mn90403

I concur.

Research, research, research, My memory has been shaken into action by the events of the last few days here. Many details had escaped me about my many trips to Rye Patch since 2011. (Most of the gold was already gone by then also according to my sources. Most is of course a relative term!) I'm not going to go much into the gold but address the odd numbered sections to try and get to the 'bottom of this' once and for all if possible. My primary reason for wanting to go to Rye Patch the first time was because of Chris Ralph's web pages. They are still a good read: http://nevada-outback-gems.com/prospecting_info/majuba_mtns.htm In those pages he says: Property ownership of the area is split between BLM land and private railroad land. The even numbered sections are BLM land and the odd numbered sections are private (originally Railroad Property), even though the surface rights on those odd numbered sections in this area belong to the BLM. There are a number of claims on the BLM property, so investigation into land status is necessary - be sure to check before prospecting and stay off private claims. That seems to be our last understanding here although I would quibble with the wording of the odd numbered sections being called private considering many of the normal private surface rights of land have been conveyed to the BLM. This is not the same private land in other odd number sections if you get my drift. Last year I participated in a Rye Patch thread on another forum. On the third page of that forum thread it got around to land ownership as a result of an inquiry of Clay (Barry). There was some confusion about the requested search and you can read about it here: http://nuggetshooter.ipbhost.com/topic/29744-rye-patch/?page=3 A conclusion that relates to our discussion here about sections 17 and 19 (probably 21 also) are: The odd numbered sections in the Majuba were reconveyed to the US in 1960, including the minerals. They no longer belong to the railroads they are public land. Reconveyed lands are not open to location so no claims can be made there. The odd numbered sections in Township 32N 31E to the west of the Majuba are still private land. So now I have 3 dates of 1934, 1960 and 1961 for possible reconveyance. If this statement is correct then my statement is also correct when I said there is no private land in 32N 32E. Later in the thread Wes says: Pretty sure the mineral rights on section 17-19 in 32 N 32E, and some other odd sections around there, are owned by Newmont mining. Someone had it leased from them awhile back. Thats why they were allowed to do all the mechanized work as seen on the cover of the journal. I'll grant that the odd sections have been confusing for many years, long before I ever heard of Rye Patch or the Majuba Placers. Many, many old timers worked that land with metal detectors and more. I don't know what enforcement actions have taken place but I do know when I first saw 17 in 2011 there were huge holes all over it. Sometime in the last 2-3 years it has been rehabilitated to a large degree. Maybe some of you have pictures of what the old 'burn barrel' area looked like from before 2010. I welcome you to give more clarity to these odd sections. Mitchel

Rockett, I see you are prospecting into the future! haha (2107) I hope there is that much gold for someone then but I think it will all be planted. Mitchel

Have you been looking at any of the Reg Wilson thread? That is a Victoria history lesson in progress. I have the same detectors. Which ones did you use for these nuggets?

Rockett That is great! What part of the world? Mitchel

Barry, Thanks for your clarification. It is humbling to know that my 'common knowledge' and research is inadequate and incomplete in this matter. I'll have to look at more than Land Management and claims when I research open ground. Mitchel

Paul is the only guy I know who gets paid to watch this thread! Oh, wait a minute ... we all should be making something while reading online. Only a few people like Reg and JR (maybe JW and Norvic) find enough gold to take a break to read this.

The deer and the antelope still play in Rye Patch. I've been there many times during the winter months and seen them. BLM is concerned with more than just minerals when they manage the land. I think in this particular area they've cut a deal with the mineral owners (big mining companies) to manage the land with all the other sections for the benefit of the wildlife. If you look outside of this area you will see the checkerboard of private and public lands is still in effect. You will have to look that up on My Land Matters. (Give them a few bucks for taking difficult BLM files and making it easy for us to understand. I do.) A few nuggets on the surface (less than 2 feet) is of little concern to a mining company. Mining companies want deposits, not nuggets.

The map above is the status of the area today. What it means to me is that I can go into any open section or any unclaimed area in that map and prospect and locate gold legally. Just as a miner's claim is protected my right to prospect open land is also protected. I am protected by the mining laws and BLM. If they didn't want me on the land then they could change the land status to restricted but they have not.

Rail Dawg, I was in Rye Patch last week. I did extensive research before I went. I took the time to walk to many of the section markers (corners) on section 17, 19, 9 and a few others. I saw claim markers in some areas and did not go into your section 18. There is a lot of unclaimed ground out there. I might want to file a claim! I for one think that if you pay for a claim you should have the right of enjoyment. (I think you should also display signage which many do.) I try to make sure of the quarter section of any claim so that I am not jumping. My phone GPS now has the sections marked. For some miners/prospectors this is too much trouble. We know they violate decency in addition to mining laws. They don't fill their holes no matter the claim status. Let's get to the maps and the Land Manager status. If you look on My Land Matters and any other mining map that is current I suspect then you will see the Land Manager Map. Please note that there is NO PRIVATE LAND in 32N 32E. All land is BLM or Bureau of Reclamation. You can see the total placer claims and lode claims in the other sections. In many cases the total acres claimed within those sections is less than the total acres in the section. Sections 17 and 19 (in the middle of the area we are talking about) have no claims. Nothing in 32N 32E is private land. I don't know what the Pershing County Sheriff can do when I show him I'm on BLM land in section 17, 19 or others, do you? Mitchel

JR, Thanks for the post. That is an ugly ounce. I don't think I'd be embarrassed by it tho. It is a half-way reasonable post. haha I noticed your 5000. I still have mine but have not used it in a while. Could you repeat what you prefer for settings? Mitchel

If you buy from Gerry's detectors then you can get training from him and Lunk. They sometimes train at Rye Patch and Gerry's is in Idaho. If I were you I would call them up. Make a deal if possible and then go to one of their training classes. I think one is coming up the first week in November. http://gerrysdetectors.com/ If you don't buy one from them and you want to come down to Arizona then buy a Monster from Bill Southern (where I buy most things) and he will give you training and save you the tax and give you a forum member discount to boot! He has an outing in the middle of November. http://nuggetshooter.ipbhost.com/topic/31130-to-all-my-gold-monster-1000-customers/ You would then have two ways to save and train. Mitchel

That happens at the beach Paul!

Where do you live? If you buy local you may have to pay the sales tax but you get training. If you can travel you can buy from a dealer and then drive to their state for training if $ savings makes a difference to you. Training is MORE IMPORTANT than sales tax free. Mitchel

Jeff and Sue had Rye Patch wired this week! I had to 'avoid' them because each time I saw them they had more gold and I didn't! haha They went to patches I couldn't find and once there they found it! Well done. Mitchel

I didn't know who was the sponsor. My point was that lots of people would have headed up to the patches and hunted after that event. There are a lot more people at that hunt than any WSPA event.

This 2017 Rye Patch Nugget Shoot. It says this is the 5th year. I was going to leave a link but it had some fire picture or something so just the name.

Yes, we have a group. WSPA I think in the last couple of years after the big coin hunt there at the dam there must have been even more head out to look for gold. Isn't there about 250 who go to that event? Does anyone here attend that hunt? Mitchel

Ah, I was thinking of it in WA because Paul had asked about that area. I'm sure it would be no problem in Victoria.

Reg, I wonder how often you have to get fuel? It must be miles and miles to find it. Mitchel

What is detecting like there in April, May and June?

I felt like I wasn't using what you taught me Lunk!

When I got back from Rye Patch I had my Koss box. I opened it and they looked like the same headphones! What? In the past I had two new headphones if that is what I sent them. This time I had mine back? Well, I read the note inside and they reconditioned the old ones. One says Minelab and the other just says Koss UR-30s. I'm ok with new pads, cords and speakers. The scuff marks on the outside don't bother me. The new policy must be to repair rather than replace. Mitchel

This is a great thread. History, current conditions and eye candy galore ... I go here first for my entertainment then other things! Thanks for all who contribute.

The guy we met in the mountains had some stories about 80 year olds who are now dying off. They found the Big Nuggets. We heard about a 2 pounder so I guess that would be 24 ounces Troy or so over here. JR has shown many nuggets in that category. To tell you the truth I was expecting more. When at a hammered spot the choice is to move quickly and find the missed nuggets around the bushes and plants or go painfully slow to get small and deep nuggets. I was probably somewhere in between and could have gone slower to find those little things but then I could have missed a bigger, easier one! It only got better after finding 1 nugget because I knew it would be even more painful to come back here with a skunk.