Welcome To The World Of Gold Prospecting!
Welcome To The World Of Gold Prospecting! I've been an outdoorsman for most of my life. Hunting and fishing are still things that I enjoy, but once my sons were raised and out on their own, coupled with the expense of it, I've found that my interest has tapered off.
My Dad prospected as a hobby, and I loved going with him.... Whenever he let me. He was kind of a loner, and mostly went by himself. He mostly made his own equipment, and looking back on it, I'm not sure he did things right, but he sure did enjoy it. He always had a rock hammer, shovel, and a gold pan in the car or pickup when we traveled, and we'd make frequent stops alongside streams or interesting rock formations so he could dig around. He didn't ever really find anything, but that wasn't really point, either. He loved being outdoors and hiking the mountains kept him healthy and happy.
I suppose I got the bug from Dad, but I really didn't take the hobby up until ten years ago. One of the greatest things about it is that all you really need is a gold pan, a shovel and some water. I enjoy panning alongside a stream of water, but I've also filled 5 gallon buckets with "material" (dirt that could contain gold) and I take it home and pan inside my garage using a horse water trough that I've filled with water. I usually fill the buckets in the summer and pan them in the winter because I don't have many winter hobbies. ***Don't forget to mark your buckets with the information on where you dug up the material, otherwise you might find good gold in one, and forget where it was that you got it from!***
I encourage everyone to take up this hobby. It's fun for entire family.
Dennis
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Hopefully if you found a big nugget you remember where you got the bucket of Material from. LOL I remember many a spring break with my uncle and him saying "Gold runs a straight as it can so if I where Gold and come around that curve and down to here i would hang out just behind that rock LOL
It is a great way to spend time out to. Time kinda almost ....just takes care of itself.... no hurries.
Jim
Thanks for the reminder, Jim! I edited my post to include that critical step! I had totally forgotten to say that! I use a GPS to mark and name each spot, and mark the bucket with that name so I can return to it if it's promising.
You can be the banker, Paul. If you can count up to 10 cents, you can work for me, because I haven't found enough gold to brag about! I mostly just keep it in vials cause it's nice to look at. Maybe someday, I mostly just like it as a hobby.
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Everyone in Oregon prospects and it is fun. Great idea for family outings. Nothing better than communing with family and nature! Thanks for sharing! Bunny
I lived in Union, Oregon and prospected near Baker City. I think I remember that the biggest gold nugget in America was found there.