Digging For Gold With No Pick. We've All Done It, Right?

[Gerry in Idaho]

Jim -  Not losing the elevation on the side of a hill as we get older, is sometimes more of a challenge than the actual hunt.  I agree, it's a mind over matter. Glad you were able to recover the pick.  Thanks for contributing.

Matt - Good point on a cost savings (Harbor Freight), but on last weeks hunt, I don't think there was one within 150 miles.  Maybe if Elko, NV had one?  Since I have seen so many lower quality picks break, I'll just add another APEX to the back of the truck.  Good to see you on here and thanks for contributing.

Joe - Glad I'm not the only who has done such.  You being a beach hunter, I totally know the feeling of losing a scoop.  I was with a staff member in Cancun a few yrs back and he got into some rocks, so the $300 scoop was no use.  He did not want to lay it on the beach and have someone walk away with it.  He laid it down in the rocks under the water.  Well an hour later he comes over to me and says I need to help him find his scoop.  Now you'd expect a couple guys with $2500 detectors that can find a gold ring 12" deep could find a big metal beach scoop?  After about 30 minutes of us criss-crossing I finally get a whopper of a signal and sure enough it was his scoop.  Thanks for sharing your same 50+ issues.

Valens - You do bring up a point I have seen many timing while training groups of people.  Sometimes the younger ones just feel it's easier to buy another than to try and find the original.  I've learned, those few folks are normally not going to be good at metal detecting, as patients/persistence is half the battle. Thanks for your input.

Skookum - Great points to paint the handles.  I actually have a Staff Member who paints all his wood handle picks bright PINK for a couple reasons.  1st is we are doing quite a few trips with many customers when training and most of us all use APEX picks.  Not once has a guy grabbed my staff members pink pick thinking it was theirs.  Also, the pink pick is easier to spot at distance.  BOOTS - I've done that before and now I keep a 2nd pair of detecting boots in my truck at all times.  Only benefit of flip flops is there's no metal in them...now that is funny just trying to imagine you out there.  Thanks for sharing.

DDancer - You bring up a good point about the GPS on the 7000 and plotting your digs.  When I was in MX earlier this yr I had one of my staff show me to use the GPS on the 7 and it was much easier than I had expected.  It also made things much easier and safer when returning back to the rig after a days hike.  I highly recommend those who have GPZ to learn the GPS for such occasions.  Glad you were also able to find then night-light a month later.  Did it still work?  Thanks for adding input.

Joe D - Or anyone else who may know.  Has the cost of those small GPS Tracking things become relatively inexpensive yet?  Yes I keep a 2nd pair of non metal boots in my truck.

 

[Swegin]

One of the many things that are stuck in my head from my basic training days is to always look back after so many steps because the view going back is always different.  Congrats on the gold.

 

[klunker]

Well Gerry, I would have replied sooner but I misplaced my keyboard.

 Years ago when I was falling timber I would carry a stout single bit axe for driving wedges. I was forever leaving it behind and loosing it. One day my falling partner said "did you loose your axe again?" I told him "yup. I have a hard axe to follow."

[Joe D.]

Gerry,

The GPS locators are getting cheaper, but there are different types! Don't know alot about them, but here's a 4 pack of one example i found on Amazon!??

[1515Art]

That’s a pick worth going back for and nice gold well worth the sacrifice of a plastic scoop if it even shows sign of the battle. Wonder I still have mine, farthest I’ve gone back for my Apex was lovelock to the blue wing mountains when I got a ride back to my suv in a friends quad and I left it in the back. Panic next morning loading gear heading out to Rye Patch apron discovering I had no pick, lucky he was still there. 
 

 

[flakmagnet]

…one of the reasons I put all sorts of tape with garish, loud colors on mine. It's really helped when I walk away from it.

[oneguy]

Yeah....I've left my pick half way down the mtn next to a dig and had to abort the location once I got there that I'd intended to hunt that day. I surely wasn't gonna hike up the mtn twice so found my pick and went to a plan B....

Been nugget shooting 3 seasons now and have found 1 scoop and 2 Estwing rock hammers so far..... and lost one el cheapo pick my first season....

Nice gold you got there....!!!!!

[oneguy]

9 hours ago, klunker said:

Well Gerry, I would have replied sooner but I misplaced my keyboard.

 Years ago when I was falling timber I would carry a stout single bit axe for driving wedges. I was forever leaving it behind and loosing it. One day my falling partner said "did you loose your axe again?" I told him "yup. I have a hard axe to follow."

LMAO....  yeah, I've lost a few falling axes when I was falling. Tried florescent paint and that's good for about 2 days...lol

[Gerry in Idaho]

Swegin - Your simple way of a quick look back could be, should be and as of now, will be mentioned during my Field Training and for more reasons than just a pick.  Thanks for sharing.

Klunker - It's funny you mentioned the small axe and wedges.  I don't find many of them in NV, but have so in Eastern Oregon and now realize it is the loggers who probably lost them, not the prospectors.  Interesting bit and thanks for contributing.  Oh, and I think you found your keyboard...

1515Art - Yes I too have left things in other people's rigs.  it is almost to the point I'd rather take folks in my own truck so I don't forget my stuff.  I find scoops, headphones, pouches, jackets, a big sterling belt buckle that I sent back to the guy and even a nugget container in the truck one time.  I keep my training customers emails, so when I get home and clean the truck, I usually have something extra and can get it back to them.  Yes APEX is a great pick and luckily they are made here in Idaho, so I get them easily.  Thanks for contributing.

Flakmagnet - You bring up another good point about spicing up your gear.  Since my headphones get passed around during the training, I have come up with yellow tape on both sides, so I can easily see who has them on.  Thanks for contributing.

Oneguy - We learn as we go, but as we age we sometimes forget the simple things.  My wife is notorious for driving away from the house and then I see her drive around the block and by again.  So I call her cell, to only find out, she wanted to make sure she closed the garage door.  This is almost a weekly thing with her.  At least she thinks of it before she gets too far down the road.  Then she calls me to check the garage.  Funny how we are.  Thanks for sharing.