The Lengths That Some People Go To Hide Their Gold Spots

[deepblue]

A story about a relative that went to a lot of trouble to hide he's gold nugget Location.
Back in the early days a very well known operator of gold tours would take out groups on gold detecting trips in the form of tag along groups. There would be all manner of people on these trips, a relative of mine went along on just about every trip he could to get as much experience as he could. Whilst out on one of these trips he notice the change in people in the group if gold was found all the people would rush over to see the gold that was found by the lucky prospector. Once the initial euphoria of the find had quieten down all the fellow prospectors would then start detecting around the area where the gold had been found. Bad luck to the lucky prospector who found that first nugget he now had unwelcome company to contend with.
This relative of mine happen to find a 1 ounce nugget and thought straight away do I show it to the group and straight away lose this exclusive spot or do I wait until the right moment to produce the great find. With that he carefully filled in the hole and returned the area to it's natural best then remembering where he found the nugget by drawing the location on a piece of paper. The drawing was a work of art trees and rocks all shown the wild cherry trees and the shape of the trunks. Prominent features around the area were all placed in position.
Then once all this was completed he made this way back to the group that had gather for lunch. Then produce the gold nugget to the group for examination, a great cheer went up and everybody was happy that gold had been found with that they all rushed up the gully to where they thought the nugget had been found.
Some more gold was found but they were no where near were the gold had been found safe, in the knowledge that the location was a secret he when on detecting the next day the group moved to a new location.
Over the next 20 years we went back to that location and never found that spot again. Why you ask? Well when he went home after his week in the bush with the group. All his clothes went in the wash alas so did that wonderfully drawn map of the great nugget location. As hard as we could we walked all over the gully but never found it. What was that place called Hard Lead at Beaufort. I reckon after that it should have been called Hard Luck.
There you are a true tale of fortune and misfortune long before GPS even existed.

 

[GypsyGoldAu]

No response for that but.....DOOHHH!!!!! (echoooo). 8.(

Gypsy

 

[Guest]

And if you got all those types of stories and compiled them into a book; you'd have to build a library for them. You could call the series something like, 'Are there really that many idiots in the world'.

What is it about people when they find a piece of stuff that's worth say a grand, and they lose control over themselves. It really makes me squirm with a lot of discomfort and perplexity. It's only bloody gold. It won't make you happy. It won't make you a better human being. It won't make you change bad habits or want to do great things. It's just stuff that may bring in a bit of extra cash to pay a couple of bills.

I really don't get it. All the yee-har stuff and the swearing and the jumping around. I really don't get it.

 

[nucopia]

Me too sunriseboy ..its great to find something of value or even produce it with your labour sweat and utilising your own unique knowledge or abilities to produce something..But when i read stories like this, it makes me wonder if karma is giving them a lesson in humility and a just reward for their selfish greed.
I know my most cherished memories of good fortune, are the ones that have not only benefited me , but also some one else that needed that good fortune as well.
Just imagine if he had have shared the location with some one else and not kept it to him self, its possible together they could have relocted the area together even after his map was destroyed. Now no one can benefit from his good fortune even himslef, simply because he was too greedy to share.
Gold fevor effects people in starnge ways. And More often then not in a negative way, which is a shame.

 

[G0lddigg@]

great story mate, a good tale and reminder to share with your brother man.

Gold does funny thing to people but its only gold...

 

[Keen Ken]

I have see first hand how others benefit from someone else's discovery.
It's all well and good and the good will is fine, but of those you tell there are always a few bad apples that spoil it for everyone else.
I have seen over that past few years areas absolutely hammered, even to stripping every last patch of gravel that looks like it might contain gold.
I was keen to get others involved in the past.
Our favorite panning spot was listed on a forum, within weeks there was barely a crevice you could find that hadn't been cleaned out. To make matters worse I was scraping out a small amount of gravel when two guys turned up with a ute, mattocks huge 5 hp pump and high banker, they went ape on a patch of the gully and pilled the back of the ute full as they could. Later I saw them high banking straight into the small dam nearby, dumping everything straight into the dam.
Good luck to them I hear you say, but it wouldn't take much of that to spoil this area for others, and it did.
I have never found another spot the same.
if I do, sure i'll tell trusted friends but there are vultures watching these forums ready to pounce.
Unfortunately, greed is just part of human nature and some people just can't help themselves.
Hey Sunsireboy and Nucocia, have you ever found a good patch and told virtual strangers about it ?
Try it some time.

 

[AtomRat]

I feel that we share where we find gold in the excitement and thinking that others are interested in how you went, but in truth most just generally want to know more 'easy' ground where they know gold certainly is and its selfish. If someone has the balls to share where they found good gold then you should man up and keep the spot as a memory in the respect of the person who shared that info as I'm sure they would like to give the ground a thorough go before someone else, then if they choose, they say 'go for it mate, I'm done with the spot' and then we are free to explore doubt and guilt free.

What's the point in picking up gold when you haven't found it. It shows what sort of person you are if you take advantage of info or not ask for a permission even though its not needed by laws, but if you want friends, its a respect. I know only an extremely small percentage will not take advantage of others when it comes to gold.

Bummer about your grandfather's image gone mate, obviously his trust was not with his friends and he lost a good spot due to it. Shame

 

[Redfin]

Loose lips sink ships.

You can do anything in this world if you keep it to yourself.

 

[AtomRat]

At the same time you can't achieve anything without others.

..its just one of those things. Life's a gamble everyday

 

[Heatho]

When I go out gold detecting I like everyone who is there to get a bit. There are arguments for and against sharing a spot like that though, depends who you're detecting with.

 

[AtomRat]

That's right as well.. It all depends on who too.I'm sure many of us here share a lot with each other freely knowing that respect is kept between us all but there's definitely people watching this site and ripping up ground just because they read a name. Someone who has no clue but a large machine has turned over a local creek throwing the rock everywhere leaving holes for 1km. Not only that, but they are now tempting fate and others fate by hacking at a 1970s mine. Obviously have gear and equipment like detectors but have no clue for knowledge. I hope the roof collapses on them because they have totally weakened the shale and domed arch the tunnel one had. Rock is everywhere now and a mess. What the hell..

 

[nucopia]

Not every one is worthy of trust, so knowing who to trust and how much they can be trusted is a difficult judgment call.
Its something that develops through small tests and observations over time.
In the story above, not trusting at least someone led to a loss that could have been avoided.
If it was me, I might have kept the discovery of the nuggets secret, but looked for some one in the group who I thought I could trust and asked them to remember the location and how to return in the future. Then made sure to not to leave a detailed map in my pocket to get washed and destroyed.
Keen Ken
I know a few places for alluvial gold but the exact locations are on private land.
So I guess i am lucky in that the owners of the land trust me to do the right thing on their land and i never do anything that would destroy their trust in me nor something that would give them reason to.

 

[SteelPat]

I have a friend I go detecting with who lives close to the area we detect. If I get a lead on an area, I let him know and he scouts the area before we head out on a weekend to see how scrubby the area is, how well its been worked etc. I trust that he isnt going to clean the area out before I get there, but I know if I shared the info with others, there would be a mass of new diggings before I got out on the weekend.

That being said, I have talked to many prospectors online (most I have never met) who are quite willing to share spots they have found gold. Admittedly they have probably cleaned the area out (or so they think ) but its nice on their part that they are willing to share.

Gold is a funny thing. Some people it has very little effect on but others can be turned into sneaky backstabbing @ssholes in the blink of an eye. Rumours abound of several prospectors who get info from others (others who have done a load of research) and then go and grid and rake the area and clean the spot out leaving nothing behind.

 

[Redfin]

Now gents, let me put a scenario to you.

You stumble across a 'screamer' and start uncovering the target, which gets bigger, and bigger, and bigger and there it is.
a HUGE piece of gold. 100 ounces plus.

Now are you really going to share your spot?

 

[SCROUNGER]

Very very good Redfin. :lol:

 

[SteelPat]

I will let you know after this weekend as to what I do with my 100 ounce piece.

If I was out with my mate, then I would share it with him. We have both said that if we get something huge, we would share. With others... not sure. I would probably look at it on an individual basis.

I would share it with those that have shared info with me, helped me out with settings etc... after I have given the area a reasonable going over first of course.

 

[nuggetino]

If I found a 100 ounce nugget I'd happily share my spot, once I'm done with it that is.

 

[scottlucky]

I have described prospecting as "land fishing" to my cynical friends.
I love fishing but how many times do you go out on a boat for 5 hours and not get a bite?
Or the tide is wrong, or the wind is up.
That's what I like about this hobby. You always get a bite to keep you interested, but rarely a keeper.

Fisherman have always shared their spots, but never exactly, unless you are on the boat. lol

 

[Brutus and me]

You just have to walk into coilteck and see the vultures having coffee to know to keep ya mouth shut!!!!!

 

[deepblue]

I'm glad my story has brought so interest to the forum but it's more than obvious that quite a few of the members have never been out with a tour group. I believe that the circumstances may be different if they had. Having been there and done that I have seen how gold changes prospectors.
cheers db