BajaNomad

gold prospecting

meatbee - 3-3-2011 at 12:55 PM

Anyone out there with any knowledge of modern day gold prospecting in Baja ? I'm talking about small scale amateur stuff, not large scale production mining.

I'm a Northern California resident and have made several Baja trips, but none for prospecting. I have read about the old Diggings at El Arco and the Oakie Placers Puertocitos.
I've also read Herman Hill's book "Baja Hidden Gold" .

Anyone out there that has worked those or other areas with either a metal detector or a dry washer ?

Thanks in advance . meatbee

castaway$ - 3-3-2011 at 01:08 PM

I would suggest you go to BOLA and sit down with Herman he is a wealth of information. We talked with him last year and he told me quite a bit about "how" he searched for gold and some general info on where ot start looking. He is easy to find he likes to have his morning coffee in front of Guierrmos (sp?) at sunrise and he likes to tell stories at c-cktail hour.

dtbushpilot - 3-3-2011 at 01:10 PM

Hopefully someone will know what the rules are pertaining to a forigner prospecting for gold, I'd like to do some prospecting some day too......dt

sancho - 3-3-2011 at 01:42 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by dtbushpilot
Hopefully someone will know what the rules are pertaining to a forigner prospecting for gold, I'd like to do some prospecting some day too......dt



I would think it may be of limits to a tourist, I'm not sure
you can even collect shells on the beach.
I always wanted to poke around with a metal detector,
since you don't see a lot of that going on in Baja

DENNIS - 3-3-2011 at 01:49 PM

One must be very careful prospecting in Baja. All minerals belong to the government and they pay close attention to that. Having even a small dredge in a National Park could spell trouble.
I doubt dipping a pan would get anybody's attention although you are at their mercy.

burnrope - 3-3-2011 at 03:05 PM

I'd suggest using a wok instead of a traditional prospectors pan.

David K - 3-3-2011 at 07:20 PM

Paulina - 3-3-2011 at 07:40 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by Don Jorge

Yep, Herman is a hoot. When he passes on the person who finds where he has buried all the gold he has found over the last 30 years plus is going to be very rich.:tumble: Is there a lost map yet???


Sorry guys, but as I'm his only daughter, he's leaving it all to me! :P



P>*)))>{

bajatravelergeorge - 3-3-2011 at 08:12 PM

I'm a 20 year member of the Lost Dutchmens Mining Association and have extensive prospecting experience. I've worked a few areas in Baja with little to no success. In the known gold bearing areas, the Mexicans have gone over the areas with fine tooth combs, leaving very little behind. I can also tell you that if an area is at all economically feasable, considering the cheap labor thats available, it is already being worked or the right to work it is locked up. The early Mexican miners were very good at finding and cleaning out the gold areas in Baja, and California. So unless your willing to go deep into the wilderness and try to prospect something totally new, don't waste your time in Baja. Or go ahead and come on down with your equipment and give the natives something to laugh about as you search fruitlessly.:):):)

I spent an afternoon with Herman in BOLA swapping stories. What a great day that was.

Wiles - 3-3-2011 at 08:19 PM

Well Paulina, gold or no gold, you are a treasure.

Marc - 3-3-2011 at 09:12 PM

Here's a few guys you should talk to about looking for gold.

bilde.jpeg - 21kB

mcfez - 3-4-2011 at 07:54 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by Marc
Here's a few guys you should talk to about looking for gold.


I was bout to post the same trio!

The Treasure of the Sierra Madre was exceptional.

watizname - 3-4-2011 at 09:23 AM

Baages? We don't need no steenkeeng baages!!!:biggrin:

Cypress - 3-4-2011 at 01:28 PM

There's gold in them there hills.:lol:

Jack Swords - 3-4-2011 at 02:51 PM

South of La Paz there is lots of controversy about a major gold mining operation planning to open at the edge of the Biosphere de la Laguna. An old mine from Manuel Ocio's time is being reworked currently. I am acquainted with a gringo miner who is also currently exploiting an old mining area and has been for the past few years. Mineshafts abound in this area. All of these are hard-rock mining and not placer. Crushers are involved and vibrating tables. Don't know how successful these operations are as miners lie.

Jack, member GPAA (means I mine too, also lie)

Woooosh - 3-4-2011 at 03:53 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by Cypress
There's gold in them there hills.:lol:

and at $1600 an ounce now it is worth asking about for sure.