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We had a 3 party hunt scheduled Condor, LuckyLarry and myself. I set sail East Bound and down on I-80 to Rye Patch from Reno. I texted the Boyz and received a text back from Condor that his Truck was sick and couldn’t make this trip! Well just meant more Rib Eyes on my dinner plate! LuckyLarry, was on his way from Elko to Rye Patch and the timing was perfect he followed me in to our camp site! Temperature Gauge was a solid 97 at the 3 O’Clock hour. Larry, hunted out here in the Hey Days of Rye Patch. He was just learning Gold Detecting back then and scored many nice nuggets! But, ended up being a Top Notch Relic Hunter. That’s how we met. We met on the Internet with me needing some old Relic’s ID. He was my go to guy to tell me the history of anything I’d dig up in the Goldfields of California. Of course, I avoided these extra trashy old camp sites and would pass the location to Larry for his Relic hunts when he traveled to California. We set up camp and hopped into my RZR Buggy into the heat to swing our 6000’s on my old patches. Finding left over nuggets that our older models missed, but the heat! Had to hit a 100 before some clouds moved in to cool things down! Them clouds had rain and in front of them was the wind. Headed back to Camp to beat the rain, as I left my Trucks Windows half open which was the way the wind and rain was blowing in. Made it back to camp wet Windows up with a gust of wind that had to be over 50 mph. Well early to bed with showers on and off and the next morning with more rain to heavy to detect in which gave us time to eat some cookies and for me to remember where some more old patches where at to swing on. Gone for 4-Days with 2 1/2 days of good detecting! We ended up with 20 Dinks each! Two Lucky 🍀 guys with plenty of smiles for our efforts fighting Mother Natures last blasts of Summer! I figure I’m now about 80% done with having the 6000 over our old patches in Rye Patch. I’m sure we left gold in the patches we hunted for further visits…never can get them all and every day is a different day! Until the next Hunt! LuckyLundy

It's been drizzling all day, now turned to heavy rain and thunder. If you're planning a trip out here plan accordingly.

The weather may have turned for the better in Northern Nevada. It was time to get out and check how my GPZ 7000, would handle the moisture/salt from the Winter Storms. I pulled into the Burn Barrel to camp, but it was like pulling into a KOA. I unloaded my trusty RZR and hit the trail to find a nugget. I ran into several folks out trying their luck, all had smiles on their faces and enjoying our outdoor hobby. I was told that Gerry was having his training at the Burn Barrel which explained the crowd of RV’s. I did get time for a short visit with Gerry and Lunk, before heading out. The soil, is a little noisy with High Yield/Normal. Using Difficult settled it down perfectly, but not my preferred setting for dink nuggets. Anyways, I hunted in Normal and ground balanced often to give my ears a rest from the noisy ground. I didn’t find any dink nuggets which are the Bread & Butter to any poke, but did find a couple of Steak & Lobster nuggets before loading up and heading home from the short Dirt Recon Trip. There’s gold out there, you just need to get your coil over it, I need some Bread & Butter Nuggets to complete my meal. Talking about meals, my Dog Marley refused to eat his normal dog grub on this trip, and only wanted what I brought “Fried Chicken”. Until the next Hunt! LuckyLundy

I am not affiliated with this company nor am I an investor. I do like a map they have put together. It shows gold 'finds' all over norther Nevada with the center in Winnemucca. They want investors and I liked reading some of the discovery info. What do you think? I took a 'day trip' one Sunday north of Winnemucca leaving from Rye Patch. It is a long distance up there. Getting back I drove on the longest dirt road I've ever been on. I know they are much longer in Australia but this road was a 'short cut' with 80 miles of nothing. I should not have done it alone. It wasn't in the summer but I still wouldn't do it again. https://investingnews.com/company-profiles/bald-eagle-gold-tsxv-big/

Years ago I had a wise customer who was always trying to make things better. He spent much of his free time chasing gold nuggets at Rye Patch, NV in the 90's and early 2000's (when pickings were good). He always wanted to cover ground and chase the big ones. One time he calls me to order some Coiltek coil wiring (extension) as he has long dreams. I seen him out there with his new long shaft and boy was it longer than I had expected. Has anyone seen anything similar or just as crazy? On a side note, this beautiful Horse Nugget of 6 ounces was found in the road at Rye Patch proper. Seems most of us had walked over it for years thinking a beer can in the middle of the road when in fact it was the biggest piece of gold I have seen come from Rye Patch. I know one of my Staff found a 5+ oz'er one time and Chuck/Gracie from TX showed me a 5 oz'er, but this one has character. If anyone knows of bigger gold nuggets from actual Rye Patch proper or of a longer shaft on their Minelab, I'd love to see. Enjoy everyone and stay out of my swing path, all 30 feet of it.

Today was short and good. While reading about the geology of rattlesnake mountain and getting sidetracked on the census report for the population of Virginia City and 1860 versus 1870, I came across the fact that there was like 11 Chinese people in 1860 recorded, and 711 or something in 1870. How long ago that was, and how bustling those streets must have been as it was as great as paris? Well today, not too far from Virginia City three new kids, half Chinese, could be added to that number. We were really only supposed to go out to deliver some Uber eats. However, sometimes it's really hard to focus when you have the GPC 7000 and Fisher 75 in the car for easy access. Telling adventures of the mountain climb yesterday with their brave mother, we tried to go through the glorious spectacular Christmas lights decorated neighborhood, combing for that place we just visited. We found the park, which was much closer to the mountains then we parked yesterday, however the official park for some strange reason closed at 5:00. Anybody that knows the real power of the GPZ knows that it's very hard to turn off before 5:00. Rather than be trapped on the inside, we elected to park near the street within hiking distance. The full hearty at simple plan, was to run as fast as we could to the closest Mount ravine and just grab nuggets by the fistful. The children were good grabbing things they practiced on their great American Halloween for 2 years now. They had shovels and by other kids might be grabbing a pickaxe on minecraft, they had the real deal. They might have a lollipop in their mouth but their eye said they were hungry for gold. We quickly gathered the gear from the car grab the dog and sprinted across the meadow much like that famous guy Chevy Chase from National Lampoon's doing his wallet world Sprint. Unfortunately we had to slow down, my wife was sore from yesterday it was somewhat lagging behind, and my youngest son Apollo forgot to put his belt on and his pants were falling down almost, while he was wearing his brother's hiking shoes which were two and a half sizes too big. I had intended to take him out to buy some new shoes, however he will for Lee volunteered the shoe money to help us get that shiny GPz.... So, with the sun going down, the wife and dog crawling, and the pants that could barely stay up, I had no choice. We quickly raised the detector in the air right there on the spot and did the noise cancellation and Ferris Middle ground balancing magical gold dance. After reading last night post after post after post in this forum, I finally came across the post that Steve wrote about the firmware upgrade containing the couple new functions which I completely did not operate correctly the first day. The one function in particular, allows you to cover more ground quickly... I guess that's the something your other something your other option. Thank God they use little graphical icons cuz I can't think of the exact name off the top of my head. So slowly walking through this field, remembering that the Basque people who live there once before and I guess in 1950 or something or sometime after there was a great flood that flooded the whole valley which is somewhat perplexing to me because it seems to be a desert so I have a hard time imagining a flood there Well I let my kids know that even though we couldn't make it to the ravine,there was a probability we collect nuggets, all the way back to the car before the sun went down. So in that rushed hour and a half, we hit and Dug three targets. And I didn't even I have to explain to the kids that each Target could be the largest nugget in Nevada history. I can tell they already knew. Well of course, it was rather fine display of used ammunition... The kids had a great time learning the siren calls of the GPZ 7000, how to do the silencing and ground balancing dance.. and that there's way more suspense digging in the ground than waiting at home to watch a new Netflix series. I can't wait to get out again, there's so many places that we're learning about. The recent episode of Jeff Williams taught us about the Oriental and thule canyon and gold point.... And after their first day out... They won't think of reading this form and the other gold prospecting forms as tough homework assignments, but rather a road to get their own goals. Because they all know they get to keep whatever gold they find. 2020 was pretty bad, 2021 is probably going to be a little bit worse, but I think the GPz s going to make it a lot better.. The fisher f75 will play its part, and hopefully we'll be able to pick up a used gold monster 1000... Eating the elephant bite by bite https://photos.app.goo.gl/SMvFJM5PDib7Vc7o6

I’ve heard of folks hunting the Rye Patch area of Nevada. How do they gain access? Do they have their own claim? Are there Open to the Public areas? What about Local Prospecting Clubs? Thanks! Walt

As a few of you may know October in the High Desert is the time to be there! This October, I hardly seen another prospector! Seen, more folks scouting for hunting season than anything. I gave a few Chuckar & Antelope Hunters a pointy finger. But, the Goldfields pretty much empty and to myself. Well, with the Sun setting earlier and 7 pm, just a little early to rack out. I bought a big Black Light Flashlight, to hunt some glow in the dark rocks for our new rock garden area of our backyard. It was fun, riding the RZR around the desert at night shining that light off to the side. Seen all kids of stuff that reflects at night. Some I didn’t bother picking up as you can see. I need to find some other glow in the dark minerals other than Orange, lol. But, my 2 days was spent collecting a few nuggets also. There’s gold out there, just need to get your coil over them...Until the next Hunt! Rick

It’s been a busy Summer for Robin and I. We wanted to Escape, Flee the once Great State of California. We hardly recognized it any longer...well in order to do that we needed to spruce up our home to put up for sale, same time find a home in the greater Reno area. Since Reno, was only a little over 100 miles from us in California, we rented one then two storage units and I made runs to storage units using my pickup truck. We only needed to rent a U-Haul for the big stuff when we closed on the home in Reno. We closed on the home in California for perfect timing, thought I was going to have to dip in my Beer money and make two mortgage payments, lol. Anyways, I know I personally move Home Depot, Lowe’s & RC Willey stock to higher ground...plus, we just had 28 yards of concrete work done! I needed a get away and find me a nugget on some proven grounds. Doc from Doc’s Detecting Supply from Henderson, NV sent me a Moving out of California Gift Pack and Welcome to Nevada Detector Bling gift. A New Swing Assist Guide Arm and his new Gold Spot Scoop. I must say, I like the new Swing Arm and his scoop has ridges on the bottom like a Gold Pan...which I will say one of the nuggets I dug up, I seen it stuck on the back riffles like you’d see gold in you pan, which raised and eyebrow! Anyways, I had Rye Patch to myself. Not a soul was out there, so I made some big dust trails in my RZR and headed to a patch to get my Nugget Fix on. Ground was dry and in some places very dry...so Adjusting your Sensitivity was a must to hear these squeaky signals. Always a very slow swing when going over proven ground...when the ducks are all gone, only the smartest nuggets are left. You have to out smart them warily guys to coax them into your poke. Rye Patch, is like your hungry but, cant find anything in the Frig. I learned a longtime ago, if your hungry there’s something in that Frig to put a smile on your face! Sure, you need to learn a few secrets of Rye Patch and of your machine...or my favorite Whiskey 🥃 and Steaks 🥩.

In an effort to convince my wife to move to Nevada, I would like to know more about gemstones and non-metallic fossicking/collecting in the Silver State. If I can show her that the state will be a great place for other rock collecting, it will add greatly to my "gold, gold, no state income tax, gold" argument for a move. We are looking in the Hawthorne/Fernley/Fallon area. I know about the opal mines up by Virgin Valley, and garnets found in the Ruby mountains. And of course the different gold and silver districts, which sadly, she doesn't care about. She is most into roaming the desert and surface hunting while I swing a detector nearby. My attempts at putting a detector in her hands have not been successful, even when finding gold nuggets. Maybe she is broken. Anyways I'm mostly interested in personal experience, pictures, and anecdotes of gemstones and other non-metallic surface finds in the state. Please don't post your spots, keep those secrets to yourself!

“The Great Basin has some of the most unusual natural history that's buried beneath its soil. Scientists say there was period either thousands to millions of years ago when woolly mammoths, giant sloths, and prehistoric bison would roam the area that we know today as Nevada. Recently, some of those animals from around and before the Ice Age have resurfaced. Tom Gordon lives in Carson City with his wife. He has plenty of space around his property and enjoys a good sweat from a home improvement project. He bought a couple of trees to plantand began digging holes around his fence. While digging these trenches, he hit some rocks but he also hit something that he'd never see before. "I had to take a step back and realize what I'm hitting is some bones from animal," says Gordon. "At first I thought it may have been some chicken bones or a deer but once I dug it out of the ground, I found a full jaw with teeth. My jaw even dropped."” Rest of the story with photos here

Nevada has always been one of my most enjoyable treasure states to visit. Part of why I wanted to make this post (and why I'd like to see others give their input) , is to help guide some of the newer gold prospectors that has joined on with the rise in Au prices around $2000 an ounce. A little history about Nevada and I. I first started detecting Nevada for natural gold in the mid 90's with a local guy from Boise who goes by the name of Largo. He's had some health issues the last few years and not been to RP but promised I'd try to get him down there one more time this Fall. Some of the Gold Experts at the time, I was able to cross paths with and learn a bit or two (if they slipped the tongue- were usually pretty quiet) are names like Smokey Baird, Dog Water, T-Bone, Duffey, Jim Malone, Jim Straight, Gordon Zahara, 7 Up Jerry, Chuck Graff, Digger Bob, Jim Williams and of course Ed Spears...and probably a half dozen other names I can't think of at this moment. If any of you old timers on DP know where some of these folks are, I'd sure like an update. Yes I realize a good part of them have pasted to more golden patches, but I think some are still around and talking the stories of old. These were the guys you needed to watch, listen and listen even more. You paid attention to what they drove and where they traveled. You'd better be at the T & A (for many yrs I thought it was tits & ass) truck stop in Imlay, early in morning to sit a booth down and listen to their stories of the recent hunts and or finds. Eventually after quite some time of seeing the same dusty faces, they might give you time of day. Some of the others never hung there much (guess the T & A wasn't that good), but you might spot the dust cloud of their rig heading to a new patch. Many a times, I would run into 1 or 2 of them out Sawtooth or Jungo way, and they would occasionally toss a bone of knowledge my way. After all I was still pretty new to Nevada and learning the gold detector ropes. Heck in fact, I was still on the VLF band wagon and since I was finding gold every day, thought I was hot shit. Little did I know at the time, those high dollar Minelab PI's were the real deal. My 1st Minelab Gold was with a borrowed SD-2100 (the green one) and it took me about 3 days straight of hunting before I flipped my 1st gold. It was at that depth and time I realized their true power. I've been tethered to one almost ever since. Yes I go back to the VLF's on occasion (actually more than most would think), but I have earned many yrs of detector knowledge and skills, so knowing when to grab the VLF speedster is a must. Still plenty of gold to be found in Northern Nevada, but you need to do your homework. After all, it's not easy to find and that's why some of us on DP who post/comment, we know how hard it is and rewarding at the same time. So here's some help to the newer generation of gold hunters who wants to work hard, walk plenty and do research. I don't have it in stock right now, so it's not about me making a sale... Get this book. Placer Deposits of Nevada by Maureen Johnson. Study the recorded gold recoveries and realize some of the smaller sites will not get the attention they deserve. Lack or water in NV was one of the reasons those sites were so short lived. Google Earth - Using the computer on Google Earth and look for old mining areas, ore dumps and even recent years scrapes. These tip offs will almost always provided a few missed pieces of gold. What I like about G.E. is the ability to see on the other sides of mountains, hills and or areas that I could never get my truck. Elevation - Most of the placer nuggets seem to be in the same elevation zone within a few hundred feet anyway. If you are a follower on DP, then you recently seen this info was spoken and posted. Do your do diligence and read. Indicators - Learn the terminology of Desert Asphalt, Dry Wash Piles, Pushes, Scraps, Iron Cubes and some other terms others might add to this post. Detector Knowledge - Know your detector and then some. Au is around $2000 an ounce. If you have not found gold with it or are going home skunked more than you go home with gold, it might be of wisdom to take some genuine in the field training. Yes it will cost you money, but your learning curve and chances of golden dreams of Success are drastically improved. Location - Go and hunt were gold has been found before. DO NOT try to be the 1st at finding gold in a region, mountain drainage that has never produced and or doesn't show any signs. Just because you were hiking a mountain ridge while chasing Chucker and seen a quarts blowout. Once you have become proficient at finding gold and building up your patience, then you might do an occasional "prospecting" trip. Best advice is stay in the areas that has already produced. Todays never detectors and their technologies still finds a few the old machines missed. Patience - If you can't handle detecting for hours with no gold, please stick to coin/relic hunting as their rewards are much easier and faster. As I mentioned earlier in the post, those of us who have passed the patience test are the same ones who get that tickle in the tummy, giggle of the grin and joy of doing what so many can't, finding a piece of gold with the detector. Prepared - Know your body and its limitations. No metal boots is a MUST if you swing a powerful PI, ZED or bigger coil on a VLF. Rare Earth Super Magnet on the end of a good quality pick. Super Bungee, Harness, Swing Arm, Hip Stick are all designed to allow for more comfort that allows for longer/easier time in the field swinging a detector. Non Metal Plastic Nugget Cup or Trowel to help speed up the recovery of targets. Common Courtesy - Pack out your trash and even some of those who don't. Never toss a dug up piece of trash back on the ground, please put it in your pouch. Fill your holes as the ranches cows and those of us who hunts nights hate stepping in a hole. Respect Private Property and or Claims. Wildlife - Northern Nevada has an abundance of wild horses and some burros, deer elk, mountain lions, bears, big horn sheep and plenty of moo cows. A variety of reptiles, some poisonous and most not, even a few tortoise, tarantulas. As I get older more mature and wise, I learn to appreciate each of the species I might be fortunate to cross paths with and now let them all live. Yes on occasion a rattlesnake in camp might need to be exterminated, but for the most part, this is their land and they are not trying to hurt us. Now for some pics (I do hope others who have had success will take the time to share their pics) of Nevada gold. HooverRover.bmp

Does anyone have a Rye Patch report? I haven't heard anything about gold from there in some time.

There are two sites where gold will soon be produced near Elko, Nevada. I think everything is on go with the possible exception of The Green New Deal! https://www.reviewjournal.com/business/2-new-major-finds-may-extend-nevadas-gold-boom-for-years-1972010/