Chasing The Wind

Getting To Know Your Claim

Are you are interested in leasing or purchasing a claim in the famous Cedar Creek Mining District of Mineral County, Montana? 

A couple, ideal for the recreational prospector and the others are ready for commercial development or aggressive recreational recovery. All of the claims are in a contiguous block, ideal for a commercial mining venture. Claims are for sale individually or as a package to suit your mining objectives.

Send me an e-mail with your questions to marneaffeld.com and I will respond or you may call 509-389-2606 - I love to talk mining!

Do you want a claim worth owning that you and your family will enjoy for generations to come - Make your gold prospecting dreams a reality!

Do you want to spend next summer doing something exciting? Camp on your very own mining claim and prospect for gold flake and nuggets! Two of the claims are on the site of the old gold rush mining camp; a great place to metal detect.

Barber Gulch Placer Gold Claim

Southern Cross Placer Gold Claim

Bonanza Gulch Placer Gold Claim

Hard Times No. 1 & No. 2 Placer Gold Claims

Grubstake Gulch Placer Gold Claim

Wild Rose Placer Gold Claim

Missoula Gulch Placer Gold Claim

Rainbow's End Placer Gold Claim

Hard Times No. 3 Placer Gold Claim

Read and Research

Expand your knowledge of prospecting. During the winter months, when snow lays heavy on the mountain, research the history of the area and study local. Learn the location of roads, trails, and open clearings. 

Plan your adventure and organize supplies, survival kit, camping and mining gear and equipment. Be sure to take extra batteries, plenty of food and water as well as bug-spray and bear repellent. If you are woods wise and trained in firearm safety, it is prudent to carry a sidearm. Weather conditions can change rapidly. Be sure to carry warm, water repellent clothing and insect repellent. 

In northwest Montana, our mining season is short. Spend as much time as possible getting to know your claim. Carry survival gear, emergency food supplies and a compass or GPS. The forest is dense and it is easy to get turned around and lost. As you explore your claim, always know the way back to your base location. Cell phones do not always work in the area of the claims. 

Obtain a detailed topo map of the area. Have the section where you are located, enlarged and printed. Grid off the area on the map. Number the grids. Carry a pocket notebook. As you prospect and explore, make detailed notes of your findings in each numbered grid. Sketch out a map of the localized area to provide future references points when you are ready to commence explorational testing. (It is a good idea to set up a permanent file system or journal. Transfer your field notes into a permanent mining journal, making note of the time of year, the water level in the stream, weather conditions and personal observations. Your records will prove invaluable in evaluating the claim and developing it to its full potential.)

Make note of important topography features including areas of exposed bedrock, quartz outcroppings, water falls, gravel or sand bar and dramatic changes in the streambed. Exposed bedrock with deep creavices or fractures can trap gold washed downstream by spring flooding. (Moss that in embedded in the cracks of bedrock often contains fine gold trapped within its roots. Plan to wash pieces of the moss carefully in your gold pan. Manipulate the moss until all sediment is released. Drop the moss back in the stream. It will float downstream and attach to a fallen log or rock. The moss will grow again and your test has not harmed the fragile eco-system. Pan out the material. Note if you found color and the percentage of black sand and quartz particles.)

Take note of the thickness of the alluvial cover (gravel, sand and soil) and the types of float rock and quartz. Look for rusty, stained pieces of quartz, they may contain visible specks of gold. 

Look for locations where the streambed makes a sharp turn and widens. (Gold moving downstream will slow down at that point and will be deposited on the inside curve of the stream bed. Bedrock outcrops or large boulders will also break the flow of the water, allowing gold to settle on the downstream side of the obstacle.)  

Do not limit your prospecting to the current streambed. (Over the centuries the stream may have changed course many times. Fallen trees, erosion, landslides, avalanches and heavy spring flooding change the course of the stream. Examine points higher up the bank, some of your best color may be many yards from the present stream bed.)

Hold Your Horses!

Do not start your testing in the first good looking spot you find. Locate several potential areas before deciding where to begin. If you test the first spot that looks promising and you locate some gold, what happens? You will likely remain right there and work the area. Doing so, you may find some gold flake or gold dust. With the same effort, and a little more testing you could be recovering nuggets, fifty feet away. 

Gold Is Where You Find It

Old time prospector’s alway say, “Gold is where your find it!” Truer words were never spoken. Gold may hide in heavy or compacted gravels or impervious layers of clay or heavy sediment. Gold and other heavy minerals eventually work their way down until settling on false bedrock (cemented or compacted layers) or bedrock. Given perfect conditions, they form the “golden yellow paystreaks” you are looking for. Increase your changes of sucess. Test bedrock locations first. Work out crevices in the bedrock and pan out the material. Crevices trap nuggets and flake. 

Use Your Metal Detector

Use your metal detector to examine areas of exposed bedrock. Detect upslope from the bedrock as well. Test the tops of ridges or outcroppings. The soil in Mineral County is highly mineralized and has a rich history of gold production. During the Cedar Creek Gold Rush, hundreds of men worked the drainages. You may find lots of rusty nails, mining artifacts or old coins and brass buttons. Make sure your detector is ground balanced, but do not discriminate. Dig every target. You may find a nugget or a valuable piece of mining history. Keep careful notes regarding detecting sites. Record finds if you feel the location justifies further exploration.

Save Your Concentrates

Always keep your concentrates. Store concentrates from different areas in seperate containers, clearly marked with the location. Double check the heavy concentrates in your pan, even if gold is not visible. A small, high quality magnifiying glass is a handy tool. Pyrite cubes, garnets and black sand are indicators of gold. Not all gold is visible and may be coated with other materials. Your gold may contain a heavy concentration of fine gold or other valuable minerals including silver and platinum. A helpful hint - purchase a box of geologist sample bags from a oilfield supply store. Geologist sample bags have a waterproof label for location and notes, are strong, and made of a material that will allow your samples to dry but not sift through the sample bag. 

During the winter months, carefully fine pan or use a micro-concentrator to evaluate your samples. You may be quite surprised by the amount of gold recovered that is not visible to the naked eye. 

Many mineral dealers will purchase black sand concentrates. 

Prospecting, Patience & Perserverance

Claims are from 20 to 160 acres. 160 acres equals almost 7,000,000 square feet. That is a lot of land to prospect. You will not find gold in every spot you dig, no matter how mineralized the claim. Placer gold is deposited erratically. Remember the old prospector adage "Gold is where you find it.' Don't dismiss a spot because it doesn't look like a textbook pocket. The contour of the land changes, the rocks roll, the mountain rumbles. During spring melt, gold moves. Read the signs. A successful prospector is a patient and persistent treasure hunter. Learn how to read nature’s clues and you may be finely rewarded for your labors. 

 

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Color In Your Pan

How Are Fossils Formed?

 

 

For fossil formation to take place a series of fortunate events must occur. If any part of the series is missing, we will never see the fossil! In fact, fossilization is a rare occurrence. Nature tends toward recycling. That includes just about everything from plants and animals to rocks and minerals. Let’s narrow it down to just animals for a minute. Animals, dead or alive, are food for other animals. From insects to dinosaurs, an animal could be someone’s lunch! Any part of the animal’s body that isn’t consumed is usually scattered about; leftovers! Just like those leftovers in your fridge, these leftovers make great food for bacteria. In addition, these leftovers are exposed to the elements: sun, rain, and even the soil itself all help to breakdown and decompose the sturdiest of bones, shells and wood. So, if we are ever going to see a fossil, some very specialized events must intervene to ward off the natural process of decomposition. The following is the most common scenario for fossil formation:

How Are Fossils Formed? 

Death Is The First Step
To start with, an animal or plant must die in water or near enough to fall in shortly after death. The water insulates the remains from many of the elements that contribute to decomposition. An example may be helpful. Let’s say that a trilobite has died of old age on the bottom of the sea. Bacteria consume the soft body parts but leave the hard exoskeleton intact.

How are fossils formed? 

Step two is Sedimentation
As time passes, sediments bury the exoskeleton. The faster this happens the more likely fossilization will occur. Land and mudslides definitely help. River deltas are also good for quick accumulation of sediments. This further insulates our trilobite from decomposition.

The sediments themselves have a huge influence on how well our trilobite fossil turns out. Very fine-grained particles, like clays, allow more detail in the future fossil. Course sediments, like sand, allow less detail to show. The chemical make up of the sediments also contributes to the future fossil. If iron is present, it may give the rock a reddish color. Phosphates may darken the rock to gray or black. The possibilities are truly endless.

Permineralization
As the sediments continue to pile on, the lower layers become compacted by the weight of the layers on top. Over time, this pressure turns the sediments into rock. If mineral-rich water percolates down through the sediments, the fossilization process has an even better chance of preserving our ancient animal. Some of the minerals stick to the particles of sediment, effectively gluing them together into a solid mass. These minerals make an impact on our original trilobite as well. Over the course of millions of years, they dissolve away the outer shell, sometimes replacing the molecules of exoskeleton with molecules of calcite or other minerals. In time, the entire shell is replaced leaving rock in the exact shape of the trilobite.

Uplift
As the continental plates move around the earth, crashing into each other, mountains are formed. Former sea floors are lifted up and become dry land. This is exactly what has happened to our trilobite. Now a fully formed fossil, our trilobite is buried under hundreds or even thousands of feet of rock! Thanks to the movement of the plates, our trilobite will come closer to the surface and nearer to discovery by some fortunate fossil hunter. Luckily, nothing stays the same.

Erosion at work
Rain, wind, earthquakes, freeze and thaw all work toward erosion. The mountains that were built up are worn away over time. Our fossil trilobite once again sees the light of day! With a little wisdom about where to look and some luck, you may be the first one to find him!

This is the fossilization process known as Permineralization. It is not the only answer to the question: "How Are Fossils Formed?" There are many other ways that fossils can be formed. You can read about them using the links below.

About the author - Claudia Mann is a teacher, and a contributor to fossils-facts-and-finds.com where you can find more answers to the question.

Courtesy: FossilHQ

Digging For Sapphires In Montana

Destination: Helena, Montana - The Yoga Dike

Planning a trip to dig for yoga sapphires. We will be going to the mine, so will let everyone know if we get lucky. Packed up a couple of classifying trays, pails, pan and shovel. The mine provides prospecting equipment, however, I am not sure what they offer and and I am used to my own tools. I won't need my metal detector for this trip but will take it along. Might find a spot that looks like it needs exploring. 

Digging For Sapphires

 

Courtesy: USGS

"When the Yogo Dike, in Montana's Little Belt mountains, was formed millions of years ago, rocks located deep in the earth's mantle, melted to form molten magmas. Some of those magmas contained materials foreign to the continental crust.

One of these magmas rose into the Madison Limestone deposit, where it slowly cooled to form a dike an average of eight feet in width, but over five miles long. As the magma in the dike crystallized, atoms of oxygen combined with atoms of aluminum to form corundum, the mineral form of aluminum oxide. the corundum formed tiny, perfectly shaped transparent crystals rather than the usual blue gray prisms. 

Virtually every crystal contained traces of iron and titanium that gave each crystal a beautiful cornflower blue color. Which makes Yogo Sapphire the most precious gemstone mined in the United States.

Montana Sapphire:

is one of the state's gemstones. Indoctrinated in 1969 along with Montana Moss agate. Sapphire's fame began a century earlier in the 1860's. Unpopular at the time because the small multicolored pebbles clogged gold sluices. In a time when, Gold, was the treasure of the day. 

Eventualy the US Geological Survey termed the location "America's most important gem location." The British controlled the mines for nearly 30 years, explaining why the beautiful "Cornflower Blue" Yogo's are found in the Royal Crown Jewel Collection in London. 

Over the years the Yogo mines have produced an estimated 40 million dollars in the precious blue gems. The original Yogo mines are currently being worked by commercial companies. The largest cut Yogo is 10.2 carats and is in the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, DC 

Sapphires

The production of gem-quality sapphires in the United States is not new or recent. In 1865, the first U.S. sapphires were found in the gravels of the Missouri River in Lewis and Clark County, Montana. This was followed by subsequent discoveries on Dry Cottonwood Creek in Deer Lodge County in 1889, on Rock Creek in Granite County in 1892, and in Yogo Gulch in Judith Basin County in 1895. Additionally, small amounts of sapphire are recovered from Quartz Gulch in Granite County, Pole Creek in Madison County, the Missouri River in Chouteau County, and Brown's Gulch in Silver Bow County. Furthermore, corundum crystals, from which star sapphires have been cut, are found in Beaverhead and Madison Counties. Also, in 1895, the first sapphires were produced from the Cowee Valley in Macon County, North Carolina. But until very recently, with the exception of Yogo Gulch material, the commercial gemstone industry has had limited interest in U.S. sapphires.

Montana.--Mining of Yogo Gulch sapphires began within a year of their discovery in 1895 and continued for 39 years. In 1923, the mine was damaged so badly by rain that it could not economically recover. Other attempts have been made to commercially mine the deposit, but to date, all of these attempts have ended in economic failure.

Yogo's are unique among the world's sapphires. They lack the color zoning so prevalent in other sapphires, their uniform "corn-flower blue" color is natural (not the result of heat-treating), and their clarity is uniformly high. These features rank them among the world's finest sapphires. Unfortunately, the rough is both small and flat, wafer-like in shape. The majority of the crystals or pieces of crystals recovered are too small to be cut, most are less than 1 carat and finds of over 2 carats are rare. Reportedly, the largest crystal was a 19 carat stone found in 1910 that was cut into an 8-carat stone. The size of the cut stones greatly restrict the market for Yogo's, they are beautiful, small, very expensive sapphires.

Currently, Yogo sapphires are produced from three sources: Rancor lnc., produces material from the original Yogo Gulch deposit; Vortex Mining produces from a recently discovered extension of the Yogo dike; and material is produced by individuals from privately owned lots in Sapphire Village. The first two producers market only cut stones and finished goods and the third is comprised essentially of hobbyists.

Historically, the amount of sapphires produced from the Missouri River and Rock Creek areas greatly exceeded that from Yogo Gulch. However, the value of the material produced from Yogo, reported to be in excess of $30 million, is significantly greater than that of the combined values of the other areas. This relationship is rapidly changing.

The combination of large volume commercial operations on the Missouri River, and to some extent Rock Creek, plus the advent of successful heat-treating techniques for the material has greatly enhanced the acceptance of these sapphires by the gemstone industry. This enhanced acceptance has resulted in a significant increase in the market for and value of U.S. sapphires. Unconfirmed reports have circulated that a parcel of select 3- to 10-carat material, suitable for heat-treating, was sold for as much as $40,000 per kilogram. A more realistic price for 3- to 10-carat, sorted mine-run material is in the range of $5,000 per kilogram, with many kilograms of mine-run rough selling for $1,000 per kilogram.

The sapphires from the Missouri River gravels in Lewis and Clark County are a mixture of rough and pitted crystals showing well defined faces and completely rounded and smooth-surface highly stream worn pebbles. The majority of the material is pale blue or blue-green, with deep blue stones quite rare. Stones also are found in pastel blue, green, pink, pale red, purple, yellow, and orange. Most of the stones recovered are less than 6.4 millimeters in diameter, but material 6.4 to 12.7 millimeters in diameter are not uncommon. Material greater than 12.7 millimeters in diameter is rare.

Currently there are seven operations on the Missouri River that commercially produce sapphires and/or operate a dig-for-fee area. Not all of these may be active in any one year. It is the author's understanding that one operation, currently inactive, (a self-propelled floating 16-inch suction dredge) is for sale. The mines operate from about the last week of May through the first week of September.

The Rock Creek sapphires are very similar to the sapphires from the Missouri River but differ in the general shape of the crystals. The stones are basically crude hexagonal plates about the same dimension in width and height, with a much higher percentage of the material being well rounded water worn pebbles. There appears to be more of the larger sized (greater than 12.7 millimeters) material. Additionally, it is reported that the Rock Creek material has a greater percentage of stones that can be heat-treated for color enhancement.

During the past several years, there has been only a single producer on Rock Creek. The producer operated both a commercial recovery plant and a fee recovery area. The fee recovery area sold buckets of gravel for washing and also offered, for a predetermined fixed fee, the output of one day's operation of the commercial wash plant. There is work underway which would result in a second, much larger producer, opening an operation on another deposit in the area. If things go as planned, the new operation on Rock Creek would be the largest sapphire producer in Montana.

There are a number of locations between Dillon in Beaverhead County and Ennis in Madison County that produce lavender, grayish-lavender, bluish-gray, and gray hexagonal sapphire crystals that, when cut, produce stones that contain four- or six-ray stars. At least one producer from the Dillon area is currently advertising the availability of this type of material. The remainder of the sapphire deposits in Montana appear to be operated by individual hobbyists.

More should be said about the effects of heat-treating techniques on Montana sapphires, and the variety of fancy colored sapphires available. Not all Montana sapphires are suitable for heat- treating because of variations in chemical composition. Also, the sapphires from the Missouri River respond to heat-treating differently than those from Rock Creek The response to heat-treating can vary also depending upon the method (individual) used to treat the sapphires.

The yield on treatment of Missouri River sapphires is lower than for Rock Creek. It is reported that 20% to 30% of Missouri River sapphires heat-treat from deep, well saturated blue to pale, pale blue. The corresponding treatment rate for Rock Creek material is in the range of 60%. Heat-treating also yields or improves the color of fancy colored sapphires. Bright yellows and oranges are the result of heat-treating, whereas heat-treating improves the color of some pinks by removing colors that can interfere with the desirable pink shades. Montana sapphires can be diffusion treated, but because of their high iron content they are not particularly well suited for this form of enhancement.

North Carolina.--North Carolina is well known for its hobbyist production of sapphire. Sapphire have been produced from the Cowee Valley in Macon County since 1895 when the American Prospecting and Mining Co. systematically mined and washed the gravels of Cowee Creek. Today a number of dig-for-fee operations are located in the Cowee Valley. Each year many people pay to dig or purchase buckets of gravel to wash in hopes of finding a sapphire, garnets, and other gem materials. Many of the dig-for-fee operations have enriched the gravels with gem materials from other locations.

Every year articles appear in magazines and newspapers about large and valuable sapphires found at one or more of the mines in Cowee Valley. No doubt large corundum crystals and pieces of corundum are found each year. By the same token, valuable sapphires may be found, but the number of large valuable gemstones are far less than reported, and the values are generally not as great as reported. During the period when the area was commercially mined, gem material was found that would cut fine quality 3- to 4-carat stones, but the amount of quality gem material available has greatly declined. It is doubtful that North Carolina will ever again boast of commercial sapphire production, or that the commercial gemstone industry will seriously consider the State's sapphire deposits."

Courtesy: USGS

Frequently Asked Questions

 

GhostTownsUSA.com provides a helpful list of frequently asked questions about gold claims. 

What Is A Mining Claim?

A mining claim is a portion of federal public mineral lands that an individual holds for the purpose of extracting 'valuable locatable minerals'. Claims may be staked, bought and sold, leased, willed, or inherited like any other property.

Glossary of Terms

Reading these common terms will help you understand a bit better about mining and claims. Click here for the Glossary of Terms

What Are 'Valuable Locatable Minerals'?

Metallic and certain nonmetallic minerals that occur in such quantity and quality that they can be produced at a profit when mined are considered valuable minerals. Common valuable metallic minerals are gold, silver, copper, lead, zinc, molybdenum, and uranium. Locatable nonmetallic minerals or rocks include quartz, limestone, dolomite, and talc.

What Minerals Are Not Locatable?

Deposits of oil, gas, coal, phosphate, sodium, potassium, and oil shale on federal land cannot be staked. These deposits must be leased from the Department of the Interior. These minerals are known as the Leasing Act minerals. In addition, common variety minerals such as sand, gravel, stone, pumice, pumicite, cinders, and clay also may not be staked.

If I Discover 'Valuable Locatable Minerals', How Do I Stake A Claim?

Basic federal and state law for staking a claim requires that you: (1) make a discovery; (2) post a location notice; (3) place stakes at corners and mark boundaries; and (4) record the location notice. To insure that your claim is properly staked, you should obtain a packet of materials for staking claims from the Bureau of Land Management (BLM). 

What Must I Do After Staking A Claim?

You must record a copy of the location notice with the county auditor of the county in which the claim is located within 90 days after it is located. You must also file a copy accompanied by a map showing the approximate location of the claim within a quarter section, plus the township, range, meridian, and state, with the BLM within 90 days. 

Where May I Stake A Claim?

You may stake a claim only if you discover valuable locatable minerals on 'open public land'. You should obtain a packet of information that gives details about all federal mining law requirements from BLM, the agency charged with maintaining all claim records and collecting maintenance/rental fees.

What Is 'Open Public Land'?

'Open public land' is land belonging to the federal government that has not been withdrawn from mineral entry or appropriated for special uses. National forest lands managed by the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) and other public lands managed by the BLM are the largest areas of open public land in Washington. However, certain parts of the national forests have been withdrawn from mineral entry. Check with the local USFS office or the BLM to determine which lands are withdrawn.

Who Can Stake A Mining Claim?

A mining claim may be staked by citizens of the United States or by any persons who have declared their intention of becoming a citizen. They may be residents or nonresidents of the state or minors, if of 'discretion and understanding'.

How Many Claims May I Stake?

There is no limit to the number of mining claims that a qualified person may stake. However, an honest locator will stake no more claims than are necessary to protect his discovery.

How Do I Hold A Mining Claim?

Paying a yearly maintenance or rental fee of $100 per claim holds unpatented mining claims, unless you have 10 or fewer claims and have applied for and received a Small Mining Operation Exception. The maintenance fee is due on or before August 31 of each year. If you have received a Small Mining Operation Exemption, then you are required to perform at least $100 worth of labor or improvements annually on each claim. The labor must be performed by September 1 of each year and recorded not later than September 30 at the courthouse of the county in which the claim is located. Proof of labor must also be filed with the BLM on or before December 30 of each year. The labor constitutes assessment work and must result in some physical change or improvement to the ground in or near the claim and have a direct relation to mining. For a group of contiguous claims all assessment work may be performed on one claim, providing it amounts to $100 for each claim of the group. If you are placer prospecting or placer mining with equipment other than hand-tools, you must submit a State Hydraulic Project Application. You must file a notice of intent or a plan of operations with the USFS or the BLM (depending which agency manages the land the claim is on) for any physical disturbance or development activities.

What Is The Difference Between An Unpatented And A Patented Mining Claim?

An unpatented mining claim (whether lode or placer) on federal lands establishes claim to the locatable minerals (also referred to as stakeable minerals) on the claim and the right of possession solely for mining purposes. If a proven economic mineral deposit is developed, provisions of federal mining laws permit owners of unpatented mining claims to patent (to obtain title to) the claim. The patented claim is then treated like any other private land and is subject to local property taxes. If you purchase an unpatented mining claim that is later declared invalid by the Government, you could be evicted. Beware of individuals who sell unpatented mining claims as sites for weekend cabins and hunting lodges.

What Is The Difference Between A Lode Deposit And A Placer Deposit?

Lode deposits are mineral deposits found in rock that commonly must be blasted and then milled to remove the valuable minerals. These minerals typically occur in a vein, a series of veins, or disseminated through the rock. Veins have a more or less tabular or sheet-like form and most are distinct from the rock that encloses them. A placer deposit consists of sand, gravel, and other detrital or residual material (such as deposits found in streams and rivers) that contains a valuable mineral such as gold. The deposit has accumulated through weathering and then transportation and concentration of the minerals in stream sediments. Lode claims are staked on hardrock deposits, and placer claims are staked on unconsolidated deposits. Lode and placer claims can be laid out or tied to the public land survey (section, township, and range).

Do Mining Laws Of Washington Apply To Federal Lands?

State mining laws supplement federal mining laws, and they apply to locating and holding claims on any federal lands that are open to mineral entry.

May I Build A Summer Home Or Hunting Cabin On My Claim?

Building a structure on your claim simply for recreation or purposes other than mining is illegal. To build on a claim, you must first obtain a permit from the federal agency managing the surface, for example, the USFS or BLM.

Do I Own Surface And Timber Rights To The Land Covered By The Unpatented Claim?

Your rights are only to the locatable minerals and whatever surface materials and timber you require for your mining operation. Public Law 167 (Multiple Use on Mining Claims) allows the government to manage or dispose of forage crops and common stone on unpatented mining claims. Grazing and logging by others is allowed as long as they do not interfere with your mining operations.

Are Maps Available That Show The Location Of Mining Claims?

Many reports describing specific areas or mines contain maps that show locations of mining claims, especially patented claims. Maps maintained by the BLM and the offices of county assessors show locations of patented mining claims. Most patented claims are also shown on maps of the national forests published by the USFS. However, only approximate locations and no claim names are shown on these maps. Patented claims are also shown on county maps such as those published by Metsker and by Kroll and sold by sporting goods and other outlets. Unpatented mining claims are not shown on commonly available maps. However, to have a valid claim, you must file a map showing the approximate location of the claim with BLM.

How Can I Tell If A Claim Has Been Staked?

The presence's of a location notice, claim corners, and marked boundaries, as well as recent mining activity, suggest that a valid mining claim exist. If you are unable to identify the name of the claim or its owner in the field, check with the local county auditor to see if the claim has been recorded and if annual assessment work is being done. If the claim was never recorded or the assessment work is not being done, the claim could be invalid and the area open to staking.  If you provide the section, township, and range of the land where the claim is located, the BLM can provide you with the following information. The name of the claim(s), the descriptive location of the claim(s) within the section, the name of the individual(s) who staked the claim, and a copy of the map filed with the BLM.

Can I Stake A Claim On State-Owned Land?

Claims may not be staked on state-owned land. State law also does not permit prospecting on state land without a prospecting permit. However, you can apply for a mineral prospecting lease and a mining contract on state lands. For placer prospecting and placer mining on state land, you must obtain a placer mining lease. Permit applications are available from the Department of Natural Resources.

May I Stake A Claim On Privately Owned Land?

Claims may not be staked on private land. The current owner of the land may not own the minerals. Mineral rights are sometimes retained by landowners when they sell their property. The federal government can retain the mineral rights when they sell land, and that land then may be open to stake. A title search is commonly necessary in order to determine who owns the minerals on a piece of property. Permission to prospect on private land must be obtained from the owner of the surface rights. If minerals are discovered, you will need to negotiate with the owner(s) of the surface and mineral rights before you can mine.

May I Stake A Claim On An Indian Reservation?

Claims may not be staked on reservations, but prospecting and mining may be allowed on most reservations by obtaining a permit from superintendent of the reservation. These permits allow you to prospect and mine only in the area for which the permit is issued.

May I Stake A Claim In A Wilderness Area?

Wilderness areas were closed to claim staking on December 31, 1983. If a mining claim was determined valid at that time, prospecting and mining activity were allowed to continue on that claim, but they must be compatible with wilderness values. Mining in wilderness areas is difficult.

May I Stake A Claim In A National Park?

No claims may be staked in United States National Parks.

 

Tips For Beginning Gold Panners

By: Marlene Affeld

 

Panning for gold is a fun and potentially profitable activity and not that difficult a skill to master. Have patience, gold panning is like any learned skill, one gets better with practice.

 

Read the creek or stream bed and find a likely spot. One of the best places is behind boulders were eddies have formed.

 

Fill your gold pan with gravel and/or sand.

 

Pour water into your gold pan or dip it in the creek to fill.

 

Continue Reading Tips For Beginning Gold Panners

 

 

Watch This Short Video To Learn How To Pan For Gold!

Using A Metal Detector To Search For Gold

By: Marlene Affeld

 

Today I went through my gear and mining supplies sorting things out and getting out gear for camping. Spring has arrived.  I noticed my metal detector gathering dust in the corner of the shed. Shame on me. It is a great tool and I have neglected it. I have a Fisher Gold Bug - a few years old. Although several very fine new detectors with great add-on features have come on the market since I purchased the unit a few years ago, it is a reliable workhorse that gets the job done. 

 

My Goldbug is going with me. I am by no means an expert but I have had a lot of fun and found a few treasures. Metal detecting is addictive and I was looking forward to once again testing my luck. The price of gold is skyrocketing and I would sure like to find a nice nugget for my efforts.

 

Continue Reading Using A Metal Detector To Search For Gold

 

 

 

 

 

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Metal Detecting Tips To Share

I stumbled across a great article and wanted to repost to share with everyone. I have an older, yet very dependable Fisher Gold Bug metal detector. I love exploring. This article gave me some great new ideas. I have joined some new Facebook metal detecting groups and I am motivated - this spring is the season I find my treasure. 

I am looking for guest authors who would like to share experiences and knowledge of metal detecting, gold prospecting or rockhounding. Send me you stories and I will publish them here on the blog with a link to your website and author credit. I would also love to share your photos or news of upcoming mining events. Drop me a line, marneaffeld@mac.com

Wishing you all a fabulous day - be safe - and chase rainbows . . . .

Metal Detecting in Urban or Developed Areas

By: Brian Atherton

Most heavily populated and metropolitan areas are built over older areas, and even if they are not, the volume of people can present a welcome assortment of silver, non-silver (called clad by detectorists) and jewelry finds as well as artifacts from the turn of the century.

What to look for.

You will want to start out by doing the obvious….driving around.

This will give you a feel for the area, and it’s history. You will want to look for areas that are still generally flat, or that would have been “untouched” for the last 30 years or so.

These areas can be spotted by their lack of modern landscaping, larger trees and shrubbery.

Look for empty lots in urban areas that have very large trees in them, or sunken areas.

These indicate that a home was there previously.

Often times an abandoned home will be demolished or burnt, and the remains pushed into the cellar hole.

This causes a slight depression after the debris settles over a period of many years.

Look at the curb as you travel your target area. You may see a place that has no curb, or a newly replaced section of curb that is about the same size as a driveway.

Often the presence of lilac or rose bushes in an empty lot will provide clues as to the previous layout of the structures.

These were very popular around the turn of the century, and often times will have survived, leaving a clue for those who pay attention.

Look for large trees in arrangements that would be in front of a home, or lining a drive.

Oak or Elm trees in a row is a dead giveaway that a larger home was once in an empty lot.

Be unconventional. Just because an areas is now zoned “industrial” or “manufacturing” does not mean it always was.

In fact, most areas with older homes in them were built before these laws were in effect.

So, don’t overlook that lot in front of the factory you drive by every day.

Another thing to consider.. Those “bad areas”, occupied mostly by multiple occupant homes made into apartments are actually good detecting locations.

Those were often the “nice” neighborhoods from the late 1800s, and early 1900s..

The larger homes were often broken up into multi unit apartment buildings, and the neighborhoods changed..

But NOT what is under the ground.

It is still there.

You just have to go after it.

Resources.

There are many tools available to assist you in your search, you just have to apply the right one to your situation.

A wonderful tool is the Sanborn map collection.

These are fire and insurance maps originally collected in the late 1800s, up to the 1960s or so.

These have the location of businesses, homes and other features, exact dimensions and other useful information.

You can get a paid subscription here: www.sanborn.com/products/fire_insurance_maps.asp

A lot of them are available free of charge here:www.maphistory.info/imageus.html

www.gelib.com/historic-topographic-maps.html

www.lib.utexas.edu/maps/map_sites/cities_sites.html

These can be compared with modern maps and firsthand knowledge to help you locate properties to search.

Permission.

Often the hardest part of detecting these sites is obtaining permission in the first place.

If the area is privately owned, the owner can be located by either going to the neighbors and simply asking who owns it. This will often lead you right to the owner.

Other times, it is more challenging.

Most cities and towns have a website with deed lookup free of charge.

Unfortunately, some areas either charge for this or have only paper copies which can be accessed at the county assayers office. (I have attached a photo of a random address and the contact info)

You will be able to find the deed owner and contact information on this site, or through this paperwork at your county building or library.

Then it is a matter of asking the property owner for permission to detect on their property.

I would stay away from written permission letters.

People get nervous when you start asking them to sign things. A verbal agreement and a handshake should be enough.

Chances are, you will not have much success in obtaining permission from holding companies or large real estate entities.

These companies will forward any request for access to a staff or retained attorney.

You will get permission if an attorney is involved perhaps one in a thousand times. They get paid to think of liability, and this is all they will think of. You will not be granted permission by these groups, it is a fact of life.

Often good results can be obtained by looking up landowners and private individuals that own many rental properties in cities.

A private individual in this situation will generally be receptive to detecting on empty lots in their care, or even the larger homes they own and have turned into rentals.

If you are allowed permission by the landowner in inhabited units, be sure to talk to the individual that lives there. Even though you have permission from the owner of the property, it is just common sense and courtesy to ask those that live there.

And who knows, you may interest a future detectorist..

Keeping any agreements and being responsible is up to YOU.

You serve as an ambassador for the hobby, and your actions in the eyes of the public affect us ALL.

After obtaining  permission.

OK, you’ve gotten permission… now what..

First off, you need to look at the overlay.

Are there any safety hazards, power lines, gas lines, bramble bushes, poison ivy, holes, bee nests, broken glass, etc?

You need to look at the neighborhood.

Is it safe?

Once you have determined these things and dealt with them accordingly, you can proceed.

A good approach if you have a symmetrical area like a city lot or yard is gridding.

Start at a corner, and work the area you can cover, walking slowly to the opposite corner, and turning at the border, overlapping your swings, and your path. (think of it like you are painting the area).

Keep going til you have it all covered…

If you have time, start again at the opposite end and working crosswise.. (Say you started in the NW corner, and walked East.. Now start in the SW corner and walk North, crossing in the opposite direction.

Be sure to cover all holes, and be responsible. Remember that you are on private property with permission, so there is no rush.

If you are working a habitated structure, start with the areas around the porch, doors and sidewalks. Then detect the bases of trees, radiating outward.

Don’t forget the entire length of clotheslines, curbsides and areas among trees where a picnic table may have been.

Chances are you may find an item that belongs to the current resident.

If it is obvious that the item was recently dropped in an occupied yard, contact the resident. Chances are you may do a good deed.

After a while, you will develop relationships with people that will lead to places to detect in the future..

Good Luck, and Happy Hunting

BD Atherton

 

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Cougars or mountain lions, also known as pumas, are large, powerful and aggressive predators. Found throughout Montana, a large male may weigh 130-190 pounds while females average 90-130 pounds. Stretching up to nine feet, nose to the tip of their tail, cougars are tawny colored with a dark tip at the end of the tail. Young cubs have spots which slowly fade. A cougar has a lifespan of up to 20 years.

Cougars were first hunted and killed for a bounty in Montana beginning in 1879. In 1971 the Montana legislature classified the cougar as a game animal and as a result lions have regained much of their previous historical distribution in the mountains of Montana. Prior to the arrival of the white man, mountain lions were at one time the most widely distributed land mammal in the western hemisphere ranging from northern Canada to the southern most tip of South America. Now they are found mainly in the western United States, with a strong population in northwestern Montana.

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Mineral Exploration Stocks On The Rise

Recent US Market News

This month we are underscoring FORC (FORCE ENERGY), a lithium and hydrocarbon exploration and development company based in Denver, Colorado.

The company just announced that they've hired geologists who are going over previous drill data to select the best possible locations for a series of drills to determine what will be the best means for extraction of the nearly 2MM tons of Lithium ore that comprises the Zoro 1 resource. 

Here's the point that I want you to keep in mind through all of this: These news releases are not just for you and I, as well as other traders... FORC stands a very good chance of SELLING a resource like Zoro 1 if they can prove that 1) the resource exists, and 2) it can be extracted profitably. 

These press releases are keeping the mining world instructed of the progress and could prove to be the bait that reels in a big player in the near future! The first part has already been proven, which is that Zoro 1 is a massive Lithium resource, with nearly 2MM tons of Lithium ore. The second part is what they are attempting to prove now, which is that it can be extracted profitably. Now think about gold, and how old mines that were declared unprofitable years ago are now profitable because of the price increase over recent years.

Now think about the following, and how it could affect the profitability of Lithium resources: The real meat-and-potatos in Lithium, at least with regards to these small cap and junior exploration plays, is the current constriction between the US and Iran, which by the looks of things, isn't going to just disappear into a cloud of group hugs anytime soon! You see, Iran has threatened to shut down the Strait of Hormuz, a strategic shipping lane through which over 1/6 of the world's oil passes on its way to diverse global destinations. Now, this could potentially blow over, but regardless of what happens, you can bet on the price of oil being affected very soon, this is for sure! 

If you look back to what happen the last time oil got rocked like this and jumped to $145/barrel, we saw alt. energy stocks boom, with Lithium jumping 1200% in a flash! 
Can you imagine what would happen if the US/Iran tensions pushed oil to $150, like several CNBC analysts are talking about? 

So, until the US and Iran are best buddies, and/or the electric automobile is developed with a battery that doesn't require up to 1/2 ton of Lithium to power, 
I'm going to remain a strict believer in the future of Lithium and Lithium exploration plays, and more specifically, FORC! 

So keep FORC on your radar, and get ready to take advantage of what we think will be similar to last year's action.... 

Once FORC tears through the resistance we are seeing at the lower price range and hits its next "growth spurt"... we should see it well into the $0.18 - $0.20 range! 
As always, we really regard you taking the time to read and act on our profitable research-driven picks. Have a great day and we'll see you at the opening bell!

Metal Detecting Tools

Metal Detecting Tools of the Trade.

By: Brian Atherton

Whether new to the hobby or a seasoned dirt fisher, the tools you use are as important as the machine itself.

The right equipment can make all the difference between a good day and a frustrating one. You don’t have to spend thousands or even hundreds of dollars to equip yourself. A pinpointer and a digging tool can be had for under 20.00 total.

In fact, my first digging tools were a surplus bayonet and a 15.00 pinpointer.

Let’s assume you’ve already gotten your machine and are ready to go detecting.

Pinpointers

 

You don’t NEED a pinpointer, but let’s just say it’s a lot easier and cleaner than the “pick up a handful of dirt and wave it in front of the coil” method.

A pinpointer allows you to keep more soil in the plug (piece of dirt with the grass in it. This was covered in my previous article ‘how to properly dig a plug”) I prefer to use the White’s bullseye only because I trust the White’s name and use their detectors. There are other fine pinpointers out there, Garrett also makes a good one.

Digging Tools

 

A good digging tool is also necessary. I recommend having a good folding shovel and a tool to cut sod with in grassy areas like yards and parks, where it’s good etiquette to leave no trace. The shovel can be used where appearance isn’t as important such as wooded areas.

 

I have used a Lesche digger for a few years now, and it is phenomenal. It is just sharp enough to cut sod and smaller roots and not the user’s hands, and it has a saw edge on one side for tougher roots.

I asked George Lesche why it is only serrated on one side and this was his answer; “Since most users are right handed, we serrated the side that would be pushed away from the user so as not to fling dirt or the tool into the user’s face and body.” Pretty smart if you ask me. His tools are also used by the military, which says a lot.

The price tag on a Lesche is around 40.00, if that’s a little steep for you, you can make your own like I did using a surplus bayonet. But remember to dull the blade or you may injure yourself.

As I started digging in more remote areas, (cache hunting and the like), I realized that a Lesche was just too much work for targets 10” or deeper. I shopped around and found a folding shovel. This one is made by Gerber and is of exceptional quality, it folds up easily and is lightweight.

This cost me around 40.00 as well, is made in the US like the Lesche, and is almost indestructible.

Tool Belts

So, now that you have all of this equipment, where are you going to CARRY it? That’s where the detectorists’ tool belt comes in.

 

When I first started, I would put my pinpointer in one pocket, my digger in the other, and my finds in another. Not a very optimal way to detect.

Then I saw a tool belt at a local hardware store and bells went off. The tool belt cost me 15.00 and is worth every penny. I position it so the pouch is in front and it doesn’t interfere with my movement.

Search Coil Versatility

Much like tools, one search coil can’t possibly do everything. Some search coils will go deeper and cover more ground, but the trade off is just that, it covers MORE ground.

That means that if you have a good target, and a bad target 4” apart, you will get overlapping signals.

 

You can use a smaller coil to prevent this, however a smaller coil will only cover so much ground and not go as deep. And then there is the maneuverability problem. Sometimes you can’t get your coil in between trees or at the base of a structure.

Most machines come with a stock coil in the 9-10” range. This is a pretty good compromise, and will serve you well in most situations.  I will use the White’s machines and coil sizes for an example here, but the same holds true for any good manufacturer’s product.

I use four coils, the 5.3” for trashy or tight quarters detecting, like between trees, the stock 9.5" coil for less trash, the Super 12 for low trash and maximum coverage, and the S.E.F 10×12 for high mineralization and greater depth.

To summarize, metal detecting isn’t just about the machine, it’s about the experience. And the more thought you put into your equipment, the more enjoyment you will get from it.

Happy Hunting.

BD Atherton