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 Replies: 24 / Views: 5,243 |
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Valued Member
United States
52 Posts |
I have borrowed my mother's metal detector and am thinking about taking my son along the river bank to see what we can find. Anyone ever have any luck along a river? I'm thinking with the recent floods, maybe something good washed up?
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
14454 Posts |
I have never really heard of anyone doing it on river banks but I would guess anywhere that they fish from would be a good place because if someone gets anything out of their pocket in that area allot then chances are a stray coin attached itself to what ever they were pulling out and fell on the ground somewhere near
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Valued Member
 United States
52 Posts |
Well, we will just have to try it if we get a good day before school starts. I'll post if we find anything.
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Rest in Peace
United States
9104 Posts |
Placer gold can be found in rivers.
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Valued Member
United States
52 Posts |
Ok, I'll show my stupidity...What is placer gold?
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Rest in Peace
United States
9104 Posts |
That's not stupidity, it's ignorance. You fix ignorance by asking questions.
In areas that have gold bearing rock, erosion eventually breaks it up and washes it downstream. When the flow slows down enough, the heavier gold drops to the bottom and tends to accumulate to where it can be detected.
If you've seen pictures of 49ers shaking a large saucer in a river, they're trying to find placer gold, which settles to the bottom of the pan. Even today, a more sophisticated pan with built-in riffles is used, the whole kit is less than $50. It's backbreaking work, but the technology is ancient.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
891 Posts |
If you know of any swimming holes I'd check those areas.
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Valued Member
United States
52 Posts |
Ok, I know how to pan, just learned on my trip to Denver this summer. I've just never heard the term "placer gold". If there is any gold in the Grand River, it's probably under the 5 feet of mud at the bottom of the river. I do know the best fishing hole though, with a big sand bar...if the recent floods haven't washed it away!
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Rest in Peace
United States
9104 Posts |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
2797 Posts |
03krafty, Quote:
I'm thinking with the recent floods, maybe something good washed up? Most of what you're looking for would not "wash up", it would sink deeper. I recommend you look for spots where people congregated for any reason in times past ... swimming hole, ferry crossing, established paths. You're in an area rich in history ... the beginnings of the Oregon Trail. There were many ferry crossings over the Missouri River in that area. Here's a neat link to maps as old as 1867 ... http://sanborn.umi.com/ You will need to log in, so here's the log-in info: Username: Residence Password: Welcome Once you're in just select the State and City. |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
6326 Posts |
I know of a "ferry crossing" here in Kansas where they said this guy made $450.00 a DAY during "season" of the Oregon Trail Crossings with wagons.......he became very wealthy through that and other endeavors. The remnants of his limestone house is still there. And his family plot cemetary is there and his reletives still come back certain years from all parts of the country to celebrate and get together there. Visitors can sign there name in a place there too.
And also, not far from there is a "Cholera Cemetery". There are some tombstones still there that they've fenced off by the State of Kansas.
Been DYING TO GO DETECTING IN THE AREA !.......BUT .....again it's now private property and trespassing.....(it's just a field pasture and a small creek/river with some wooded areas......and "out in the boonies"......but still private land !...
Edited by eaglefoot
08/06/2008 4:40 pm
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Pillar of the Community
United States
2797 Posts |
Eaglefoot, Time to get to know the owners.  If I find a spot like that I go introduce myself and be as forthcoming as possible. I would not search the cemetery ... those are off-limits in the metal detector creed. |
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Rest in Peace
United States
2668 Posts |
Quote:
I would not search the cemetery ... those are off-limits in the metal detector creed. That sorta makes sense, but I would not have considered a cemetery off=limits. Of course, I am not a metal detector owner. Is this out of courtesy to the departed, SeatedNut? ******* Also, if you can search a stream that has placer gold content, when the water level is low, search on the down-stream side of objects in the water flow. Could be good panning also. |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
2797 Posts |
Parklane64 Quote:
That sorta makes sense, but I would not have considered a cemetery off=limits. Of course, I am not a metal detector owner. Is this out of courtesy to the departed Yes it is. Folks would go ballistic if they saw someone with a metal detector digging anywhere around a grave. An old world tradition is for a surviving spouse to bury their wedding ring at the base of their spouse's headstone. Imagine the reaction of the widow/widower if they saw someone with a detector near their spouse's headstone. For these reasons and many others, it is part of the creed. |
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Valued Member
United States
52 Posts |
Eaglefoot, that sounds like a great place to detect!
SeatedNut, thank you so much for the link! I never imagined they had that kind of historical information online! I am near the Grand River in NW MO, but I would imagine they would have had to use a ferry to get across it too. I don't know of any nice little rocky streams around here, those are down in south MO, around the Ozarks, it's mostly mud creeks and rivers where I am in "flat" Missouri.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
7123 Posts |
Riverbanks are largely unproductive except those areas where people congregate in numbers .
fishing ,boating ,swimming or picnicing, camping areas .
trails and big shade trees are a good place to look , as are parking areas .
eaglefoot ,check and see if that river /creek has a right to fish set back ,, the area right along the stream or river is public ground in such cases and the land owner cannot prevent you from being on it .
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Replies: 24 / Views: 5,243 |
Posted 08/05/2008 1:44 pm
