[bigdigger]

Howdy,

Just wondering if there's any chance of getting a true answer just how many ounces of nugget(s) can a good Nugget Shooter get in an average time period and how much ground coverage that includes? It's funny because I PM'd one of the so-called best Nugget Shooters here and got such a ridiculously low answer. Yet beginners even report higher numbers, lol. Is it true that you have to get a prospector drunk to get a straight answer? Does the ounce a day apply to Nugget Shooting or just Nome Alaska beach flower gold? And how much ground does that one ounce of nugget(s) per day cover. I figure if the expert Nugget Shooter makes one sweep every 3 seconds and covers 2' x 4' that's 76,800 square feet per day. That would be one ounce per 76,800 square feet. That sounds tiring though. ;-) Maybe 3 seconds per sweep is a little hectic after a while and 8 hours is probably more like 2 hours per day.

Thanks for data,
BD

[desertdon]

There is no answer to that question! and it can't be broken down to mathmatics. A good nugget hunter might find some gold on a given day or find none, he might occasionaly find an ounce, but rarely. A beginner might have luck and find a big nugget first time out and then find nothing for 6 months. There is no quarantee to cover any amount of ground you will find anything! Don

[sgaolson]

Another thought is, someone that is experienced also knows where to look. Knows the signs to look for and won't waste time in areas that have no productivity. There is also a degree of luck. Unless your that guy on the TV show "Numbers", I think the math equation would be a little to complicated for your average shooter. Chris's latest article in the GPAA magazine is a pretty good example.

[bigdigger]

Well I don't know about 6 months. That's a long time for a *full-timer* *expert* nugget shooter to not get nothing. I'm talking about a serious shooter who knows his/her stuff. Full-time, as in 8 solid hours per day, 5 days per week. Not a few hours per week.

Your right sgaolson. The expert shooter will greatly increase chances. Quaternary or Tertiary mountains on average are far better than others. The experienced expert looks for many signs-- rocky desert areas, fault lines and nearby gullies & ravines, Outcrops, amount of Quartz in the area, rocks, certain areas in streams, black or even ruby sand, mine tailings, etc.

I bet some really good technical expert nugget shooters can average more than an ounce per day.

BD

[dave wiseman]

Hello Bigdigger,One difference between a pro and a greenhorn is that if you put both in known gold areas the pro will find more consistently than the greenie.he knows his machine,knows the ground and knows that persistence will pay off in the long run,where as the greenhorn's detector will gather dust in the closet as he cracks another beer and keeps repeating to himself how lucky some guys are.Time spent in the field is important if it's quality time,learning from the pro's,doing the right thing.spending 8 hours a day with an untuned machine,untrained ear will find one a lucky piece now and then,but consistently,forget it.probably half the so-called pro's never even post on gold forums,so whose to know what is really found or what the averagetake from a patch will be.In OZ people may find 40 or 50 ounces and bring the same fellow over to AZ. and if he finds a pennyweight he may be lucky.As you mentioned one can know the geology,read all the signs,have the experience and stick to it attitude and still draw blanks.Like anything in life,5 percent of the people have all the money,get all the girls,find most of the gold.You don't know what the next cardout of the deck is,do you?Seek and ye shall find..butwho knows what or how much that will be...Dave

[rexb]

I was the previous "guest".

[hal747gold]

Hi Big Digger: The Question that you have offered for response is interesting. However, it is at this time without a clear cut answer, much like what the ROI is on investing a $ 1000 in lottery tickets, spending $ 4000 on a GP3500, calculating the expense of locating a patch, and what your time is worth. You probably have done a lot of research and study and seem to be a bright person but maybe be missing the point of metal detecting ( or you may have hit on a new approach that the Pros have missed.) Nuggets are not evenly deposited in the landscape and in areas with limited rainfall (such as Arizona ) may not make their way to the streams and gullies and as such maybe be randomly distributed, also the process of all this make take millions of years. Large mining companies such as Barrick and others spend millions of dollars to block out an ore body, making hundreds or even thousands of drill holes, if the numbers work out then a plant is often constructed and the mine might run for 15-20 years or longer ( the Carlin Mine in northern Nevada is a example), however the Sixteen to one mine in Alleghany, California is a pocket mine that has been in operation for one hundred years and they never know when the next 100 ounce or thousand ounce pocket may come up. They use metal detectors to scan the walls for gold.

[Texas George]

I don't think an ounce a day average is realistic. I believe JP aims for 100 oz. per year, but he is in Australia and is one of the best around and a full time prospector. So, if you were in top form, very experienced, with the best equipment and lots of perserverance in Austrialia you MIGHT get 100 oz. per year but here in the states I imagine a few ounces a year would be more like it. Remember you'll probably dig maybe 25-50+ trash targets for every nugget.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

IM sorry no body I know swings 8hrs a day 5 days a week [ try 4hrs 6 or 7 days for 1 or 2 oz.]

[bigdigger]

IM sorry no body I know swings 8hrs a day 5 days a week [ try 4hrs 6 or 7 days  for 1 or 2 oz.]

That might be true. Or better yet, very few swing 8hrs/day.

I'm wondering how many hours per day on average JP swings to get 100 ounces. 5days/week = 260 days/year. If JP swings 3-4hrs/day then that's approaching the one ounce per 8 hour day.

BTW, isn't that the same JP with hands full of fist size nuggets he recently found?

JP is obviously good, but we have to consider that JP may not be at the top of his game. I agree 1 ounce/8hr-day is a lot, but still seems obtainable. OK, consider an average 4-hr day, 5-day/week. That comes to 130 ounces per year. Personally I'd like to see someone average 130 ounces per year. You'd just have to be one sharp, knowledgeable, hustling swinger.

BD

[bigdigger]

IM sorry no body I know swings 8hrs a day 5 days a week                [ try 4hrs 6 or 7 days  for 1 or 2 oz.]

Actually, 2 ounces in 6 days @ 4hrs/day comes to 0.7 ounces per 8-hr day. That sounds about what JP is getting ... until he found all those fist size nuggets. :-)

[woodiesworld]

Actually, 2 ounces in 6 days @ 4hrs/day comes to 0.7 ounces per 8-hr day. That sounds about what JP is getting ... until he found all those fist size nuggets. :-)

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

You know finding gold on any outing is great, I've have found gold, and I been skunked more than once, but I can say that being able to get out to the great outdoors anytime I can, whether it's in the mountains or deserts of California or out in the deserts of Nevada is the most enjoyable time a person can have. Being able to enjoy that while a person can outweighs how much gold a person finds. Think of all the people who are stuck in mondaine jobs and traffic everyday who don't have that opportunity. I know I was there. Enjoy your detecting why you can because there will come the day where you won't be able to.
About what detector to use, I agree with the Minelab, it costs more but you defininately have an advantage. If you can't afford a Minelab at this time try finding a good used one or find a machine you feel comfortable with. Ask anyone on this forum who hunts and they should be able to point you in the right direction.
Enough said.

[bigdigger]

Well, I've always been curious about the potential of nugget hunting, but I see a lot of people here are being realistic. Even so, its nice to at least know the potential.

On the other hand, what about mountain lions and wild bores? The Survivorman claims that wild desert bores are dangerous and come out during daytime. Rattlesnakes are another concern. Just thinking before I hit the road.

[dave wiseman]

If you worry about every stepyour taking you won't find squat.The boar your speaking of may be javelina.Rattlesnakes are part of the game.If your out enough you'll eventually come across one or many.Just keep looking and sooner or later you'll get that yellow..Dave

[Jonathan Porter]

Gidday fellas (It's Frieda here under JP's sign-in)

The point some are missing in this thread is that when you prospect for a living, really stick it out and camp in the bush, your expenses are miniscule compared to living in the 'burbs, so you don't need to find as much gold to pay the bills. Our biggest expenses are fuel and mobile phone calls. Take-out is a rare treat. You wear daggy clothes and forget about the video rental store. The kids are grubby but happy and you never need worry about a bad-hair day!

Trying to equate days worked to gold return is a bit off-beam. It's crazy to think a prospector can work 5 days out of every week of the year. We work more hours in 5 good months during the prospecting season than a 9to5-er working all year does. In winter time JP might detect 9 hours every day for 10-11 days then a day in town for supplies/washing/mail/water and back out again for another stint. Some days he gets nothing (mostly when out prospecting virgin country) but not often as he falls back on a desperation patch in the afternoon. Other days he could hit a patch and come back with every pocket bulging and his trousers falling down! Not every day and not every week though!

The common average any full-timer generally expects is an ounce a week. Usually that's about AU$500/week (a lot more at the moment though) which even for a family, is sufficient when you live simply out bush. We have had a couple of early years when we got to the West in April (start of the prospecting season) with credit cards booked out to the max, only a few dollars in the bank and we HAD to find gold to make that month's car payment - good incentive to work! Fortunately as the years have moved on and we have 'widened our income stream' (DVDs!), it is less of a stress at the beginning of each season with more behind us.

Then you have a good few days, turn up some lumps and you sock that away for a rainy day (or live off the proceeds over the summer).

It's really just like fishing, the more your cast out the greater your chances, but no-one can guarantee the fish will bite! (and then you have to land the buggers!) Just wish I could get out there myself instead of being stuck behind this damn computer!!

Stick with it fellas - and send JP home soon!!

Regards...Frieda

[Gary]

I agree with woodiesworld 100%.
Yes, you do have to consider the critters out there...In my honest opinion, I would be more concerned with the 2 legged critters, and their propensity to do you dirty more so than the creatures you mentioned.
If you are considering going it alone, you need also consider elements, that can play a big part in your success, or lack of it. Heat stroke, from failing to hydrate, break down of your vehicle, and having to hoof it out, all need to be thoughtfully considered.
Being able to treat yourself should you have health issues, needs to be a part of your game plan. There have been more than a few people that have gone to the great beyond out in the deserts, and mountains for whatever reasons.
In my area, in Idaho, about 8 years ago, a strapping young man was elk hunting, and never got back with his group. A concentrated search was made for him, and to this day, not even a shred of evidence has been found, to give his family a clue as to what happened to him.
And to think that finding gold is a breeze, or making a living doing it, is pretty much a pipedream. Less than 20 years ago, when metal detecting for gold was in its infancy, and the only detectors were pretty much primitive coin detectors, by todays standards, there were some people that did pretty well in the gold business. But the idea of continued success in doing that now, is not facing reality.
Stick with your day job, save your money, go out and beep on weekends or on vacations, and in the long run, you will be much happier than if you chose to go against the odds of great success, chasing that gold dream.

Just my take on things..

Gary aka ~LARGO~

[Montana]

Big digger. There is most likely nobody on earth who averages one ounce a day year in and year out with a detector. The pros in Australia HOPE for 6 or 7 grams a day which will equal about minimum wage. By keeping expenses low some of the best of them manage to make a decent living. Your way of thinking supposes that nuggets are evenly scattered accross the earth . This is far from the truth with over 90% of the earths surface having no gold. Gold often comes in small patches with thousands of acres of surrounding country often barren. If you are very lucky you may hit a few of these patches in a year and get one ounce a day for a short time. And by the way , You wouldn't believe how many people have told me that the few grains of gold in the bottom of their tiny little vial is an ounce. Only fishermen B.S. people more than gold hunters. I consider myself fairly good with a detector and detected full time with no other income for almost ten years, 5 seasons of that in Australia. I detected nearly every day of those ten years. At an ounce a day I would be quite wealthy by now and I wouldn't even think about trying to make a living any other way. The reality is that for most it is a dismal income just as it always has been for all but the lucky handful that have stumbled onto a jackpot. The guy selling the whiskey and women was the one who made the money. You really need to get a good detector and go out and give it a try for a few months to experience the reality of how difficult it can be to find gold every day. Anybody who tells you that you can find an ounce of gold day after day , year after year is really jerking you around.---Bob

[bigdigger]

Thanks for replies. That was some good writing by everyone, especially JP. JP, the lifestyle you descried sounds exciting. Have you done much prospecting in the U.S.?

Bob, I didn't know you were a full-timer. Have you been nugget shooting in Alaska? How does Australia gold prospecting compare to the best areas in the U.S.?

Nugget shooting does sound like a hard unstable full-time lifestyle, but I gather it's possible. As JP said, it's pretty good incentive to find the gold when you need the money!

One last Q to the pros or full-timers. Would I need to use a deep scanner such as the Minelab GP series? I understand ML is not just a good deep scanner, but ignores magnetite and hematite, and even salty wet ground. Lets say I bought a detector that was only good for about 1 foot down. Would I be missing half the nuggets or what? Bob, has it been your recent experience that most of the surface gold (as in 1 foot deep) has been found and I would need an expensive Minelab? Could you guys give me a rough percentage just how much gold (by weight) you find at say 0 to 1 feet,1 to 2 feet, 2 to 3 feet? For example, you may find 1/4 as many larger nuggets at 2-3 feet level, but if those nuggets are on average 4 times heavier than you found just as much gold.


BD

[bigdigger]

Anyone here ever heard of the famous Blueberry bounce? They just recently showed Blueberry John on one of the Gold Prospecting t.v. shows. Did you hear when John claimed you can get one ounce per day and sometimes 2 ounces per day of Nome Alaska beach gold?

[kimble]

Nothing is black and white. Most az gold is found is under 12-10 in. deep and is grammer sized or smaller. The detector that air test at 2 ft may only detect it at 6 in under a layer of hot rocks, back sand and hot red clay. Plus throw in some outside interference and you could miss it at 1 inch deep. This is where skill comes into play big time!

The vlf machine may only punch half as deep as the Pi but may not have the interference trouble of the pi. Or detect fine speciments the the pi can't see. But most cases you need the biggest baddest pi you can get. Never go to a gun fight with a knife.

On a known patch you may spend 4 hours to cover 500 sq feet. Or looking for a new patch scan an acre in the same time.

Not a popular opinion is if you divided the total arce of Arizona mineralized ground by the number of minelabs sold or by number of experenced prospectors (last 100 years) it is not that large of number. Just like if you divide the number of elk or deer by Az population you realize why you spend 10 years to draw one stinking hunt permit. It's getting crowded around here. Unlike elk ,nuggets don't grow back.

My best luck has been going to where the pro's would pass by. And I go skunked 6 months at a time to find a few nice ones. All the known patches have been well worked over the years.

Just my opinion