Fill Your Bloody Holes in

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I know this subject has been around for ages but we have been getting many complaints lately about un-filled holes being left open by detector operators. This must stop NOW as the authorities only need an excuse to shut us down. And this will be one of the excuses that they need. I have hear they have already shut down parts of Stuart Mill area because of this. I'm not directing this message to any one particular organised, club or web site or person. We have all forked out many thousands of dollar on detectors and such so we can enjoy this great hobby. But if people keep leaving their holes open we might as well put our detector in the cupboard and forget about it. It takes more time to dig a hole than it takes to fill it. If you fall into this description and don't fill your holes in, then either change your ways or get out of this hobby and stop spoiling it for others.
wombat ;)
 
Thats so true,every where l go there are unfilled holes. It seems those deep holes we dig for no result are susceptable to being left unfilled. Just because you dont find gold doesnt change your obligation to fill in the hole. If you do see an unfilled hole fill it yourself, it only takes a minute
 
My 2c worth... So often when i watch a youtube vid i see the detection and the dig and the find, but rarely the hole filled in. I guess it happens and the poster doesnt think it worthy of inclusion. Think of the fishing vids, they always show the fish being released now to encourage catch and release. Maybe a quick shot of tbe filled hole would help encourage newbies that arent in a group or club for some education, that that is the correct way to do things.
 
What a load of crap......Mullock heaps with huge deep holes left by the old timer alluvial diggings everywhere as far as the eye can see.

Echidna holes and diggings searching for ants, wallaby holes left after a days shading from the sun near a shady tree etc etc etc.

I don't support leaving your holes unfilled at anytime and It should not be condoned, but your pointing the finger at fellow prospectors who's unfilled holes are insignificant compared to the fauna and miners destruction before us!

Its the PMAV's and the environmentalists bullshit excuse as to why we are being pushed out. They will latch on to the easy out everytime.

The bush is a self healing entity and will long still be there after we are all dead and buried with our gpx 5000's

My 2 cents!
 
Im seeing it more and more last few months.

Most place the old diggings are starting to blend in a bit with leaf litter ect.
But a place i was in yesterday looked disgusting with all the open holes everywhere standing out like popped pimples.
The open holes i detected in i kicked the dirt back in,but the rest of the holes.......well im there to find gold not fill in other peoples holes.
Does give me the shits a bit trying to do the right thing when others refuse.
 
Numb_Thumb said:
What a load of crap......Mullock heaps with huge deep holes left by the old timer alluvial diggings everywhere as far as the eye can see.

Echidna holes and diggings searching for ants, wallaby holes left after a days shading from the sun near a shady tree etc etc etc.

I don't support leaving your holes unfilled at anytime and It should not be condoned, but your pointing the finger at fellow prospectors who's unfilled holes are insignificant compared to the fauna and miners destruction before us!

Its the PMAV's and the environmentalists bullshit excuse as to why we are being pushed out. They will latch on to the easy out everytime.

The bush is a self healing entity and will long still be there after we are all dead and buried with our gpx 5000's

My 2 cents!
Click to expand...

i gotta say I agree with both points of view however lets not give oxygen to our detractors and aid their fallacious comments.... drag your boot across your hole and fill it in. Same rules as when on the golf course or get yourself banned.

casper
 
People gotta make sure they keep the dirt handy next to the hole as they are digging too, easy to refill then after the retrieval. It's when people scatter dirt far from the hole in their rush and haste that they can't find enough dirt to fill the hole to the top again, leaving depressions as a result ,... it's not really blame able on fever pitch frenzy, it's just bad form that needs rehabituation in no short order by those that find themselves feeling guilty of the bad practice. ;) 8)
 
There is dirt a plus out bush in the gold fields silver, we are not talking about park coin shooting here!

I could bury a body easily with just the top loam soil available alone in the fields of gold.

Your right, there is no excuse for filling in a hole, its easy, but my point is that those who bash others for leaving them unfilled are those that really know nothing about the bush.
They are computer prospectors who support the crap that the authorities are trying to use against us!

You may blame us for feeling guilty about bad practice, but your not with us in the field when we are planting ironbarks and greybox trees we grow from seed in our own backyards in order to regenerate the state forests we care so much about.

Give back to the bush what we take is my motto! A fricken pick scrape left unfilled means nothing to a land that has suffered much worse by the rush of the 1800's.

If your on a 'pick on gold prospector' campaign, show me the evidence of the damage!
 
Yeah, I'm really only on the part of the urbanites in my comment, know fully the regenerative power of Guiana and gravity. :cool:
 
I am a newbie to prospecting but always fill in the holes after me.
As Wolfy suggested it would be good on the videos to show people filling in the holes
after finding their nuggets.
The idea might stick !!! :rolleyes:
 
Numb_Thumb said:
There is dirt a plus out bush in the gold fields silver, we are not talking about park coin shooting here!

I could bury a body easily with just the top loam soil available alone in the fields of gold.

Your right, there is no excuse for filling in a hole, its easy, but my point is that those who bash others for leaving them unfilled are those that really know nothing about the bush.
They are computer prospectors who support the crap that the authorities are trying to use against us!

You may blame us for feeling guilty about bad practice, but your not with us in the field when we are planting ironbarks and greybox trees we grow from seed in our own backyards in order to regenerate the state forests we care so much about.

Give back to the bush what we take is my motto! A fricken pick scrape left unfilled means nothing to a land that has suffered much worse by the rush of the 1800's.

If your on a 'pick on gold prospector' campaign, show me the evidence of the damage!
Click to expand...

Sorry Nump_Thump but I don't fully agree with your comments. Not filling in your holes is "NO" excuse and a lazy and irresponsible practice. Just because the old times left their holes wide open 150+years ago, does not mean we should today. If you want to get technical those diggings from the past can be classified as a Heritage listed and you can't really detect on them. But the authorities have not pushed that issue as yet. You also have stated :- They are computer prospectors who support the crap that the authorities are trying to use against us! I can ashore you that these authorities at you stated are the ones that will shut down the goldfield because of unfilled holes and anything else they can get their grubby little hands on. As I started this topic, I do not classify myself as a computer prospector. I'm out there with the best of them as I live in the goldfields. It takes less time to fill in your holes than it takes digging them. Good practice means good results. Also why go and show others " hey have a look at all the holes that I left behind and all the target that I have been getting. Come and see if I have left anything behind" The people that leaves holes open are showing other that they are irresponsible, lazy, and they don't give a sh!t about their fellow prospectors.
You also stated :-If your on a 'pick on gold prospector' campaign, show me the evidence of the damage! We're not talking about the damage we're talking about the environmentalist and the authorities, giving them an excuse to shut the goldfields down. They have now shut down parts of Stuart Mill for exactly that reason, unfilled holes in an area where prospecting was not aloud. If the holes were filled in no one would have known that there was activity even there.
We all, including you, have spent many thousand of $'s on this hobby and I'm sure you what to get full use of those dollars. But leaving holes open and you might as well say good bye to those $'s You also stated that :-
Its the PMAV's and the environmentalists bullshit excuse as to why we are being pushed out. They will latch on to the easy out every time. I'm just wondering if this "push out happens" (as you stated) if you may be the first one to put their hands up say "Why didn't the PMAV do anything to stop this from happening. Mate it just takes a bit of education and good practice to fill in your holes. That way the authorities will be happy, the environmentalist will be happy, the prospecting community in general will be happy, and we all can get on enjoying this great hobby of ours for years to come. And we would not now be having this discussion or topic.
I hope mate that you are, personally a responsible person that does fill his holes in.
wombat ;)
 
Wombat, you can't tell or force the greedy idiots. They do whatever the hell they want and ruin it for everyone. I'm pretty fed up of what I've seen out there and don't expect the use to be available for long. I've tried for a long time.. lots of people make up weak excuses for laziness. Lazy. Lazy lazy. Greedy greedy greedy. Those who don't fill, do not have the respect to be called a prospector from me or need their miners right. A prospector respects and repairs the area, and if possible, finds solutions, not just do it 'because'.
 
Jaros said:
It's an interesting topic. Has anyone seen an episode of Gold Rush where Hoff, Parker or Beets actually re-establish the land that they churn up??
Click to expand...

It's mentioned in the specials that it's part of their requirements to rehabilitate the claims they work like any mining company.

Just like it's a requirement of our miners rights to fill in our holes.
 
My two bobs worth..and that's probably with inflation...

Running the argument that the old timers did this or that so why shouldn't we follow those practises just doesn't fly imo. Most of us no longer see it as OK to clear fell land, run sewerage down open drains, dig up native plants willy nilly, kill as many wild animals as we see fit etc etc etc.
The trouble is that no amount of education regards people taking personal responsibility will ever eliminate the 'bottom feeders' who don't give a shite about others.
Leaving fires smouldering on days leading up to days where they're predicting fire bans (i've put out three fires left smouldering in the GT this summer alone), dumping drink tins and plastic water bottles out in the diggings (not around camps, out amongst the diggings where detectorists go), toilet paper not covered over etc etc.
I've seen unfilled holes left after people from this forum ( i don't know who's done it, but it was after members were detecting) have gone through an area, so if people who are obviously keen enough to come on here aren't giving a shite that they may loose their rights to prospect then i think it's eventually going to be a losing battle unfortunately.
I'm of the opinion that if you dig it you fill it, and then at least when the 'hobby' is closed down i can sleep with a clear conscience.
This might not go down well with some here, but many of the holes i'm seeing not filled in aren't the small holes, they are deep and large in circumference which indicates to me people who are using machines that are punching deep and locating hard to pin point targets. Perhaps after they've dug for half an hour or so in the tough conditions without pinging gold they're pissed off and don't give a shite and can't be bothered filling them back in?
 
All we need do is go that part extra mile each time towards filling in old holes, and cart away that bit of rubbish that we can without it being a burden, and slowly but surely things will get better and the grubs will learn by example or be prosecuted along the way.
I always pick up what i can fit in the bum bag extra in the way of rubbish to leave it a bit better than when I got there, and definately tidy up any holes as I go (where I walk) to make sure no one can point the finger at me at all ,... leaves me feeling good, and like my outing had a dual purpose from the outset.
In so saying though, I can imagine the overwhelming feelings of inability when confronted with a goldfeilds situation of moonscape proportions with rubbish and toilet paper souring the vista with 150 years of junk, rust, and lead as well hiding the gold, with the thoughts of what can I do behind a shaking head and scornful brow ,.... well, it's a case of do what you can, and don't worry about the rest. ;)
 
I have back filled most of mine, but I have been guilty (generally sore or tired). I left one open last weekend as I'm considering digging further, but otherwise will fill it. I will mend my ways and make up by filling more that I dig. In my weak defence though, I generally remove a lot of other's junk.
 
A problem that obviously won't go away ...... from what I've seen of late I'd say 70% of 'diggings' that I've seen on the last few trips have been 'filled'. 100% would be better but ???

Interested in your views on the growing practice of 'raking' Wombat ........ seeing more and more of this and often wonder how significant his is to future erosion.
Haven't started doing it myself as yet but as previously successful locations start to 'dry up' it's a tempting option.

Cheers Tom
 

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