Nugget hunting in Idaho

[kurtallen]

I have been invited nugget hunting in Idaho. I currently use an E-trac, but realize it probably is not the best machine for the job. Can anyone recommend a metal detector that could be a better solution?

 

[GoGoGopher]

The AT GOLD!!! Enough said!

 

[widebody]

[size=large]a person would assume you'd want a nugget hunting machine. garrett make high freq. machines built just for gold hunting and it ain't the AT Gold. the ATG can be used but if you're gunna get serios then get serious machines. the fisher gold bug is famous for nugget hunting. ya really want the 70 kHz machines. the higher the freq. the better for gold. a good PI machine works well also.go on you tube and punch in "finding gold xl. it shows differant machines and what they can do.

HH [/size]

 

[kurtallen]

Thank you, great answer....and thanks to all have have answered me...

 

[salmonriverhotrock]

I don't know where your going to Nugget hunt in Idaho but it has been my experience in my area of Central Idaho on the lower Salmon River, that the Gold will be very small like 1/2 Grain to mostly Micro. Garrett as much as I love them but as far as I know, does not produce a machine in a frequency range more adapted to finding half Grain or smaller Gold like Whites, Gold Bug, and Mine Lab. I have no idea why Garrett has remained so stagnant in the area of building a real committed Gold Nugget machine but they seem to have no desire to go there and remain in the rut of all in one Treasure/Coin/Gold Nugget (large nugget) machines.

The areas around the US most known through the years for producing Gold Nuggets have been hunted and hunted on top of hunted and the nuggets are getting more scarce, smaller, and deeper, unless a new mud slide, flash flood, or man excavates exposing new ground and or bedrock. On top of that, Public lands are getting more and more restricted or off limits to prospecting, electronic or otherwise.

What you can do for a very basic test of your machine is place on the ground and try to detect small (1 each) lead bird shot. Lead about proportional to Gold detects something like Gold. Use a #4 lead bird shot (3.12 grain), a #6 lead bird shot (1.99 grain), a # 8-1/2 lead bird shot (0.97 grain), and maybe even a #11 lead bird shot (0.35 grain) to see if you can detect them or some of them. If it will not detect these, move back up to larger sizes and maybe into Gram weights. In Gold areas, you will also run into Hot (high mineral/iron content) and Cold (low mineral/iron content) rocks which will get you into other problems and that could mask detection of small Gold.

One thing I have found is Gold Detecting with a Gold Machine is a whole other metal detecting experience than lets say Coin hunting. I do hope though you find some and much enjoy Idaho if you don't. Ya never know until you go looking.

 

[bearkat4160]

The Gold bug will drive you nuts of you don't know what your doing...you would better off with the AT Gold...better ground balance, better target ID, better depth, water proof, ground balance window feature for hot hot ground, 18 kHz is high enough to get .05 gram (half a .1 gram) and smaller nuggies......better hot rock ID ...etc........

The first nugget found with the AT Gold was in Idaho by Gerry McMullen testing the unit out before its release.

 

[kurtallen]

Are you saying that you can't hunt for gold on BLM lands in Idaho?

 

[widebody]

[size=large]seems the gov't is doing all it can to keep gold out of private hands.seems also some clubs help them in this effort by not fighting hard enough against obvious rulings. be darn sure of where you hunt. and what paper-work you need to have on your person while prospecting. hope you find a ton of gold.

HH[/size]

 

[salmonriverhotrock]

I know by a BLM web page for Idaho, we are allowed to ROCK HOUND for personal Specimens with the use of hand tools and metal detectors and these activities require no permit, fee, or notice provided a number of things you can read for yourself in the BLM Link below. Now in the world of Miners, I have heard the term "Specimen" used to describe any rock they found containing Gold so it was not a nugget, picker, flake, and so on indicating to me, a distinct difference.

This Rock Hounding in Idaho seems to be considered by BLM, a "casual use activity." Now what I have found in other BLM pages for other States is, we are free to do "Casual Prospecting" on lands open to mineral entry. "Casual" from one BLM page of one State to another always seems to imply the same as the Idaho Rock Hounding. It is very low impact, minor to no disturbance, no machinery. I have no idea why BLM as a whole, can not arrive at one interpretation for all States but I do find it varies in some part, the Idaho most obvious. It is my opinion only, that Rock Hounding and Casual Prospecting are one in the same with BLM. Neither however, exempt any responsibility of researching and knowing about what may restrict or prohibit the activity. For instance, Casual Prospecting on a mine claim other than your own, doing this on a mineral lease other than your own. Casual Prospecting on lands withdrawn from mineral entry of which we now have here along parts of the Salmon River, 1/4 mile out each side that has now made it off limits to me and other locals who enjoyed looking for gold but very little was found. As best I can determine, BLM has authority over Mining on BLM and USFS lands though the USFS gets in on the act but the minerals under the water of the Salmon River for instance are under the control of the Idaho Department of Lands but they allow the Idaho Dept. of Water Resources to issue the Recreation Dredge Permit which is seasonal and only certain streams or rivers are allowed to be Recreation Dredged.

I guess what I'm trying to convey is, the guys who sell metal detectors, gold pans, sluices, and dredges, seldom if ever, clue the buyer in on the other stuff that goes with the Hobby. Even myself back in the 1960' and 1970's, thought Ghost Towns and all the Wild West was up for grabs by anyone who owned a Metal Detector or Gold Pan. It's really not so. I know of a whole Ghost town in Idaho that is privately owned.

Now I will tell you, I have never been bothered by the BLM or USFS ever in the field, at least yet. It has been my understanding, BLM tends to be much more than the US Forest Service, geared towards our lands they administer are the Peoples Lands. The USFS has it in their minds that our USFS lands belong solely to them. I found that out personally when face to face in an office, I inquired about Gold Panning and Metal Detecting. I was not frustrated with the girl at the counter who was honestly trying to find and give me the answers. It was the over educated government idiot on the other end of the phone I would have dragged through it and whipped if I could have. In short, everything was pretty much NO , need a notice of intent, unless I wanted to fill out a 9 page form to get a permit to Prospect/Mine. A gold Pan and a Metal detector and you would have thought by the USFS I was going to take a D-10 Cat and dig a hole. No, I have no love for the Federals but I can sympathise when they find 6 foot deep holes left behind or tree roots have been severely undercut and exposed killing the tree. I even saw where a guy was digging to bed rock exposing the bottoms of metal fence post left hanging in the air by the wires.

Anyhow, below is the BLM page for Idaho. I hope it helps but there is more to the research than this and I still have not found cast in stone answers. Just be careful so you don't end up in a Federal Court like a guy here I sort of know did. A BLM Ranger accused him of picking and and keeping a lead bullet from the Indian Wars. Out Metal detecting a river beach here, he found and pocketed it. He was lucky because the Regional head BLM Archaeologist saw it and had the Judge toss the case. It was no more an Indian War artifact than the man in the moon but it cost the guy more grey hairs as if Vietnam was not enough and the time and money to make the long trip.

http://www.blm.gov/pgdata/etc/medialib/blm/id/publications/rockhounding.Par.41703.File.dat/rockhounding_final.pdf

 

[Salida]

Whites GMT operates at 50kz and is well tested, but if you can find a machine at 70kz, go for it.
Salida