I'm a noobie here and plan on making my first trip to obtain wealth beyond my wildest dreams in May or June. I'm going to go out to South Dakota. The GPAA guide is a little confusing to me as to what I will be able to do. Are there any South Dakota members here I can contact to get some answers? Thanks...........
Steve
Replies
Steve,
Prospecting here in South Dakota is a right place at the right time deal. The gold is not so much scarce just very fine in most places. It takes a lot of time and hiking and research to find the bigger stuff. I am a member of the black hills gold prospectors and they do have some very nice claims that i have done very well on. the garnet claim is the one that can be dredged or highbanked. dredges have to 3" or smaller to be used here. If you really want to go to a gpaa claim try the husker north of sturgis, i have never been disappointed there, and the gold is bigger. I live in Belle Fourche, SD, in the summer i am out prospecting all the time. Dennis Hillberg and i get the yellow fever quite often so give one of us a holler and maybe we can meet up when you are out here. the first pic is a few days at the husker, second pic is a nugget i found metal detecting, third pic is six and a half days at the garnet.
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I like the pics. And thanks for the info. I want to come out a time or two in late spring and see how I like it and figure out the logistics of getting out there and staying for a few days. I live about 90 miles almost due south of Albert Lea, MN so the trip to Rapid City or Sturgis is a long day. If I find that the trip isn't too expensive and I can afford to go out a few times a year I may join the Black Hills group to take advantage of more opportunities. I'm getting anxious to give this a try and I'm really hoping that I enjoy it. Retirement is great but it's also pretty boring sometimes. I was going to either build another race car or hot rod or go traveling. Prospecting will let me go traveling with the bonus of maybe being rewarded with gold for my efforts. Building and maintaining a car is like having a wife. I've had a wife before. I think traveling and prospecting will be a lot cheaper.
I can tell from all of the responses I've received here and from the conversations I've had in the chat room that all of you have become extremely wealthy from this hobby and I am looking forward to moving up into another tax bracket.
Panning, sluicing, and detecting is allowed. Motorized equipment requires a permit. :-P
The Black Hills Prospecting club has four large claims, One new claim south of Spearfish the Good One is said to be a three mile hike, high banking is allowed on their Garnet claims and dredging with less that 2.5in nozzle in one area (a man I bought dredge/hibanker from said he got one ounce in nine days here) cameras are in the trees here too. Check out their site. They want $150 for new members.
http://www.blackhillsprospectingclub.com/
A man by the name Lew Wight operates the glory hole in Rochford and does tourist things like taking people panning in the hills, He lives south of Mystic I have his number if your interested.
http://www.49ermike.com/dc/dcboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=181&...The Fillmore Mine Co has three claims on Potato Creek and let tourist pan for $25 and sluice for $50 a day.
http://fillmorelodge.com/Fillmore_contact.html
And the Gpaa claims near Rochford are easy to find as is the Husker between Deadwood and Sturgis...
And lots of other private claims a person might be able to get permission to work.
For South Dakota/Wyoming/Montana claim records call the Blm office at 406-896-5326
Shoot me a pm if you like. I have done some research.. :)
This book has some good info to
http://www.blackcatmining.com/book-map/gold-panning-south-dakota.cfm
http://www.miningbooks.com/servlet/the-558/Gold-Panners-guide-Black...Hi Steve: I live in Rapid City and have prospected a bit out here in S.D. Most of the land is on National Forest Property, some of it is wilderness and no prospecting allowed. Other than panning and sluicing you would need a permit. There is a club out here, the black hills prospectors and they have a few claims. There are several gold bearing creeks and there are many active claims. You would have to contact the Forest Service office to check out what they allow and where. I do not know of anyone who does very well out here, lots of fine gold, some course but it's difficult to get to. The hills gold was mostly "lode" underground such as the famous homestake mine near Lead, S.D. J.B.
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