Jim_Alaska

Sorry Valens, I thought of that after I pressed submit, actually quite a while after I pressed it. 😀

Really? Hard to tax something you have outlawed. California politicians have made mining a thing of the past; no gold recovery with anything mechanical.

Good story Gerry, I was right there with you. I also lost my pick one time, didn't leave it, just lost it. I was not even aware I had lost it until I wanted to use it, much like you did. I'm old too and it is true that walking back over ground you have already walked is never something to be looked forward to. But age takes its effect on brain cells too. Now I sit down and try to think where it could have possibly gone. My pick holder is a simple belt hammer holder, it is one of the ones that actually can swivel. In thinking of this I remembered that there had been a place where I had to

Although i sincerely thank you for your most generous offer, I believe I will decline it at this time. I was a trapper for a lot of my adult life and at times had to make up some serious 'stinky' for my trapping lure. Rotted whale oil would fit that category very well.

That makes sense, good information.

Curious to know how you determined it was whale oil? There are other oils that would smell as bad or worse; Seal, Walrus would be a couple.

At 77 y.o. my steam turned to luke warm water long ago. Now just thinking about anything strenuous hurts.

Thinking of what you said about being afraid to try to turn it in tight spots seemed reasonable. But after seeing it, it looks small enough that if you had to you could just unhook, turn the Jeep and then turn the trailer by hand.

Another wonderful story Lanny. Sounds like you had a lot of fun and may have even made up for not being able to get out for so long.

minus 55-60 F below zero has to be experienced to believe. I lived it in Alaska for 37 years. Fortunately it does not last long. I'll take a few days of heat any time. I am in Northern California now and we have had temps at and above 100-F for the last two weeks. But winter and rain is coming. At least here I can detect and mine year round. In Interior Alaska it is only between three and four months, you have to work fast.

Please be careful with your retort. Remember that Hg can and will vaporize at room temperature and lower. Proper protection from Hg fumes requires a proper face mask with special Hg filters. The photo below illustrates 450 lbs. of Mercury being cleaned using proper protection in a laboratory setting.

Thanks folks, I think that these suggestions may give me a place to start.

Thanks for the reply folks. I am not looking in regard to claims or claiming as much as I am looking for which agencies regulate and permit suction dredging. Where I live dredging is banned, I want to know if it is allowed in AZ and where. An agency link for this information would be great. As far as where to go and if it is claimed, I can do my own due diligence. I do know and understand that AZ is mostly dry, but also know that there are a precious few streams that run all year. Thanks folks

I am posting this here since there are folks on this forum from Arizona. I was wondering if anyone might have information like rules, regulations or possibly links to which agencies regulate and permit suction dredging. I know, there is not much water in AZ, but there must be places that a person might find gold in streams.

Desert is not the only place for them. This pic was taken in 2005 during a spring flood on the Klamath River. The water had flushed him out of the rip-rap rocks on the bank.