Digger Bob Posted June 12, 2006 Report Share Posted June 12, 2006 Well, after 5 days of Nevada desert hunting, I was ready to go home. My poke was empty and my spirits were too. Our group hunted long and hard at the 2nd Annual Jim Williams Memorial Hunt this last Memorial Day weekend. Between 11 of us, there were only 7 small nuggets found, 4 of those to one guy. By Wednesday afternoon, there was only 2 of us left. We'd been rained, snowed, blown on and then baked on. The Mormon crikets were in everything and the beer was getting warm. I was going home empty handed the next morning. So, as it started to cool off a bit around 5:30, I decided to go out "one more time" for a few hours. I did this once before at this spot and ended up falling into a 3/4 oz. patch as night was falling. I rode my quad up the hill with no idea where to try that we hadn't already tried. I picked the area that had gotten the least amount of attention over the last week and stopped in the middle of the road. I disheartedly geared up, turned on the machine, and started walking up this little slope. I hadn't gone 50 ft when, "BANG!, the detector screamed! It was so totally unexpected that I though I'd broken something on the machine. I passed the loop back over the spot and BANG,BANG it went again. That woke me from my stupor when I realized I'd just gone over a big bullet on the surface. So, I kicked it out of the way. But it was still there banging away at me. A few more scrapes of my boot and it was out of the shallow hole. I didn't even bother to knell down, I just bent over and grabbed a handful of dirt where the target was. Sure enough, a big, flat, curled chunk of lead fell into my hand from only 2 inches deep. Well, you know what happened next. It wasn't lead, even though it looked like it. You could have heard me hollar all the way back to Reno! Finally, the ice was broken and I could go home. I hunted all around there for another hour and got no more targets. I gave the hill to Slopoke Bob and told him he could hunt it for as long as he wanted to stay. He ended up hunting all around for a mile in every direction over the next 3 days and not one more piece showed up. Man, is this ever a frustrating hobby! Anyway, this is the ugliest nugget I have ever found. Even at 4.5 dwt. I would be hard pressed to keep it. I looks like a piece of gum or foil that's been slightly folded and thrown away. And it still amazes me that it was between two old dig holes and only 2 inches deep out in the open. If any one had heard it, they must have thought it trash and not bothered to dig it. Another reminder out there... dig everything. Digger Bob Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grubstake Posted June 12, 2006 Report Share Posted June 12, 2006 That rain and snow out at rye patch, got us down, we only got about 6 hours total hunt time in in three days, Shep was the only one in our bunch that got gold, and he was there a week before we got there. Worst Memorial day weekend ever for us, as far as weather goe's. Good going. Grubstake Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FlakMagnet Posted June 12, 2006 Report Share Posted June 12, 2006 I beg to differ with your assessment of that nugget;it's a beauty, really...good going... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wolverine Posted June 13, 2006 Report Share Posted June 13, 2006 Great Find! You would be surprised where you find nuggets! I have found nuggets under bullets before, It's a good idea to re-check your target if you find a bullet. Yesterday I kept having target, after target, after target in a 3' area and each time I found a bullet, 7 total! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
COLORADO BOB Posted June 13, 2006 Report Share Posted June 13, 2006 Hey Digger Bob,Thats not a butt-ugly nugget. Looks godly to me.Good work, presistence pays.Bob T. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hammer Posted June 13, 2006 Report Share Posted June 13, 2006 Hi Digger Bob: I agree with Flak and Colorado--that is an unusual nugget--make a good hanger. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TXKajun Posted June 13, 2006 Report Share Posted June 13, 2006 Hey, Bob, just a little reminder that I run a "Gold Rescue Service" to give a loving home to any and all unwanted, unloved and yes, even "butt ugly" nuggets of gold. Just PM me and I'll send you my address so you can send that poor little piece of gold where it will be loved, cherished and appreciated. Great story, nice gold. Well done!HH, ya'll!Kajun Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BIGFOOT Posted June 15, 2006 Report Share Posted June 15, 2006 Digger Bob,"Butt Ugly?!!"Cmon now thats a rare one with great color to boot!Thats the ONLY piece I've ever seen that has a Octhedral Psuedomorph(that pryamid cavity)on one end AND good solid leaf gold formation as well all in one piece.Some pieces take an aquireing to...some age like a fine wine after a while.If thats an ugly piece...ya must have found some real nice ones. BIGFOOT Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Digger Bob Posted June 16, 2006 Author Report Share Posted June 16, 2006 Digger Bob,"Butt Ugly?!!"Cmon now thats a rare one with great color to boot!Thats the ONLY piece I've ever seen that has a Octhedral Psuedomorph(that pryamid cavity)on one end AND good solid leaf gold formation as well all in one piece.Some pieces take an aquireing to...some age like a fine wine after a while.If thats an ugly piece...ya must have found some real nice ones.                                              BIGFOOT<{POST_SNAPBACK}>It does have good color for gold from that part of Nevada. Most we find are lighter due to a higher silver content.About that Octhe thing... I don't know what that is but the pyramind shape comes from the flat corners being folded over onto the middle. The bottom part just folded back over onto itself. It's easy to see what it might have looked like before being bent; just like a piece of gum, flat and thin. Again, odd for Nevada; not course and rough.Here's a shot of what I think is a pretty piece and it's NOT from Nevada... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Admin nuggethunting Posted June 17, 2006 Admin Report Share Posted June 17, 2006 Hello Digger Bob, I think it's a unique looking nugget in my opinion. You don't find many "folded" nuggets. I think I only found about 2-3 of them over all the years searching for gold. Congrats on the new finds! Rob Allison Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BIGFOOT Posted June 18, 2006 Report Share Posted June 18, 2006 I've seen a few folded puppys now and then....they are not THAT rare.I stand corrected on the octhedral psuedomorph...it is indeed folded.Below is my folded flake that appears to have many pyramids peppered on the surfaces of both sides.Its about dime size.I've seen so very many posts that DONT address the rarity of particular crystaline pieces......some are much much rarer than the smoother lumpy type of nuggets from placer origin.Specimen rarity is nothing to scoff at or ignore in a collectors world.......this means the more you educate yourself on the rarity of crystal formations and which ones are more abundant and scarce....the better your chances of getting better money.Some folks just dont care what they have or sell....its like comparing a Davinci Original to a xerox copy in the mineral/specimen market.Knowledge DOES pay to the watchfull eyes of oppertunity! BIGFOOT Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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