Metal Detecting Hydraulic Mine Gravels

[Lenmcgold]

Anyone have experience searching hydraulic mine gravel/tailings. There are many areas in the Mother Lode, however access is another issue. Any information would be great. Of course locations and if accessible are the main questions. Still trying to find that first gold nugget! Anybody willing to share some secrets?? ha!
Regards, Len

Garrett AT Pro 5x8 and 8 1/2x11 DD Coils
Garrett Pinpointer
Garrett Cache Hunter BFO circa 1973 with Combo Coil 5 inch and 11 inch in 1 coil.

 

[Hoser John]

The Motherlode is a huge area stretching from below Coarsegold all the way to almost Lassen. What area are you interested in or in the neighborhood of. Access is now the root of the problem but still plenty open to those who do their research with diligence. John

 

[Lenmcgold]

Thanks John,
Since I am in Reno, Nevada City/Grass Valley area.
Len

 

[Reno Chris]

Plenty of reference books for those willing to do research, for those wanting to just have someone point a finger and put them over gold, you need some very good friends who are willing to help you. Gold is tough to find, and not many will give away explicit directions to where they have been successful.
Many of these pits have been worked hard since the first VLF detectors, so are well picked over - especially the big, well known ones that are marked on all the maps. They tend to have gold in small patches, and barren in between. So you may not find gold for quite a while, then get over a little patch and take out 25 nuggets.
However if you do your research, find some of the smaller, lesser known workings, and get out and really explore, there is still some nice gold to be found, as Steve (forum moderator) can attest.

 

[Hoser John]

Feather River area was my favorite when living in Reno,Gray Eagle ,Home Garden ,La Porte. Many areas close. John

 

[D-Tex]

Anyone that is close enough to areas that have had major forest fires should try to give those areas

as much time as they can with just about any detector. Reason; ground that is for the most part

completely undetected due to the heavy ground cover it had before the fires. this would be a good

time to hit the outer fringes of any mining districts that had fires around them.. there will be areas

that even the old timers were unable to prospect as they would have liked due to many trees and to

heavy of ground cover. Also any rains in those areas are bound to cause mud slides that will uncover

hidden bedrock exposures and other features of interest that have not seen the light of day for unknown

years. Do some quick research to locate those districts or old mines and get in there while the getting

is good and there should be many areas in any of the states that had fires not only this year but in the

last several years. If your close enough to hunt them, watch the weather news for those areas that

get hit with heavy winter rains, you won't want to wait till spring so get your gear ready now.