strick

Hard work perserveres as usual.  Nice job Rick.  I see a lot of layers in that dirt.

strick

Thanks fellas for all the kind words. I'll be heading back soon and using the ctx more often...

strick

It's been over a month since I have had a chance to get out and hunt for gold. Last time out I got my butt whipped by my wife and so I been licking my wounds and sulking since then. She took off for her sisters this weekend so today I decided to go to the foot hills. My goal was a short half day hunt. My buddy has some property that has produced some small nuggets for me in the past. Nothing bigger then 1/2 gram and most are only a few grains but it's fun and something to do. The only problem with the place is it's riddled with bird shot and lots of other goodies...so you are digging constantly.

I took my time getting up this morning and got to the ranch about 9am with my arsenal. I intended to start with the 7000 in normal ground mode over an area that I got 6 little nuggets last time I was there. I had pretty much worked the area over with the sdc 2300 so I wanted to see if there was anything deeper.  I get started and it's hot already and before long sweat is dripping off my face like a waterfall while I'm digging bird shot, old musket balls and bullets. An hour and a half later no gold and it's time to go to the truck and have a beer...and a water.

Now that I'm revitalized  I decide I want to explore another area so I grab the 2300 and go on a walk about. The ranch is 100 acres but there is an adjoining property that I can go to as well so I head that way. Another  hour and a half  go by and nothing to show but more round balls and bird shot.  On my way back to the truck  (for another beer) I see  a place that I have always wanted to try with my ctx 3030. It looks like an old dam in a creek that the old timers put together. I figure if I cant find a nugget maybe I can find a old coin. So I go back to the truck and grab the ctx. This is my last try as I wanted to get back home and finish some projects that I have going on there.

There are lots of tailing piles on this pace so I start working them with the ctx as I'm heading to the dam.  I was going kinda fast with the ctx and I dig a few more pieces of lead. As I start heading up the hill to the creek  I'm swinging along carelessly and I get a nice low tone. I look at my display and it says 12.10 and there is a nice little red dot on the screen. I immediately think gold or a piece of lead or 22 casing. As I'm looking down my eyes focus on something yellow. Now I'm thinking probably a piece of yellow dirt. so I put on my glasses and low and behold it looks like gold! I've only been detecting for about a year now and I've never found a sun baker. I scrape a little dirt away and sure enough it's a nugget. I don't know how deep it goes into the ground so I wanted to savor the moment and go back to the truck for my camera.

It's not nearly as big as what some of you fellas get but it's the biggest nugget that I have found so far in my year of detecting. 1.71 dtw And I kept telling my self. You gotta be kidding me. I found it with my coin machine? So what did I do next? I go back to the truck put the 3030 away and go back to the spot and work it over with the 2300 for a good 30 minutes. Nothing but more bird shot

strick

I joined earlier this year and have got to meet some great people. My wife and I are new to the the game so it has been a wonderful experience. And we have found gold too!

strick

5 star gold detecting for sure. I don't know if they would want a bunch of dirty prospectors jumping in the pool after a long hot day detecting. Looks like everyone had a lot of fun. Thanks for sharing.

strick

I would like to find out were JP washes his hands so I can pan out the gold from under his finger nails! Nice work fellas. Thanks  for posting.

strick

Sometimes I find a hold half empty...so I dig it out all the way to full empty. I'm still waiting for a hole to be half full. I know it will come some day.

strick

Take your coin machine along as well and get a feel of whats out there as far as trash and or relics are concerned. You might be pleasantly surprised. Heading up to the foot hills myself this weekend as I'm long over due for a nugget....Good luck!

strick

Nice!  If only you could chat with great grandpa for a while about his gold mining expeditions....

strick

Way to go that's a beautiful nugget!

strick

What we all dream about...thanks for posting

strick

The Black box (made by Victor)  http://www.victorpest.com/store/mole-and-gopher-control/b0625-3 is the best trap that I have found that you can buy locally at Home depot or Lowes.

Even then it's hard to keep up with all the gophers on my measly little acre of land. You kill one and five come to the funeral...

strick

  I will be sending you a box full of gophers that can chew through a concrete side walk so keep your dog inside.

 

Them gophers aint welcome around these parts....

Been a while since I've posted anything. It's been a busy spring and summer for me with work so I have only managed two day trips to the foot hills and two long weekend trips into the high sierras over the past several months.Then I decided I wanted to build a greenhouse because the rodents were getting into our vegetable garden. That ate up three weekends. Lisa and I are having fun meeting up with new friends in the middle of nowhere. All of you are members of this board. Our thanks for all your help and valuable tips... I even managed a quick 3 hour hunt with Deathray last week to a good relic spot. Some photos of our finds and some of the scenery.

strick

PM sent

strick

 DDMK6------

  I'll trade you my Ford F350 for your Fisher F75.

At this point you may have to fork over some cash as well. 

strick

You will need more than a few days to really understand and learn the 7s new subtle language, but it will come. Keep it up.

I'm a weekend warrior and so I don't get to use the 7k much. I am finally getting used to the sounds that it makes........but  I still like my 2300 better for small gold. They are both excellent gold sniffing  machines.

strick

You wernt kidding about those saddles....NIce work Scott!

strick

Stick wouldn't part with it for $100,000.00 dollars.

Add a couple more zeros.....

strick

Blimey, another lout that gives their dog diabetes.

You can only spoil them once. I for one should know better but still do.

Kenny was right it was a long ride home. Three decent ones for the lady and one dink the size of a match head for me. Thanks for being a great guide Klunker!  Here's one of the gold (note the one that resembles a dog)  And a couple of the gold sniffing dog doing what he does best  along with one of mama and her boy.

strick

I'll be different and just say Nice Buffalo Nickle Chris! keep up the informative posts which good for newbies like myself. 

strick

Nice work! Thats a lunker in my book.

strick

Welcome to the site Ron. Nice write up and I like your personal web site as well. And a Big thanks for all the help out at Rye Patch. 

strick

 

Now I just need to find a new cotter pin for the armrest on my SDC that I lost.... If anyone has a lead on those lemme know.

Both my wife's an my sdc are missing the  pins as well. 

strick

I'm gonna write that down on my 3x5 card and call it my "High Sierra settings". Too bad the Zed wont let you save settings like the CTX then you could just toggle back and forth between your saved settings. Hopefully heading to your neck of the woods in the next week or two.

strick