Hobbies And Interests
Panning
Gold panning is the most common tool of the gold prospector. A standard gold pan is shallow, about 18 inches across, with a flat bottom. Panning is used to quickly check a stream for the presence of gold, or to separate gold from the lighter materials around it. Panning is done by placing a few handfuls of gold-bearing dirt into the pan, and using water to gently wash the lighter materials away from any gold particles. This is a skill that takes a little practice to master, but it is very effective at collecting gold from soil samples.
Sluicing
While panning is quick and effective at separating gold from small quantities of dirt, it is time-consuming to process a large amount of material with a pan. Sluicing is used to "pre-process" large quantities of dirt and gravel, isolating only the heaviest particles and holding them for further processing to remove the gold. Prospecting sluices are narrow, open-top troughs, usually no more than 18 inches wide and four to six feet long. A constant flow of water carries dirt through the sluice and over a series of ridges called "riffles," which trap heavier particles (including gold) while the remainder of the material washes out the other end of the sluice. Because of this reliance on a constant water flow, sluicing is only practical near a running water source such as a stream.
Metal Detecting
Metal detectors are quickly becoming an indispensable tool of gold prospectors. A well-practiced prospector with a decent detector can cover large areas of ground quickly, and locate a nugget of gold the size of a pinhead. This tool, with its speed and wide coverage, is used to determine the best areas to set up more traditional mining equipment such as a sluice. Some prospectors use detectors almost exclusively, hunting for gold nuggets instead of gold particles. While nuggets large enough to be detected are not nearly as common as other types of gold deposits, the results of so-called "nugget shooting" can be impressive--and profitable.