001: Gold Panning, Prospecting, and Treasure Hunting

Gold and other found fortunes Do you have gold fever? A wicked case of the Au flu? You may want to think twice, or even more than that, because there's at least some research involved no matter which route you choose, and more often than not, you won't strike it rich. Prospecting and Mining: Prospecting for gold involves being outside in the wilderness. You'll probably want an off-road vehicle of some kind. You'll often find yourself hands-on with dirt, mud, and river water. There are a lot of laws you need to be aware of, and the payouts are hit and miss... mostly miss. There is probably not a full-time income to be made for a single-man operation using basic tools unless you're very lucky. There may not even be enough profit to pay for your tools. Those who love it say that a bad day of prospecting is better than a good day at work. The laws around prospecting differ depending on where you are prospecting- not only what state or county, but whether the land is public or private property. A good way to learn the ropes is to join a gold prospecting club. Some clubs even have their own claims, equipment, and other resources. This way, you'll be able to easily learn the basics from experienced prospectors, and you may have access to better equipment. There are different methods of prospecting: Panning. Look for black sand in a winding riverbed. Put it in your gold pan, add some water, and swish it around until only the heaviest stuff remains. Sluice box - it's a machine that processes dirt and separates the heavy metals for you. Some additional processing may be required, but these machines allow you to work much more dirt than a pan. Sniping is digging deep into the dirt to hit bedrock, where more gold may be found. Gold is one of the heaviest metals, and it tends to settle deep into the dirt. This is also why gold pans and sluices work in the first place- the gold sinks to the bottom, while sand and lighter rocks are washed away. I want to note that prospecting and mining are two different things. Mining involves heavy machinery, explosives, makeshift buildings, and a lot more paperwork. Prospecting revolves around hand tools, or smaller machines- things that fit inside the bed of a pickup truck for example. I also want to touch on claim flipping- some people make their pay by finding or flipping mining claims. It's an interesting business model. Find an expired claim using historical data, find a fresh one by prospecting, or simply buy an undervalued claim and resell it. While we're talking about mining claims- I want to note that owning a mining claim and actually mining are two different things. You should have permits to mine. Think of it as if you were building a house. You can't just build a house. You need permits and inspections. It's a similar story when it comes to mining. You can't just start blasting holes in the sides of mountains without permission from the government- even if you own the land. Metal detecting is not necessarily prospecting, but it is a tool used in prospecting. Metal detectors are used to find bits of gold in the wild - you still have to follow all of the previously mentioned prospecting rules. It is an essential tool for prospecting on dry land. You might even want multiple metal detectors - one to sweep a large area, and one for pinpointing small pieces in a pile of dirt that you've dug up. Resources:  https://www.vice.com/en/article/3azyx8/who-keeps-buried-treasure-found https://www.usgoldbureau.com/news/what-to-do-if-you-find-treasure Sponsor: http://www.bzrkaudio.com