Gold Nuggets Found Metal Nuggetshooting in Arizona
Nuggetshooting Gold Successfully in a Pounded Old Area
A friend and I were recently shown a productive nugget yet trash filed wash by another friend and the reason I was able to successfully detect gold here was that I used a method for this kind of area that has served me well over the years. I first assessed the situation and then made a solid plan based on my observations.
When I first stepped into the wash, had my detector balanced and ready to run I immediately began detecting targets. My goal was to be nuggetshooting not trash finding. As I looked around I noticed a large piece of a rusty old 55 gallon drum upstream. Just seeing that rusty old drum (observation and assessment) convinced me I had to manage my time effectively. Sure, I could dig all of these targets below the rusty drum and one could indeed be gold. But what if there was a better plan? One that would increase my nuggetshooting odds dramatically. There was such a plan.
I turned the detector off and began hiking up the wash. The drum hinted there might be an old mine or dig upstream and 10 minutes of hiking proved this theory correct. The area was very trashy, not ideal for nuggetshooting. So below this small mine would be my second area of concentration.
I decided to hike even farther upstream and the visible evidence of trash disappeared but I was sure it was still there. So the next phase of my nuggetshooting plan was to find the best possible drop zone for gold detecting. Another half hour of hiking showed me this area.
So now, being somewhat educated about the odds in the area and having located a drop zone for detecting I made a grid of the area and turned the detector on ready to hunt. Right off the bat I bean digging trash targets, a boot tack, a nail, wire, shotgun brass and then I heard it. Low and sweet, it was either copper or gold. That I was sure of. And so it was. This success was based on experience, observation, assessment and a little luck. My friend who showed us the area is no gold slouch, he’s quite good with a metal detector but the old adage rings true. No one gets it all. Hope this helps you at some point in the future.
The post Nuggetshooting Gold Successfully in a Pounded Old Area appeared first on Gold Prospecting and Mining.