delnorter

Great thread. Yesterday and today I and about 40 other people, of all flavors, attended a metal detecting outing for hillside pocket/placer gold on a side hill side above the Klamath River just downstream of Happy Camp, Ca. The outing was a combined effort of Whites Electronics (metal detectors), Armadillo Mining Supply, Tom and Josh Bohmker, and The New49ers, on whose claim we were detecting. Although rainy, it was good fun and great lessons in metal detecting for gold. All who put this outing on are very good at what they do. As the topic of this thread is pocket gold hunting, I'd like to give a big shout out to Tom Bohmker and his son Josh as truly knowledgeable people on pocket gold and finding it. It was a pleasure to meet and learn from them. Tom does have quite a few good publications on the subject. All I found was a lot of old square nails. Mike

Please do not throw away old maps. At least offer them to others who might be interested. Mike

Hope the finder can keep the coin, not be penalized for finding it at a minimum. Mike http://www.kitco.com/news/2017-05-21/400-Year-Old-Coin-Worth-Over-17-000-Discovered-In-A-Moscow-River.html

Very nice review Steve. This sounds like a great all-around VLF gold machine. Thanks, Mike

Check out this video of a couple Englishmen beginning the restoration of an old Russian T54/69 tank. Mike

Great advice in the posts. Steve is so right about relying on your instruments. Here in the pacific northwest weather can change for the worse very quickly and instruments are your friend. I do have a interesting story of the instruments going astray. I managed as well as did the actual work of an aerial mapping, surveying and high altitude photography company for many years. Using small Cessnas (182 and push pull turbo 206) and Robinson helicopters required the pilots to really trust their instruments. We also performed land surveys with conventional instruments like theodolites and chains, early lasers, later total stations with infra red and the such. We eventually bought and used some of the first Trimble Navigation GPS units here in the northwest. We were performing a large cadastral retracement survey of public / private boundaries for the federal government over two townships of land with many ownerships. Because of the rugged and remote lands, we used a combination of technology. All of the above conventional equipment was used along with aerial photos and the "relatively new GPS units". We used the tripod mounted GPS units primarily for establishing control points on the mountain tops, from which we then utilized the other instruments for ground traverses. Well into the project, amazed by the benefit of the GPS units and their accuracy, which we tested, all hell broke out with the data. In these kinds of surveys, along with the GPS control points, a lot of data is collected initially about existing prior survey evidence, often for days at a time, and then is processed back in the office for further investigation and action in the field. Well, after one such period of data collection from the GPS units, absolute chaos ensued with the survey control data as well as the the other traverses from those control points. Survey results from this period was miles off from previous data collected. Impossible to be as such. I'm telling you, this was on par with losing a survey field book in the old days, which was a cardinal sin. The entire job is at a standstill. As I recall our first call to Trimble (the GPS maker) was of no help and caused a great concern on their part as well. They got on the horn and called us back later with the explanation. The first gulf war had just begun and the military had "dithered" the signals coming from the constellation of satellites utilized by our GPS units. They were preventing any enemy from using these signals for hostile action over in the Gulf or here at home with missiles or airplanes. We eventually received, from the military, an equation / formula for untangling the survey data and all turned out well. There was very little use of GPS by the public back then relative to the widespread use today. If the signals were again "dithered" by the government, in this day and age, oh boy, just imagine. Mike

I didn't know Smokey Baird, but I wish I had. What a great tribute to him in the link you provided Lunk, thank you. Fantastic gold he found, he truly looks comfortable and able on a horse, trophy mule deer bucks we dream about and what a thoughtful poet. That poem is a thing of beauty. Oh what it must have been like to share a camp fire with Smokey and I'd sure like to see that photo with the angel. I can't help but think he must have enjoyed life in an easy going manner. Say hey to God for me Smokey, Mike

Nice finds GoldEn. Real pretty gold. Mike

Yes I would. I too have met quite a few good friends and there's no replacement for the great outdoors. The northwest is truly beautiful place to enjoy yourself. Hunting for and better yet, finding gold is frosting on the cake. Mike

Nice find. The Phoenix is rising!

Great post Steve. Barry, of Land Matters, is the most knowledgeable person I'm acquainted with on land ownership, mining claims and the mapping of same, federal land law and historical as well as current government land regulation. His website is truly remarkable. What a tremendous collection of information in one spot. If you folks haven't checked it out yet, do so. You'll like it. Mike

Nice piece Harry. Snow all gone over your way? Mike

A guy with working hands finding nuggets. Nice! Mike

Wow, great photo Steve. Now this is how to get a message out. Mike

Wow, neat specimens of gold Rick. Thanks for posting for all to see. Mike

Good find 1515Art, sure looks like the one Jim had. I sent Jim an personal e-mail with a link to your post. Mike

Good for you Dan. I can tell you enjoy life and finding the owner will be one more of your pleasures. Good luck with the ATX, keep us up to date on your adventures with it. Mike

Nice Walkerrj, real nice. Mike

I recommend El Dorado. Steve is a great guy to work with for your gold refining and jewelry needs as well as being a fellow prospector and forum member. Steve, I still intend to do a write-up about the beautiful ring you made for my wife. Jodie has had some serious health problems and all the other life issues have gotten in the way. I haven't participated in the forums much this year as such. Mike

Nice Harry, I remember see those on Jim's forum way back then. I'd be interesting to know where a those larger pieces went. Mike

I agree gold will be going up Chris. I think however, the price may go way higher in the very near future. I don't believe we and the rest of the world, can get away much longer with our everything on credit society. We will probably see negative interest rates here in America soon and the money printing presses can crank out phony money only so long. Stocks in gold mining companies are doing really well. Many of them much better than gold itself. I believe these stocks have a lot more room to grow and are still relatively cheep for the potential. Especially the junior ventures. Mike

Yes Paul, there's a lot of gold on and around the Hoopa Reservation. Both the Trinity and the Klamath Rivers have great gold. You will definitely have to get permission from the tribe to prospect on reservation lands. Much of the lands beyond the reservation are claimed. I was just through this area for work about 2 weeks ago. This is beautiful and wild country. Good Luck Paul Mike

Yes, that's a good pan of gold, sample or basic production. I'd get right after that spot, sample the immediate area and set up a sluice or better if practical. Keep us posted, I really enjoy prospecting with just a pan and simple tools. Mike

Steve and Bowwinkles, you guys have hit the nail on the head with your opinions of the labeling of detector modes. The practical functions of a detector described by you folks who test and extensively use them in real world situations is truly helpful to me, a novice by comparison. Mike

Yah, neat looking equipment Steve. I like the larger pan with the flat bottom and the screen. Like LipCa, I think a screen of smaller mesh would be great as well. The gold should show up well against the dark blue color. Mike