A large number of lands are still open to mineral location, but you should know where to find them.

If you’re a citizen of the United States, a corporation, or even a non-citizen who has declared your intention to become one, you can locate a mining claim.

A mining claim gives the holder the right to mine on federal land, while a patent gives him outright ownership of mineral-rich land that belongs to the federal government.

Federal lands can be determined from maps, however there are no maps representing mining claims.

A mining claim can be located on these lands which are open to mineral location. If you have a specific piece of land in mind and no active claims are shown on the county’s records, the land may then be open for staking.

Here is a pretty good Ebook put out by the Bureau of Land Management that will explain things better: BLM Mining Info.

Premieres Friday, December 3 2010 at 10PM ET/PT

Follows six men who, in the face of an economic meltdown, risk everything – their families, their dignity, and in some cases, their lives – to strike it rich mining for gold in the wilds of Alaska.

Inspired by his father Jack, Todd Hoffman of Sandy, Oregon, leads a group of greenhorn miners to forge a new frontier and save their families from dire straits.

While leasing a gold claim in Alaska, Todd and his company of newbies face the grandeur of Alaska as well as its hardships, including an impending winter that will halt operations and the opportunity to strike gold. In an effort to keep the operation running, the team takes fate into their own hands with a make or break venture that will change their lives forever. Read the rest of this entry

OK, so I am running a little late after lovely April 15th.  Well, now I need to get back to helping you find some gold to keep the government running along with your fat taxes from the big gold you find, because I am sure that you report every single ounce you find.

Oregon has had significant gold production over the years.  This document is a solid twenty-three page historical document on gold mining in Oregon.

Oregon has a lot of things going for it, because lots of the state has plenty of water.  Also, there is lots of government land which makes it easy to find places to file a claim.

Check it out!

Oregon Gold Mining

As many of you know I’m a big believer that most of the significant gold is actually found during your research and museums are an often overlooked place to do research, particularly if you are stumped.  I have found that looking at museums often give me a better feel for a project than say just reading or searching for information online, because the museum displays give you both an overview of mining in a given region, but also specific details about mining techniques, equipment, and production that you may not have known.

photo credit: nerdcoregirl

More importantly, even if you know all of the information in the exhibits, seeing the information explain in visual form may help spark some ideas you had never considered about where you might want to prospect and other research ideas.

Also, some of the old gold mining equipment might really be useful to you, because the old timers used a variety of methods that we no longer use for a variety of reasons.  However, you might be able to use your equipment a little more effectively or perhaps decide to build a piece of your own gear.  Most of the old stuff tends to be heavier and harder to use, but it depends on your situation.

Anyhow, here is the link for Mining Museums

Strike It Rich!

OK, usually I give you leads that you can use to make a little money if you study the detail, but today I am tossing you a clue to keep you from losing money.  There is no doubt that you can get scammed if you buy a claim or even invest into a larger commercial mine.

This document was put together by the Arizona Department of Mines and Minerals to help people avoid getting scammed.

It also has some clues about where you might want to go prospecting.

Check it out!

Arizona Gold Mining Scams