Hello Nuggethunting.com self introduction

[Gyva02]

Hello everyone I just wanted to introduce myself, and get this first post outta the way. I am in the process of saving up for my first detector and I have choosen it to be the GP 3500. I have saved up about 1K so far and once one is within my grasp I will bring her home, name her and tuck her in. Then I can start asking all those pesky coil and control questions. I live in South West Idaho and am about an hours drive away from the Owyhee Mountains and about the same to the Trinity Mountains near Pine and Featherville I see alot of Idaho folks on here so you know the palces, I know these were and still today gold producing spots, what I havent been able to find is what nugget size range these place can produce. Maybe someone here can give me some info if they know, I was hoping Ouncers have been pulled. Also before I spend many months of saved money on my detector I have to ask if any Fake GP3500 knock offs were ever produced I dont want to end up with one of them. Well thanks for reading my post, hope to soon share some storys and finds with you all. Good Hunting!!!

Mike.

[El Dorado]

There is big gold in your area, I have handled some for sure. I have never heard of a GP3500 nor any Minelab knockoff. I think you will be pretty safe, especially if you get one from someone on this forum vs. eBay. Great hobby you are about to get involved in!

[Goldbug Ron]

My advice would be to spend your money on something else. I will tell you why. Twenty years ago, using VLF detectors, those size nuggets were being found on a daily basis. 99.9% of all who start detecting for gold will NEVER find an ounce nugget. In fact, 95% will give up having never found a single piece. Any size. On average it takes 6 months to a year to find your first piece of gold. The typical size to be found will be under 1/2 pennyweight. You will dig a hundred trash targets for every piece of gold. Some guys make it sound like you will go out and find bunches. Will not happen!

Over the past 15 years I have watched the pieces get smaller, harder to find, and many more people in the field looking for them. Unless you are one very lucky guy you will not be able to pay for your detector. I know, that is not what it is all about.

Good luck, and think real hard before you spend $2500 for that detector.

Goldbug Ron

[nuggethunting]

Hey Mike,

Welcome to the forums. I'm not going to make Nuggethunting sound easy, but if you spend the time and effort you will find gold. Over the last 15 years of selling detectors and dealing with thousands of gold hunters, I've seen all sides of it. Some are very lucky, some struggle and others can't seem to get a break when it comes to nuggets. I've seen some new guys walk out and find more gold on their first day than many will find in a years time. I've also seen and talked with many guys that have struggled to find their first gold nugget. Some have went as long as years before finding their first, but I must question what they were doing wrong.

To increase your chances to find gold nuggets, you have to do everything you can to be successful. This includes (in my opinion), buying the best metal detector you can afford, learn and understand it, research, research ... and research and plan to spend a lot of time exploring. Many have good success working in and around the old historical known gold areas, while others like to get off the beaten patch and find spots that have been overlooked or missed.

What you do will make or break your success as a nuggetshooter. Don't let anyone say it's easy, but then again don't let anyone tell you that nuggets are too hard to find or they are all gone. There are still hundreds of thousands of gold nuggets waiting to be found.

Wishing you the best of success.

P.S. I think investing in a used Minelab PI is a good choice if you plan to stick with this hobby.

Rob Allison

[Gyva02]

Hey thanks for the replys guys! Yes I do plan to stick with the hobby. The reason I asked about the knock offs is I saw someone post that china was going to make knock offs of the 4500 since is was selling so well, must have not not read too close and it must have been a joke. But ya I have always looked at the glass half full, I dont get discourged to eaisly and when I say I'm going to do something I do it... lol I have restored several cars and trucks, remodled several homes, feats alot of folks couldnt even dream about doing since television takes up 99% of their day, so ya this nugget shooting thing should be a breeze ha ha... you get my half joking half serious attitude I hope! At any rate glad I found this place. Many folks here seem to really know their stuff and I hope to soak it all in and learn what I can. For those who say its alot of work, that its too much... well, maybe it is.... for you ha ha, I'm here to make friends and learn and be constructive. I have always loved the outdoors I just think this will make it much more enjoyable. Thanks for the site.

Mike

RP 2012.

[LuckyLundy]

Mike,

Gold or no-gold, it's the quality time you'll enjoy the most. Being outdoors and a camping trip with family and friends is the real treasure! If you can afford it get the best equipment your money can buy and remember you'll find gold where gold has been found before. Listen, read & practice this hobby you'll find success! Good luck.

LuckyLundy

[Gyva02]

Thanks lucky! I love positive posts. And ya I think your right its all about having fun. When it all boils down that is what its all about.

Mike.

RP 2012

[Lateralus]

My advice would be to spend your money on something else. I will tell you why. Twenty years ago, using VLF detectors, those size nuggets were being found on a daily basis. 99.9% of all who start detecting for gold will NEVER find an ounce nugget. In fact, 95% will give up having never found a single piece.

Ron, wouldn't the majority of these 95% be people who don't spend much if any time actually learning, doing research, studying, etc. as well as people who don't take the hobby any farther than 1 hour away from home?

Any size. On average it takes 6 months to a year to find your first piece of gold. The typical size to be found will be under 1/2 pennyweight. You will dig a hundred trash targets for every piece of gold.

Six months to a year to find the first piece of gold? Are we talking about people who spend several hours every week with the hobby? Or are we talking about people who go out in their backyard for one hour one weekend per month? Does this six months to one year estimate apply to people who actually TRY?

Does this grim forecast also apply to those using the Minelab GPX 4500 / Coiltek Gold Stalker combo? This particular combination seems to be in a league all it's own.

I'm a complete n00b to this hobby but I just sold a house and figure with gold at $1100 per ounce, why not try it full time for a few months just for s**ts and giggles. No wife and kids so I can go wherever I want whenever I want, including Alaska. Going to do high banking, dry washing and of course dredging, more than likely ultimately placing primary focus on dredging. I'm going to start out doing desert prospecting for the first couple of months. Based on all the reading I've done success seems to depend on willingness to study and research, focusing serious effort on quality sampling and of course put in the required blood, sweat & tears. Perhaps my head is in the clouds, but I can't imagine someone who isn't a quitter not eventually having at least modest success in this or any other endeavor for that matter.

[wes]

Within one year. If you go out twice a week exploring old placer mine sites, dry diggings, slopes below old mine workings, gulches where placer mining was done historically, hydraulic areas, high benches that were washed, ditched and ground sluiced, exposed bedrock in creeks etc, you will find it. If you have the time to dedicate yourself, live in or near a gold belt, actively explore new areas, and dont get discouraged, you will find what you seek!

[Wingnutter]

Hi there and welcome to the forum. I don't post much but since you are from Southwest Idaho then we are neighbors since I live in Caldwell. I don't do any nuggetshooting because I don't have a good enough detector for it. I do however pan, sluice, and highbank around here. I belong to the Nampa Chapter of the GPAA and we do have serval members who do detect. We meet the first Tuesday of every month in the cafe at the Shilo Inn in Nampa just off of Franklin Rd. You would be more than welcome to come to a meeting and talk to our members about their detecting adventures. Now most of the gold to be found around here is very fine there are some nuggets to be found. I myself found one the size of a BB at our last outing. It could have been found with a detector as it was in the first 6 inches of dirt that I scraped up. Also during that outing there were 4 other nuggets the same size found. We were just digging on a sandbar on the Boise River about a mile west of the city of Star. The club does have 7-8 claims most of them located around Grimes Creek going toward Idaho City also 3 up past Rocky Bar. So come visit us see if you like what you hear and see and join us if you like. Thanks just ask for Wayne

[Gyva02]

Hey guys, thanks for the invite, it is possible I could make it up to the nampa area one of these days, sounds like fun to hear the stories and making some friends. I have a friend who also has a claim in Rocky Bar. But put away that gold pan as well I did it! but I didnt get half the detector I wanted. I bought a X-terra 705 just for starters as I got the itch now to get out here and start finding something, I spent the other part of my funds on a GLOCK 31 357 Sig, so its win win in my book. Now that I have a detector coming I can get out and start getting a feel for it, and I'll continue to save up for a 3500 and when I get one I'll pass the x-terra off to the wife as its really light weight. I grabbed a package deal that came with the standard coil and also the 5x10DD 18.75 coil, got it for $849.00 so a far cry from a PI unit but we'll get there. Cant wait. to get started, guess its sit around and wait time.

Mike.

[JimGilmore]

Hey guys, thanks for the invite, it is possible I could make it up to the nampa area one of these days, sounds like fun to hear the stories and making some friends. I have a friend who also has a claim in Rocky Bar. But put away that gold pan as well I did it! but I didnt get half the detector I wanted. I bought a X-terra 705 just for starters as I got the itch now to get out here and start finding something, I spent the other part of my funds on a GLOCK 31 357 Sig, so its win win in my book. Now that I have a detector coming I can get out and start getting a feel for it, and I'll continue to save up for a 3500 and when I get one I'll pass the x-terra off to the wife as its really light weight. I grabbed a package deal that came with the standard coil and also the 5x10DD 18.75 coil, got it for $849.00 so a far cry from a PI unit but we'll get there. Cant wait. to get started, guess its sit around and wait time.

Mike.

Wow, I feel special... I bought a used GMT. I hunt about an hour from where I lived and the first week I was out I found 2 small pieces of gold. Granted I'm not interested in Big nuggetrs If I have to travel 6 or so hours from home. But Where I dry was I can get gold every day. Granted I do not get lbs of gold but I do gets grains every day.

Yes It's the desert and damn hot. So As long as I bring water and drinks to keep me from drying up and blowing away. What one expects cqan make of break their desire to hunt for gold. Me If I get 2-3 grains each days I'm finding more than I find detecting the local park every day.

[geof_junk]

Mike.

I chased gold for over 10 years before I started metal detecting. It took me 1000 hr before I got my first nugget with a detector. I had over 100 nuggets before I cracked one larger than an ounce (4 oz). A few years later I hit a patch and got 26+ oz in a day. In the last 6 and half years I have been using a ML-3000 the model before your choice and have found well over 2000 nuggets with it. Some of these nuggets weighed 4.75 to 5.5 ozs and hundreds weighing less than a half a pennyweight. The big trick in finding gold is spending time going over ground that contains gold and is not too deep for the detector. GOOD LUCK.

[nuggethunting]

Hello Geof,

Welcome to the forums and glad you're posting. Thanks for helping encourage others about nugget hunting. By any means it's not easy, but then again it's not impossible to find a gold nugget either.

I know it took me about 3 months before I found my first nugget, but in those three months I might have hunted a couple of hours per day and didn't really have a clue what I was doing. I finally was able to meet a guy that spent about 25 years detecting and from there it was down hill. I started finding little nuggets on bedrock and then started doing more exploring. I found about 300-400 nuggets before I found my first one ounce, which was up around the Rich Hill area.

Since then I have probably found nearly 10,000 nuggets ranging from grain sized nuggets up solid nugget over 3/4's of a pound and specimens well over a pound in size.

It's still out there, just invest in a good metal detector, research and spend the time in the field.

Take care,

Rob Allison