whinny when you strap that bad boy on!
    1 point
  16. I saw the small coil working on 30khz on a supra thin gold leaf that was crazy! Alain showed me the difference reaction of the machine with different frequency and yes i had the coil in my hand for 5 minutes while he was talking to someone.XP has always look after me very well since i found the brothel token in the Thames in 2012. RR
    1 point
  17. Steve mentioned a desire to broaden the forum horizons. So, with that in mind here are a few pic's of some of the meteorites I found. 1.Some stuff from Holbrook found by sight-there is only one in the mix. 2. a gold basin laying entirely exposed found with detector 3. my first and only Oz meteorite found hunting gold-still in Oz at Bathurst Observatory fred
    1 point
  18. Not a bad guide to getting ya in the general area for a scratch or three Steve. I skimmed it and saved a copy for myself. Thanks. All rock hounding guides are kind of custom pieces in my opinion. This one fills some holes others have left out but it has holes that others include. Many of mine are not in publication anymore but some good ones I have read recently *last few years* that are ok for the south west are the Gem Trails guides. These are state specific, unlike yours which is a good country wide reference, but when in a locality or state its often easier to use this type of guide when planning a fossic :) Cheers!
    1 point
  19. I have hunted wherever I see those trumpet plants...I do not think I have ever found a nugget in, under or around them...but, there is always hope! fred
    1 point
  20. Thanks again :) Jim after reading your adventures I had wondered if you'd found calcite's of interest among the silver in your regions. Fred I'm pretty sure that those spots of interest are still there myself however I'm "geographically challenged" out bush but there is nothing to say an angry wood chuck or goanna might not have moved things around from time to time. Hahh!
    1 point
  21. That was a great find Steve, thanks for posting it. This should be required reading for every precious metals investor. But then the "dream" would vanish for those who cannot get past the concept of fabulous riches to be had for just a few bucks more. As I read through this article I could see some experiences I have had with some of the nefarious methods described. I vividly remember trying to work with mine owners who knew nothing about proper, time tested methods for evaluating ore. I am not a scientist, but I do know that there are certain protocols that cannot be ignored. There are assaying methods that do work when done by reputable labs and there are correct and incorrect methods of prospecting and sampling that can lead to honest evaluations or just palin scams. Some mine owners only interest is in attracting investors by any means possible. Some of these owners live for years off of investor money, never actually producing even an ounce of gold. There is another level of deceit to produce more money above the actual ore/assay schemes and that is where the owner needs to continually buy and sell recovery systems/equipment of an ever increasing dollar value. This scheme depends on being able to convince investors that different recovery equipment is needed on a continual basis, supposedly because of the extreme difficulty in recovering microscopic gold. The investor has fronted money for purchase of recovery equipment, plus expenses, received nothing in return, yet is convinced that with more money to buy different (better) equipment he will realize his profit. On the buying end the owner will convince the owner of the equipment he needs to sell for a "promise" of payment in gold at a vastly reduced price. This effectively induces the seller to give away his equipment for a promise. The mine owner then pockets the difference between what he got from his investor and what the new equipment costs, which is zero. It is amazing that these types of investor fraud can go on indefinitely without investors wising up at some point. One would think that eventually word would get around the investment community. But I guess P.T. Barnum was right, "there is a sucker born every minute".
    1 point
  22. Californiagold -----how to find water: Cheers, IG
    1 point
  23. I have found faults because of varied vegetation many times. sometimes they jump out at you and are obvious and other times they are subtle. my favorite gold loving, growing vegetation is manzanita! if you don't find gold or the brush wont let you in, you can smash it, break it, whatever. it makes great therapy. next time im with Paul, I think ill take him thru some. I think someone told me long time ago about old timers finding water in deserts based on different plants which would seem common sense. good luck
    1 point
  24. sounds like you son is hooked now. but metal detecting is a wonderful sport. congrads on your finds together. father son outings are always the best. good luck on your future trips together.
    1 point
  25. tvandwho, if your getting a racer2 soon. if your going gold prospecting, i would also geta R26 10x5" coil for the racer2 as well. the standard 11 x 7' coil is good, but i feel the 10 x 5' coil is a good in between size to get some depth and sensitivity to small gold. and don't be afraid to use some isat adjustment in the the mineralized areas where the smooth threshold drops out. the isat will keep the threshold tuned and smooth. i haven't found with these detectors that you lose any noticeable depth while using isat. ive tried no isat on undug targets and max isat on faint signals and i never noticed any considerable loss. good luck
    1 point
  26. Thanks for all the comments. Steve, yes the racer2 would handle the bad mineralized spots alittle easier then gold racer. and the notch disc does a great job of clipping off the low end and high end hot rocks. though I haven't experienced with the disc a whole lot. I generally run in all metal. I do like the isat adjustment for threshold retuning. I haven't really had too much trouble with gold racer in what I figure to be high mineralization. not austrailia obviously but usually bad enough that ive had trouble there with previous detectors including gb 2.The Racer 2 with the 10 x 5" solid elip coil was quite the wonder. it does do a good job on small gold. Lipca. the coils are so shiny because I don't use those coils much. i usually use the 10x5 elliptical coils or sometimes the bigger 15x 13 coil for scouting for a new patch and covering ground quicker. the little 5" coils are good for tiny gold. but normally i can pretty much find it just as well with the 10 x 5 coils. so most of the 5' coils i have are new and never used. they come in handy for pictures though. but i am a clean freak though also, so after every detecting trip my detectors are cleaned and look like they just came from the showroom floor. good luck
    1 point
  27. Thanks for the replies guys! Norm-He has adventure in his blood. It's fun to see and makes me realize that I need to work less and get out more often! He really excels in youth sports, but nothing beats being out in mother nature. We plan to spend a lot of time in the mountains this summer. Chris-This summer we plan to spend a lot of time up in Downieville. Not only detecting, but getting the Keene hydro air all geared up to use. I really hope we can spend some time together this season. The high water has already altered some of the gravels. You are always welcome with us. AU_Solitude-He takes to things easily and the only thing he complained about was that his arm hurt. I told him let's get out more and it will feel just fine after a couple more trips. Fred-you are right!
    1 point
  28. Fantastic! The SDC is such a simple, but so very effective machine. I'm sure your son will be finding a lot more gold with it in the future.
    1 point
  29. So very nice. Lets do some of that this summer and bring your son along.
    1 point
  30. Great find and a great way to get your son started on an adventure that could last a lifetime. Norm
    1 point
  31. Yes Strick here is my story for the third one. I worked for the Santa Fe Railroad as a Carman Welder for 38 years retiring the last day of 1999. When I would go home after a bad day I would stop at a crossing of the Santa Fe Trail, I had permission from the owner to metal detect, the first target that I dug I would put all my anger and troubles in the hole and cover it up so as not to take them home to the family. I sure hope the farmer didn’t take them home with him at harvest time. Once there as I was leaving I noticed some camp fire rocks and made note of them. Dec 6 1988 I had some time to go back and started to hunt around the rocks, not finding any thing I started to wonder off but some thing said go back to the camp fire site. Having dug mini musket balls I got a hit thinking it was another musket ball I plunged my digger in the ground and turned up a 1836 2 ½ dollar gold coin with a nice recover scratch on the face. Feeling bad about the scratch but a wonderful find anyway I put it in my collection. Later a friend made me a bezel and sold me a 14k 20 inch chain and I wear it daily , every time I put it on it brings back the memory of the day I found it. At 79 years old I am still looking for another one. GOOD LUCK to all KS Stick. I
    1 point
  32. 1 point
  33. The MX Sport storm is over, have been hearing mostly good things from customers for the past few months (except for a few complaints of SNOW). Our new Chinese distributor can help you with sourcing one- Hefei DaWan HuiCheng Electronics and Technology Ltd. Sales area: China Building 7, Renhe Keji Yuan, No.87, Road Yangqiao, Shushan District, Hefei, China Telephone:+86-18655110632 Telephone 2:+86-0551-65184208 Fax:+86-055165184109 dacheng@chinaokm.com
    1 point
  34. My quote of the day is commonplace and simple. "Nothing ventured, nothing gained." Jim.
    1 point
  35. You caused me to find a quote: Truth, like gold, is to be obtained not by its growth, but by washing away from it all that is not gold. Leo Tolstoy A metal detector attempts to find gold by ignoring all that is not gold. That ... like finding truth is very hard to do.
    1 point
  36. I think that's a beautiful find DDancer, we don't see that much quartz in my areas. Thanks for a real nice story and the detailed information about it. And of course... congratulations... definitely a keeper!!! Jim.
    1 point
  37. Some hear different sounds on different targets under different conditions. I have a difficult time with recognizing musical notes. The only musical instrument that I play well is the phonograph. Some complex functions are occurring to produce the unique and pleasing sounds of Minelab Pulse Induction detectors. So a high/low sound has two characteristics to consider; a change in volume and a change in tone. I will try to explain what is happening in target sounds. On the oscilloscope display; the vertical waveform envelope starting on the left is rising in volume to the top of the display; then decreasing in volume until near the center of the display. At this time the nickel is passing over the center of the coil. The sound volume is nearly off at this point. Then the sound increases and decreases again across the other side of the coil but at a lower volume than was heard on the left side of the coil. At the same time another function is occurring; if you look closely at the sound envelope it is made up of software programmed digital pulses that are being generated in a manner that generates a change in audio frequency tone as the volume is changing. The lower volume pulses at the beginning of the left side of the envelope are tightly spaced together which is a high frequency tone. The pulses spread apart as the volume increases which is changing to a lower frequency tone. At the top of the display the tone has reached its lowest tone frequency. Then the pulses become closer together as the volume decreases reaching a high frequency tone near the center of the display. The lower volume sound envelope on the right side of the display starts with a high tone and increases even higher in tone as the volume increases then decreases in tone as the volume decreases. There are many variables that effect target response sounds from Minelab detectors. Some are the size and shape, the distance from the coil, soil mineralization, ferrous, nonferrous, and speed of sweeping. During the test there was high Electromagnetic Interference from neighborhood computers, TVs and electric lines. The GPZ 7000 detector settings used to reduce the effects of EMI were as follows; High Yield, Difficult, Sensitivity 5, Frequency 60, Volume 6, Target Volume 12, Threshold 1, Audio Smoothing OFF, the coil was ferrite balanced on a cement floor with no rebar. The Frequency, Threshold, Sensitivity and Volume settings had the greatest effect on mitigating the EMI. The nickel was attached to the bottom of 16 ounce bottle of water. The bottle was suspended by a seven foot cord to function as a pendulum. In order to further mitigate EMI the nickel was within two inches of the coil on each swing of the pendulum. I had to capture many swings of the pendulum to find a waveform that was not clobbered by EMI. This same nickel buried in the field with a quiet environment and normal detector settings will generate a different waveform and an overall different target sound. There are some sample sounds at; http://www.victorianseekersclub.org.au/detector-sounds The sound of this setup was similar to the first sample ‘Inverted’ Gold Signal. Have a good day, Chet
    1 point
  38. Great post Chet. Interesting and educational. Thank you.
    1 point
  39. Hello Chet, thank you for taking the time to perform this test. Would I be correct in saying that the nickel is giving off a high/low sound based on the oscilloscope display or is there a double signal? Brian.
    1 point
  40. Nice find! I have lost a few spots. Actually, I think they moved after I walked away.... fred
    1 point
  41. I would add to the above that if you lack the mentioned expertise - hire a qualified person that does. Best insurance money you will ever spend! There are companies that will file all the appropriate paperwork each year, etc. I filed my own paperwork for decades and still managed to screw it up finally so even people that think they know how can get caught. Arizona has a page on mining scams at http://www.azgs.az.gov/mining_scams.shtml More from http://dnr.alaska.gov/mlw/factsht/mine_fs/investig.pdf (on Alaska mining claims but similar issues apply elsewhere): ASK THE SELLER: 1. Is the claim State or Federal? What is the claim name and number? If it is a state claim ask for the ADL (Alaska Division of Lands) number. This is the identifying number for state records regarding the claim, and will help you research claim history, status, staking and maintenance. 2. Who is the owner of record? Claims can have more than one owner. In such cases, remember if only the interest of one owner is being transferred, you will be a partner with other owners of record. 3. Ask for a recorded copy of the claim location certificate. A recorded copy of the claim location certificate will have on it the Recording District Office stamp, date of recording, and document number or book and page number. 4. Whether Annual Labor or assessment work has been accomplished on a continuing basis; was acceptable; and has been properly recorded and filed according to State or Federal regulations. (NOTE: Again, regulations vary considerably here! Detailed information can be obtained by contacting the appropriate information source for State and Federal claims.) ***Be careful of claims offered for sale after September 1. This is the end of the annual labor year on both State and Federal claims. Assessment work must have been accomplished for any specific year prior to that date and recorded no later than November 30th for the State claims and December 30th for Federal claims. Have the seller show you a properly recorded affidavit. 5. Whether the claim is in conflict with other mineral locations. Claim conflicts do occur and often end up in court when the parties involved cannot resolve the problem themselves. You should verify the answers to the above questions through your own research or by engaging a professional agent to help guide you through the claim purchase. Other factors can enter into claim validity – factors that are often challenged in a court of law, especially if claim conflicts exist. These may include: 1. Whether the claim was located following the guidelines of appropriate State or Federal regulations, including: • Whether a “discovery” of a locatable mineral actually took place. The seller should be able to prove what type of discovery took place, i.e. geochemical sampling, panning, or drilling. If a visit to the location is possible, obtain permission to do your own sampling. • Whether the claim was actually staked in the field. Were posts or monuments erected and notice posted according to law? Or, was the claim “paper-staked”? • Whether the claim was properly recorded within 45 days of the date of staking in the District Recorder’s Office where it was located. 2. Whether annual labor has been done and properly recorded. Errors in the “essential facts” required on the annual labor affidavit are grounds for abandonment of the claim. 3. Whether annual rental has been paid in a timely manner. On State mining claims the rental year begins at noon on September 1 and ends at noon on September 1 of the following year. Payments must be received no later than November 30 of the same year. The penalty for failure to make a timely payment is abandonment of the location. See the Annual Rental Fact Sheet available on the Mining Section web page or at the Public Information Centers in Anchorage or Fairbanks. • NOTE: A word of caution, if the staking date of a mining claim on State land is prior to September 1 of a particular year, two annual rental payments will be required during that first year. The first is due no later than 45 days after the staking date of the location, and the second, no later than November 30. As a buyer, there are other important concerns you should be aware of or have clarified before taking the big plunge of investing: 1. Is the seller legitimate and reputable? What is their mining, prospecting, or geological background? How can it be verified? 2. Have any valuable minerals ever been produced or found on the land? Historical and geological reports on most areas in the State are available through the State Division of Geological and Geophysical Survey or the U.S. Geological Survey. The USGS maintains the Alaska Resource Data Files (ARDF) at http://ardf.wr.usgs.gov/. The ARDF files contain descriptions of many of the mineral occurrences in Alaska, and are a good quick reference. 3. Can the seller produce proof that he has operated on the claim? Depending on the type of equipment used, permits are normally required before any type of mining operation can begin. Operators who have submitted Applications for Permits to Mine in Alaska (APMAs) for intended mining activity involving mechanized equipment can be confirmed through a State Division of Mining, Land and Water Permitting Office. 4. Be aware of what rights you have with a mining claim! A common misconception is that the buyer is actually buying the land. This is not true, unless the mining property has been patented under Federal law and the owner has title to the land. (Patents are not issued under State mining laws.) Without a patent, the seller is only transferring their interest in the mineral rights to you. Ownership of the land remains with the State, Federal, or local government. As a claim owner, you have the right to possession and extraction of the minerals; but: a. You may not use a mining claim for purposes other than mining. Incompatible uses include residential use, placing any surface improvement on the claim without written approval; and use of the claim to pursue recreational or business interests such as hunting, fishing, trapping, guiding, or outfitting. b. You may not restrict public access without written approval from the land manager. c. If a third party has interest in the surface estate of a state mining claim, such as a grazing lease or surface ownership by a borough, you are required to reimburse the lessee or surface owner for damages caused by your use of the location for mining. 5. Is the claim compatible with the type of mining you intend to do? For example, if you intend to conduct suction dredging activities and the claim is located on a salmon spawning stream, be aware of the time frame restrictions as to when dredging can take place – generally from May 15 to July 15 annually. Note that on federal lands (federal mining claims), suction dredging is authorized at the discretion of the Authorized Officer. 6. Access – Are you familiar with the claim’s general location? Is there reasonably accessible? If travel “cross country” is involved, check land status along the route. Native corporation land, parks, refuges, stream crossings, area plans, type of equipment, time frame for intended travel, restrictive right-of-ways, etc., are potential problem areas. Charter flights to a “fly-in” only area can be expensive. 7. Water Rights – Are existing water rights associated with the claim? Water rights are registered with the State of Alaska and a certificate issued by the State’s Department of Natural Resources, Division of Mining, and Land & Water. Will they be transferred as part of the purchase? What is the availability of water in that particular stream during the course of a mining season? 8. What permitting requirements are there for mining activities, including transportation of equipment; exploration; or actual mining, in Alaska? It’s important to know any such activity must be fully permitted before “start-up” can begin. 9. Can mining even be conducted on your claim? In recent years, lawsuits against the State and Federal governments have restricted or stopped mining activity altogether in certain areas.
    1 point
  42. I saw that too... I would like to see White's come out with one but I may have to goto Garrett for that bad boy... be perfect for the MXT, and Eagle Spectrum... which I have a big foot coil for
    1 point
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