dutch john Posted August 28, 2007 Report Share Posted August 28, 2007 Just wondering. It now has been several years since I was with Montana and Sandtrap spending a day at Placerites in northern Nevada... Montana was ignoring the Mormon cricket horde and also the sticker-weeds as he was concentrating on finding gold. Singlemindedly he was swinging his search coil... and finding small goldnuggets. Very Impressive.My question: Are the Mormon Crickets causing a problem this year? Just wondering.Back a few years ago they shut down the freeway near Winnemucca for several hoursas the dead crickets were making a section of the highway slippery... like ice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
winnemucca Posted August 28, 2007 Report Share Posted August 28, 2007 Dutch,We had a late long freeze this spring and that did a number on them!!! I was out yesterday and did see 4 or 5 of them..but not the HORDES that we had become acustom to....Tim Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest sandtrap Posted August 28, 2007 Report Share Posted August 28, 2007 Dutch, my urge to travel is upon me. so let me know if you want to go ? Have Zuki will travel. Sent you a PM Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reno Chris Posted August 29, 2007 Report Share Posted August 29, 2007 I have not heard or seen much of them this year myself.Chris Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dutch john Posted August 29, 2007 Author Report Share Posted August 29, 2007 Tim and Chris.... Thank you for responding. Back when we lived in the Lovelock area in the late 1950's, they were rare due to the usual early spring coldsnap.There was always a few crickets to be found, but never such a horde of them.Sandtrap... Do not travel over gold looking for gold.... it is still to be found down the highway leading southerly from your "home 20." I guess you were up last night and got a great view of the eclipes. The sky is too light for viewing in most urbanareas but I'm sure you were litterly in the "dark." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1dredger Posted August 29, 2007 Report Share Posted August 29, 2007 I work for a chemical distrubutor that has a branch in Reno that serves N. Nevada. Last year we sold 20,000lbs of bait by this time. This year just 3,000 they are out there but that show a huge decline. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dutch john Posted August 29, 2007 Author Report Share Posted August 29, 2007 1dredger... it seems that over the last 6 or 7 seasons, the Spring weather has not experienced a cold snap and the eggs hatch. The hordes can have a densityof hundeds/sq-yd. And cover an area about a mile wide and several miles long.Quite an experience for anyone caught unawares. One year, maybe about 1990,Jack Leuf and I were high up Majuba mountain... the switchbacks. We suddenly found ourselves in a horde. Then a padlocked chain across the road. Jack wasable to turn my 1979 shortwheel base 4-wheel drive 150 around. Barely enoughroom. We could have backed down but it would have been slow. In the processcrickets were crushed under the wheels and there was quite a cannabalistic feedingfrenzy.I still have the 150. Jack and I had it out earlier this year. One thing to remember,use 4-wheel before bogging down in the loose sand... not after! Saves a lot ofshoveling. (Maybe Sandtrap can speak about this?) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest sandtrap Posted August 29, 2007 Report Share Posted August 29, 2007 To Dutch John and Montana, My hunting in "cricket" country was a learning experience I will never forget., especially with two persons I respect very highly. Now, even with Montana's setup of exterior speakers for hard of hearing people like me, I cannot pickup the sounds, that he skillfully can determine,are good or bad signals. I thank both of you for having patience with me. As far as bogging down in the sands, that is how i got my name "SANDTRAP".. Never take a heavy Ford truck to places where my Suzuki Samurai "floats" over. The Zuki is one fine machine for hunting the El Pasos, and surrounding areas. Y'all take care, and may all your pockets be filled with that elusive gold stuff... TO ALL >> When in the Last Chance canyon area of Cali, visit Bickel's Camp-- a showplace of how the old prospectors' lived, being preserved now as a state historical site. It is off Hwy. 14,, going to Burro Schmidt's Tunnel. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dutch john Posted August 29, 2007 Author Report Share Posted August 29, 2007 Sandtrap... Down memory lane... On Sunday, September 8th, 2002 you and I were beeping during a cut at Lunker Hill. As soon as Tim Dale finished, Jim Malone using his 2200d with the 11-inch DD made a quick and rough pass up and down the cut looking for one of the occasional "monsters."You and the others were using VLF-type machines and were finding shallow small gold.However Jim was letting me use my Garrett Infinium with the 10x14 DD. I was watchingJim carefully. I noticed he did not detect the upper corner of the cut as it was thoughtto be out of the channel. Just a hunch... later that afternoon I gave the corner a try. Strong signal, repeatable.High/low. Now to dig... I tried my old stoping pick... swung it hard into the clay. The point went a couple of inches. The old wooden handle was stressed and I was afraidit would break (it was cracked and taped). So I worked it out by wiggling the upper endof the pick. Then walked down to your truck and got my hammer and moil and dug outthe signal. A "nice" eluvial nugget. The best one I ever found while beeping Lunker Hill.When I showed it to Jim he let me keep it... no split. This opened up a new "channel"as neither Tim or Jim thought the upper area was in the main channel. The point of all of this, is not break my rule "Silence is GOLDen," but this was the same dayand about the same time that our oldest great-granddaughter, Bella, was born. Thus, thisnugget brings back fond memories of days now gone. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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