Knowing When To Move On

[Steve Herschbach]

On 10/13/2021 at 7:24 AM, GoldPanDan said:

When do you consider a patch played out?

When there is not a single beep left. If I spend a solid day on a location, and can’t find a single target, including trash, I’d call it done. As long as a bit of trash remains, I figure there is still gold. I’ve never had a location go completely target free yet though, so at this point there’s not one of them I’d not give another go. New detectors have a lot to do with that. As soon as I have a new machine, all the old places just got a new lease on life. 

[rvpopeye]

Being as I was once a professional pirate . I likes me treasarrrrrrrrrr !

Whatever form it takes .  Old pennies or gold or even just the view , Tis still treasarrrrrrr .

I try to hunt in places I also like to be.

So , I'll always want to go back. 

Now , if research leads me some place else,,

I might find a new place I like to be. !

Lots of good responses so farrrrrrrr , Outta likes so like like like like like ...especially any post mentioning hunting virgins.??

[IronDigger]

I have a dozen or so patches that have played out, but its played out with my ML 4500 with various size coils I hit them with dozens of times. Do I feel like they are played out? HECK NO !! I am sure that with new tech..like a 2300 sdc or zed for that matter with the newer 6000 I would squeeze out a few more. I m fortunate to live in the middle of Gold country here in the Sierra foothills, Iam fortunate to  have access to large acreage ranches and live  minutes of these diggins. Do I go back and hunt these patches still, YES...at times I find another piece here and there. Would I go to these spots if I lived hoours away, probably not unless I had the new machines to detect these patches. No patch is hunted out...they are just more deeper and out of reach with the machine I have at the moment. Most of the comments above mine are true and new patches are hard to find but they are there if you take the time to find them. The gold is NOT played out, I would encourage newbies to keep on hunting. In fact a new large nugget find up in Norhern Cali recently, a solid 15.25  ouncer!!! Keep swinging and diggin...the next target could very well be a nice nugget. 

[Gerry in Idaho]

Nice question Dan and the others have given great input.

My experience (on average) is a Patch is never totally hunted out.  There are so many variables and even ones you and I have no control over.

New detector technology - Usually will get you a few more nuggets (as the GPX-6000 is doing right now).

Same detector with a different timing (GPX-5000 and or even GPZ-7000) can wake up a few signals to dig.

Same detector different size coil will add a few nuggets to your pouch.

Same detector, different timing, different size coil (GPX-5000 & GPZ-7000)

Same detector, different direction of Sweep.  It amazes me that on occasion I can get a better signal response to a nugget and as I circle and swing at same time, the other direction does not produce the same response? Example, flat nugget on edge in a crack.

Same detector different time of the year, which will have less or more moisture in the ground (VLF's have this issue and even the PI's and ZED on occasion).

Same detector a year later could produce a couple nuggets.  Our soils in the NW states freeze and that many times each year and that causes targets to move up and or down.

Same detector, same area but you move some overburden.  Many places in NV, they scrape with heavy equipment and then they swing again and could find more gold.

Same detector but hunt at night.  It's been proven with quite a few detectors, the ground temperature is not as hot and so some sites, you get better depth and a smoother operating detector.

Your skill level, coil control, ear will get better and that MOST CERTAINLY can produce more gold on the patch.

I could keep going on, but these are a few.

FOR ME.  I have yet to totally write off any patch that I have found gold.  But there are times I might hunt a site and when my mind says it's time to go somewhere else, I listen and do it.

When around your patch, definitely hunt the fringes. You can always go back to the old worked out patch if they don't produce.

I've been detecting patches at Rye Patch for over 25 years and I'm still finding a few nuggets.

See you at the patch.

[Detectorist Dan]

Meant to reply much sooner than this but I found myself caught up with work and sick kiddos. But I wanted to say there has been some great points made. I would have to agree that a patch will most likely never actually run out of gold. Just keep digging deeper! lol   

Steve makes a good point that if you are still finding garbage, then there's a good chance there is still a piece or three left. 

Gerry, I guess I will have to buy the new GPZ from you when it comes out and go back to the old patches. ?  The idea of frost pushing nuggets up is interesting. In the same way it can heave post or foundations. 

 

[Jeff McClendon]

The detector definitely matters as in "new" technology. Mother Nature is also a huge factor. I have detected patches where I think I have dug every target and come back to it a year later and targets have been replenished.... Normal erosion, sudden fast water flow in a normally dry wash, wind and humans/animals walking around and digging holes can definitely rejuvenate a patch. 

[Ryan]

We leave patches like a teenager running away from home..with abundance of confidence. Soon you come crawling back to the comforts of home. Doesn't take long after striking out searching for new ground. It takes so long to find these spots ..and once you know the ground has produced it's very tempting to return with new perspective. It's a balance for us that allows re energizing for both the prospects of new ground and the inspection of already inspected/detected ground. Kinda like drywashing for some gold after multiple strike outs on the detectors. There's a balance that keeps you energized.

[geof_junk]

43 minutes ago, Ryan said:

We leave patches like a teenager running away from home..with abundance of confidence. Soon you come crawling back to the comforts of home. Doesn't take long after striking out searching for new ground. It takes so long to find these spots ..and once you know the ground has produced it's very tempting to return with new perspective. It's a balance for us that allows re energizing for both the prospects of new ground and the inspection of already inspected/detected ground. Kinda like drywashing for some gold after multiple strike outs on the detectors. There's a balance that keeps you energized.

How true.

[Norvic]

I think I`ve posted this before but tis time again for this thread the Irish have a saying "never leave a shaft til you`ve dug another foot", for us "never leave a patch til you`ve dug another nugget".....  yeah yeah I know I`ve got Irish in the blood.