A cool breeze swept up from the canyon floor, biting at my face, forcing me to pull my jacket collar even tighter around my neck. I shifted my position on the rocky ledge so that I would have a better view of the broad valley stretched out below. I stood in silence starring out across the vast Bradshaw Mountains; some of the best gold-bearing country in Arizona. “What’s beyond that next range in the distance? How many more nuggets remained hidden between the folds and creases of the rugged landscape below? I wondered. Had I been standing at that this very spot 75 years ago with early American prospector Jack Douglas I can only imagine he would have slapped me on the back and said something to the effect, “There’s only one way to find out!”  

Douglas quickly realized that placering behind droves of other miners was an exercise in futility. If he was going to make a strike of his own some drastic changes were needed. Rather than working harder, he would work smarter. And that meant seeking out new ground. This quote taken from the very first page of his book, Gold in Placer, clearly shows the importance he placed on prospecting for new patches: “If you cannot out-figure the man that looked the ground over ahead of you, you only get what he would have got had he been more careful; but by using your head more and your back less, you will find deposits that were overlooked by others.” His strategy like so many other early prospectors was simple; get there first!

A common misconception exists today that all of the old-timers were “true” prospectors, when in fact very few of them were. Most of these men that rushed the goldfields had no experience with anything west of the Mississippi, let alone the ways of gold mining. The true old-time prospectors, men such as Jacob Snively, Pauline Weaver, Henry Wickenburg, Joe Walker, Sam Miller, Abraham Peeples and Jack Swilling were a different breed. They put their life on the line day after day to explore uncharted territory. Once they found and reported a new strike, the “diggers” moved in. Diggers were the men who shifted dirt and comprised the bulk of what we call the “old-timers”. If the deposit was good they came in by the hundreds and went to work on the earth using sluice boxes, long toms, dry-washers, etc. The most famous of these were the Chinese who were renowned the world over for their thoroughness. The original finders (i.e., the prospectors) probably staked their claims, worked small portions of the richer ground, and then sold what they could in order to fund their next expedition.

Although the times have changed, there is still an amazing resemblance of today’s miners to those of yesteryear. Even now in the 21^st Century the very same two groups of gold seekers exists. These men and women are no longer using pack mules but rather 4x4 trucks, and are swinging metal detectors rather than pick heads. These two types of electronic nugget hunters include: prospectors and operators. Both groups utilize modern metal detectors to seek out their fortune, but each one approaches it from a slightly different angle. There are differences between these two schools of thought, each having their advantages and disadvantages. Let us first see metal detecting through the eyes of a “classical” prospector. 

These folks spend a few hours here and there on old patches, but a vast majority of their time is spent seeking out new ground They don’t mind walking over the next ridge or around another bend in the river, even if it is a mile or two out of the way. They don’t mind going skunked for a few weeks if it means they have a shot at hitting a real bonanza. Many of the best prospectors in the world are terrible operators. They couldn’t find a bit of gold on a hammered patch to save their life. They often keep their coil too high off the ground and usually swing much too fast. They are not looking to scrounge a small nugget, but are instead hoping to find a new patch by covering large amounts of ground. They realize they are going to miss small nuggets, but it is a gamble they are willing to take.

Operators, on the other hand, beat to the sound of a different drum. They are proficient at running their metal detector and will most certainly find gold if they pass over it. They usually hang on known goldfields, rarely straying from the old patches because they enjoy the security of being able to snag a few pieces of gold every day. These folks are consistent, and will almost always have gold in their poke.

Prospectors rely on covering ground, whereas operators must focus all their energy on listening for those faint, almost whisper-like signals. The easy gold that once littered the diggings is long gone, so now they must concentrate on locating the deeper bits of ground where difficult targets are likely to be hiding. They must intentionally probe their coil into spots others might have neglected. A thorough operator will also take time to move away the hot rocks, clear excessive brush and spend time picking up trash, because they know the gold is there.

Getting a nugget off a hammered patch is a fantastic accomplishment and a real confidence builder. There’s nothing better than adding a gram or two each day to our nugget jar…..or is there? Yes, our poke is slowly adding up, but is that gold coming at a price? Spiraling around on the old patches seems to be paying off at the moment, but is it detracting from time that could have been spent tracking down a virgin patch? The diggings will continue to produce if you are willing to put in the effort, but at what point do they become a waste of time? Would you gamble with that gram of gold per day for a month if it meant you had a shot at a 30-ounce patch? How about two or three months? Just a few questions we, as metal detectorists, must consider. 

As I mentioned before, there are big differences between prospecting and operating. I know a handful of people that have found pounds of gold and most have zero interest in prospecting. They come out west and pull their 5-10 ounces for the season and head back home perfectly content. However, if you’ve got a stirring in your soul for something fresh and are fully prepared to sacrifice the security, you are probably ready to take your detecting to the next level 

Okay, but before we can head off in search of fresh prospects we must first choose an area to hunt. This can be a region surrounding a known goldfield or brand new country with no recorded production. Once a perspective area has been picked it must be broken down into manageable sections. The key word here is manageable. Unless you are wearing a red cape under that jacket you should never try to cover an entire mountain chain in a single day. Pushing yourself too hard will only result in sore muscles and sloppy technique, both of which will ultimately cost you gold. Pace yourself. If the area covers 2 ˝ square miles break it down; work one half this week, and the other half next week. As a friend of mine once said, “There’s no rushing a gold rush…”

The spots you concentrate on first in your target area are really a matter of personal preference. However, a seasoned prospector will give himself/herself every opportunity to find a patch by working the ground that is most likely to hold one; basically hit the obvious areas first. For myself, I enjoy working in mountainous country and have a tendency to gravitate towards the creek systems. If I find a nugget, I will expand my search to include the banks and benches. If more gold is found and a definite run starts to become apparent, I will fan out onto the surrounding hills, hoping to lobe onto the “big” patch. Something I’ve learned over the years from detecting both in the US and Australia is that you must detect anything that carried water – period! This goes for all gulches, gullies, creeks, washes, piddlers and even the waterways that run through “barren” looking ground.

The last bit about investigating barren ground is worth discussing. I discovered something interesting about myself not long ago while detecting with my fiancé. She asked if I thought it would be a good idea to hunt the ground near where we had just parked our quads. I told her probably not because it was lacking the obvious signs associated with a gold carrier. She responded with another questions asking if those ingredients were always needed to make gold - and that’s when it dawned on me. Over the years I had learned to recognize the colors and textures of the rock(s) in which I routinely found nuggets and stored that data deep within my mind. What I didn’t realize was that I was subconsciously avoiding all the ground in between that didn’t fit this criterion. It seems that the more gold I found, the narrower my vision had become. My experience may have actually been keeping me from making a new discovery. Most of the time this ability to clue in on geological patterns is beneficial because it helps you narrow down your search area, however if left unchecked it can become a costly habit. Luckily I was able to pull off these mental blinders, and have since trained myself to look outside of the all-too familiar box. A few times it has paid off! 

Gold is where you find it; no doubt about that. As prospectors, we must not neglect any area that is within close proximity to a known goldfield. If a rich patch of nuggets was found on a slope, there is no reason why another concentration cannot be found on a similar looking hill three miles away. Look the ground over thoroughly, but don’t overanalyze it to the point where you discourage yourself from having a swing over it. Trust your instincts. If you don’t find a patch, chalk it up to experience and leave with knowledge that at least you know where not to look.

Full-time professional prospector or weekend warrior; one thing is for certain, you will be hard pressed to find another hobby that will allow you to improve your health while enjoying the wondrous beauty of mother nature, and potentially become rich with a single wave of the coil! The nugget patches are out there, all you need to do is go find them. So, do you take the familiar path; one that will most certainly lead you to a bit of gold. Or, do you lace up your boots and gamble it all on a real life bonanza? That is a decision I leave to you. I wish you the very best of luck with your golden treks! For more information on metal detecting for gold, please visit the author’s website at: www.arizonaoutback.com.