Claim jumpers

[Goldtarget]

Headed out today to my new favourite spot and guess who I ran into....the bloke I'd met there less than a week ago all set up and digging the EXACT bend, I mean literally the same ground I was in a couple days back. Out in the field I'm a nice guy, I like to share the luck, and swap war stories. I like meeting other prospectors and sharing the great outdoors, but this is the height of hide. I don't own it, but I figure if I sampled it over a couple of hours and I started digging it well i should have the option to give it up. I played nice and let it go trying my luck up and downstream, but its the sort of thing that's bound to turn me into a stark raving looney one day, surely there's enough real estate out there to pick another spot hey?Todays total half gram....but like Arnie I'll be back. So if anyone else has had this happen jump right on in here, I'll listen.

 

[HeadsUp]

usually the rule is if you're coming back to dig the same hole you would leave a shovel in the hole if your camped nearby

these days though people are likely to steal your shovel

so the other option is to put a plastic bucket in the hole with your name written on the side , experienced diggers know what it means and will respect it

the problem is that if you leave a shovel or a bucket in the hole you will get some sneaky greedy bloke with a touch of gold fever who thinks to himself that the hole must be a good one if you intend coming back to it so they will jump in a start digging until they get that rock bouncing off the back of their head.

general rule is you dont dig another blokes hole unless he says " hey mate come and have a dig with us "

these are rules . but there are a couple of old timer guys who will jump in your hole as soon as you leave and dont give a stuff about anyone ......... 8)

 

[Guest]

Where abouts are you gold target? I'll look after ya dig site when your not there?

 

[Goldtarget]

Well i just busted my shovel (does anyone make a decent shovel anymore) so I'll be sure to insert it nice and deep next time. Maybe its karma for running others tailings, i dunno mate i wonder if its just everyone for themselves sometimes. Took a drive up Scotsmans Rd yesterday rake backs and detector holes everywhere. Guess who fixed it? Throwing rocks hey? Hmmm you might be onto something.

 

[Goldtarget]

Where abouts are you gold target? I'll look after ya dig site when your not there?

I'm sure you'd hit every sub Grammer in that stretch. Near Whroo just of the track...its all i can say.

 

[gcause]

What you do is pretend to be really interested in another spot nearby that's a duffer and whoop it up as if you've found something big. Then leave as if you are off to tell your mates about it, stay away for about fifteen minutes chances are your claim jumper will be in the new duffer spot and you can go reclaim your original hole.

 

[gcause]

Well i just busted my shovel (does anyone make a decent shovel anymore) so I'll be sure to insert it nice and deep next time. Maybe its karma for running others tailings, i dunno mate i wonder if its just everyone for themselves sometimes. Took a drive up Scotsmans Rd yesterday rake backs and detector holes everywhere. Guess who fixed it? Throwing rocks hey? Hmmm you might be onto something.

I just bought a Fiskars from Bunnings the same model as someone posted recently in the today I bought section, it's a great shovel can go all day on that one without breaking your back like some. It the one with the pointed nose on it.

 

[Greglz86]

Well I have a confession to make. I have done this in the past. Long before I had the highbanker I helped myself to a hole that had been left behind.
I was still fairly new to the game and wasn't familiar with prospecting etiquette and helped myself. I got my first picker out of that hole and ran away like I had just won lotto ha ha.
The next day I went to the same spot. I looked at the hole but not to dig. But to try and work out why the gold was there and try and find my own spot.
I found one. It didnt have much but finding your own sppots with what you have learnt is much more satisfying than being cheeky and jumpping claims.

 

[Guest]

Where abouts are you gold target? I'll look after ya dig site when your not there?

I'm sure you'd hit every sub Grammer in that stretch. Near Whroo just of the track...its all i can say.

lol' just heard about an interesting spot not far from whroo also have access to private land in the same area if ya keen to meet up for a full day detecting? Would have to be a few weeks tho as I'm flat out at work and it will be a bit muddy the next few weeks.

 

[Goldtarget]

I'm pretty hard on them, I'll check it out. Is it wooden handle though, if it is it won't last. Got 5 months out of this one, fiberglass handle snappo. Moved some cubics though. Problem is the best stuff is hard to get to, last shovel i took in under warranty they rejected, the handle was ok, i sheared the mouth. Maybe i can put the two together and see if there's any life left. If someone makes one they claim is unbreakable I'll test it out.

 

[HeadsUp]

Well I have a confession to make. I have done this in the past. Long before I had the highbanker I helped myself to a hole that had been left behind.
I was still fairly new to the game and wasn't familiar with prospecting etiquette and helped myself. I got my first picker out of that hole and ran away like I had just won lotto ha ha.
The next day I went to the same spot. I looked at the hole but not to dig. But to try and work out why the gold was there and try and find my own spot.
I found one. It didnt have much but finding your own sppots with what you have learnt is much more satisfying than being cheeky and jumpping claims.

in your defence , how do you know if the digger left the hole there because they were lazy and had no intention of coming back ?

If i intend going back i will leave an old holed bucket in the hole with a message on the side and a rock in the bucket

if we win access rights to continue fossicking as we have been with sluices and highbankers , EVERYONE has to really lift their game in regards to what we do in the field.

tidying up our dig sites

filling our holes

putting out campfires

placing our highbanker discharge so it runs on to a gravel bar or sand bar to filter out any turbidity

and most important of all check yourself to make sure you're not showing any builders bumcrack

 

[Goldtarget]

Where abouts are you gold target? I'll look after ya dig site when your not there?

I'm sure you'd hit every sub Grammer in that stretch. Near Whroo just of the track...its all i can say.

lol' just heard about an interesting spot not far from whroo also have access to private land in the same area if ya keen to meet up for a full day detecting? Would have to be a few weeks tho as I'm flat out at work and it will be a bit muddy the next few weeks.

I'll be spending more time that way shortly. Anytime your heading over just pm me, this area is getting busy. I'm more of an alluvial chaser, the old F75 is not much good except for checking overburden. I know my way around there and have some private land i can get on that's gold bearing if you run out of spots. That said happy to swap notes, might be lucky enough to get a hold of a detector if I know in advance. Had some good days with a GMT with a mate its definitely still around. That's how i got onto this spot smashing a few small bits on the uphill side of the gully. Would love to see the TDI in action.

 

[G0lddigg@]

unfortunately mate its just how it is no point getting upset about it anymore i lose spots every week nowadays. My last one I spent two days heading downstream in an area where everyone is digging upstream, sampled sampleds some more found a nice run of really fine gold like 30/40 colours per pan nice and worked it for an hour 1 gram. came back the next day spend an another 30 min sampling around a bit to see if the paystreak continued nope... went back to it. as I was digging away a nice couple pulled up in their camper and setup for the week. They setup up stream same as everyone else does. came back sparro fart 6am guess whos in my spot digging the exact hole i started....

well even thought I went and had a chat with them and they were nice so I fixed a few issue they had with their highbanker it still woudn me up a bit. They offered to move and I said nah dont worry about it mate. went there yesterday to check it out the paystreak i cleared out two metres deep and about 3 metres wide. everyone just jumps right in when another leavs.

only thing that i dont get it for me 95% of the fun is finding good gold the rest is mostly digging like a demon and busting my hands up on clay.

re your shovel get yourself one of these mate they are heaven!!! and guess what they come with a lifetime warranty.... :lol:

 

[Goldtarget]

Ooooooh lifetime warranty. Sounds likes a challenge. You are absolutely spot on, its about the good gold. No jokes I got 6 grams out of that bend on a clay bench i spent so much time sampling and digging it I was so upset. I haven't had a day like that for a while. I'm upset because I basically opened up to this guy trying to be friendly and for whatever reason he just had to dig it, no sampling, no walking. Apologising to me was a start but an admission of guilt. I've been to some primo sites with other people who've shared their secret and NEVER would I just go and dig it up. Maybe I'm selfish, but I tell you now if I go back and see where i just stated another streak upstream and its been dug I'll just put the gps coordinates up for every man and his dog to hit, because if my hard work is for nothing I'll be sure his is too. I didn't ask him for his nuggets he got in the area, if you catch my drift.

 

[Goldtarget]

Where would I pick one up GD?

 

[HeadsUp]

unfortunately mate its just how it is no point getting upset about it anymore i lose spots every week nowadays. My last one I spent two days heading downstream in an area where everyone is digging upstream, sampled sampleds some more found a nice run of really fine gold like 30/40 colours per pan nice and worked it for an hour 1 gram. came back the next day spend an another 30 min sampling around a bit to see if the paystreak continued nope... went back to it. as I was digging away a nice couple pulled up in their camper and setup for the week. They setup up stream same as everyone else does. came back sparro fart 6am guess whos in my spot digging the exact hole i started....

well even thought I went and had a chat with them and they were nice so I fixed a few issue they had with their highbanker it still woudn me up a bit. They offered to move and I said nah dont worry about it mate. went there yesterday to check it out the paystreak i cleared out two metres deep and about 3 metres wide. everyone just jumps right in when another leavs.

only thing that i dont get it for me 95% of the fun is finding good gold the rest is mostly digging like a demon and busting my hands up on clay.

re your shovel get yourself one of these mate they are heaven!!! and guess what they come with a lifetime warranty.... :lol:

i dug a hole for 3 days up in Northern NSW and came back the next morning to find two people in it

i pulled no punches . i just said "gee you must have got here early to be in my hole so quick . i didnt even finish it yet"

they apologised and moved downstream 20 metres ...... brrrr

other days i wouldnt give a stuff but that day i was in my "angry elephant mode"

its something i do , usually i am a very placid gentle natured bloke ...... but once in a blue moon i get a bit cranky and anyone that knows me classifies my dummy spits as a Cat 5 Storm warning and they stand well back

 

[G0lddigg@]

Where would I pick one up GD?

Got mine at masters mate. And yeh I feel your pain mate I think im just used to it now as ive lost so many solid spots in the past 12 months.

At least you know what your doing mate which is more than what most can say

 

[G0lddigg@]

unfortunately mate its just how it is no point getting upset about it anymore i lose spots every week nowadays. My last one I spent two days heading downstream in an area where everyone is digging upstream, sampled sampleds some more found a nice run of really fine gold like 30/40 colours per pan nice and worked it for an hour 1 gram. came back the next day spend an another 30 min sampling around a bit to see if the paystreak continued nope... went back to it. as I was digging away a nice couple pulled up in their camper and setup for the week. They setup up stream same as everyone else does. came back sparro fart 6am guess whos in my spot digging the exact hole i started....

well even thought I went and had a chat with them and they were nice so I fixed a few issue they had with their highbanker it still woudn me up a bit. They offered to move and I said nah dont worry about it mate. went there yesterday to check it out the paystreak i cleared out two metres deep and about 3 metres wide. everyone just jumps right in when another leavs.

only thing that i dont get it for me 95% of the fun is finding good gold the rest is mostly digging like a demon and busting my hands up on clay.

re your shovel get yourself one of these mate they are heaven!!! and guess what they come with a lifetime warranty.... :lol:

i dug a hole for 3 days up in Northern NSW and came back the next morning to find two people in it

i pulled no punches . i just said "gee you must have got here early to be in my hole so quick . i didnt even finish it yet"

they apologised and moved downstream 20 metres ...... brrrr

other days i wouldnt give a stuff but that day i was in my "angry elephant mode"

its something i do , usually i am a very placid gentle natured bloke ...... but once in a blue moon i get a bit cranky and anyone that knows me classifies my dummy spits as a Cat 5 Storm warning and they stand well back

Haha we can all bear our teeth every now and then mate I just try not to get too would up these days or Ill emd up blowing my top. Woooahhh they moved 20 metres..... hahah

 

[Guest]

Cheers Goldtarget I don't spend a lot of time that way anymore but I should as I'm about 35min drive I guess' I'm pretty keen to check out this spot tho' if I get keen enough I'll bring the GMZ for ya' we call it the loaner but generally it's the only detector that has a find for the day.

 

[Goldtarget]

Cheers Goldtarget I don't spend a lot of time that way anymore but I should as I'm about 35min drive I guess' I'm pretty keen to check out this spot tho' if I get keen enough I'll bring the GMZ for ya' we call it the loaner but generally it's the only detector that has a find for the day.

I could check it out for you while you mind my diggings! Sounds like a plan.