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 … [Read more...]

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 … [Read more...]

Like most grizzly bears this time of year I am slowly beginning to come out of my long winter hibernation.  I will be posting more gold treasure maps and other good information. I think 2010 is going to be a good year for all of the part-time gold miners, because the price of gold has stayed high. I'll be posting something every week or two until I get tired or strike it … [Read more...]

The death toll at an illegal gold mine in South Africa has now reached 76 and it is a reminder that it simply isn't safe to venture into old mine shafts without the proper training and mining equipment.  Actually, even that is dangerous and amateurs should just not risk it.  After all, finding a hundred pound nugget would be pretty worthless if you got killed in the … [Read more...]

Anyone wanting to become a full-time miner should probably head north to Alaska, because there are vast areas of Alaska where prospectors with modern gold mining equipment have never set foot. In fact, one of the biggest advantages that modern Alaskan prospectors have over their Klondike Rush ancestors is that bush planes, four wheelers, and snowmobile make it much easier to … [Read more...]