# "In Their Element" Prospecting Article



## Rag and Bone (Jun 19, 2008)

http://travel.nytimes.com/2008/06/20/travel/escapes/20gold.html?hp

This is a recent NYTimes article about a prospecting resurgence in America. Many find themselves attracted to prospecting for the chance to be in nature. That's great. If you really want to find some gold, I suggest finding it in your neighborhood in electronics and other sources. I laugh my ass off watching panning videos of guys squinting to see specks of gold as I dismantle old, heavy electronics.

The same natural experience can be found without digging up streams and running generators out in the woods. (hike, fish, hunt, bird-watch, explore, forage etc.)

If you forgot (or never learned) the wages paid by reckless land use, consult the Mississippi.


----------



## sawmill (Jun 20, 2008)

There is a huge chance the metals you are refining
came from some third world country. Probably mined
by near slave labor with copious amounts of mercury,
and toxic methods.
No environmental rules or rehabilitation of the land or
water. Smelted or refined the same way.
Post your address and we can send the county,state
and federal inspectors over ,to give you an award for 
being so green and environment friendly. They may
want to see some permits,bonds,insurance,and check
zoning regulations. 
If it wasn't for people willing to squint at a pan,or dig
some dirt there wouldn't be much use for refining either.
Sounds kinda like,I got my new log home built,now I 
can devote the rest of my time protesting cutting of
trees. Be careful where you throw those stones.


----------



## Rag and Bone (Jun 20, 2008)

Gold recovered from electronics may have been produced through destructive practices but we don't have any control over what has already taken place. Recycling electronics is a good thing if it's done right. We have a terrible electronic recycling system in the U.S., with the majority ending up in landfills. Until a good system is established to recycle all of it, small-time neighborhood guys will fill in the gap. 

The recent "gold rush" whether it's e-scrap or prospecting could have enormously costly consequences for penny-ante gains. (filling a stream with sediment and burning gallons of gas for nothing, generating toxic waste and fumes for a speck of gold)

I mean no disrespect to all the prospectors, just saying my piece and hoping for some feedback. 

Sawmill, you want to make anymore threats, contact me directly.


----------



## sawmill (Jun 20, 2008)

No threats,just pointing out that people that live
in glass houses shouldn't throw stones. :lol: 
We all know refiners have a squeaky clean
reputation with the EPA ,and never have spills,
or leaks. But in the real world most people class
them right in with miners and prospectors for being
destructive to the environment,and health hazards.
It would take a lot of generators to burn as much
gas as gets used on one large lake in jet ski's or
boats in a day. Most of the new wave of prospectors
fizzle out fast. Dredges and sluices are highly regulated.
One Wal-Mart parking lot puts more silt into streams
than a small army of week end prospectors.
It doesn't matter how you get your gold or metals.
Any of the ways can be just as destructive or as safe
as the person makes them.
The geezer running his little generator,probably didn't
use near as much gas getting his gold as you did
collecting scrap. :lol: 
A few of us get pounds and don't use a gas engine. :shock:


----------



## JustinNH (Jun 20, 2008)

Rag and Bone said:


> The recent "gold rush" whether it's e-scrap or prospecting could have enormously costly consequences for penny-ante gains. (filling a stream with sediment and burning gallons of gas for nothing, generating toxic waste and fumes for a speck of gold)



Many people don;t care that it is only a spec, just the fact that it is indeed gold, no matter how small... me being one of them. If it is taken on as a hobby, it is just that 8) 

Common dredges don't go through very much gas at all either. One could drive to the supermarket and go through more gas.

Also, anyone who is serious about it will not dredge in areas that can be effected by it. Most will leave the banks alone and leave the slower, sediment filled areas alone as well. Certain areas can be ravaged by dredges and after a good storm will go back to normal. I have also seen areas worked by dredges create nice fish habitat, as long as like I said, they leave the slower areas alone that have the fine, usually gold-free, sediment


----------



## Seamus (Aug 22, 2008)

Hi Rag, not all prospectors use gas guzzling generators for prospecting. Ofcourse several do, but I'm in it for the exercise and fresh air also. I also recycle metals, maybe not much different then you do. A few of us prospectors are environmentalist in the since that we extract metals in a safe and sane way. Removing mercury and lead from the enviroment and turning it in th the Department of Ecology. I'm not defending the practice as much as I'm exercising my freedom to do it in a good clean practical way. 
I'd like to envite you to go out prospecting the old fashion way with hand tools. We don't pollute the way environmentalist think we do and it's not as easy as people think it is or everyone would be doing it.


----------



## Rag and Bone (Aug 22, 2008)

I've since gotten interested in prospecting. My post comes off a little dickish. My apologies to all the hard working prospectors. They are the ones who get it all started.


----------



## Seamus (Aug 22, 2008)

Thanks for the quick response. I thought you were recycling prospector and just didn't have a pan in your hand before now, but I hope I didn't come off as being obnoxious about my hobbie. I'm just passinate about it.
It's a lot of fun as you probable already know Thanks Rag.


----------



## Rag and Bone (Aug 22, 2008)

My focus is e-scrap. I guess I'm an urban prospector. I share your passion for chasing metal. The hunt is just as important as the kill. A gold mine would be nice to have. No more hustling around cities to make a buck and running up against cutthroats. Ghana or Mongolia would work!


----------



## Seamus (Aug 22, 2008)

I'm a redneck born in the city with one foot in the mountains and one the secoundhand stores. I use a shovel in one hand and a shopping cart in the other. If recycle was easy, then everyone would be doing that also.


----------



## Rag and Bone (Aug 22, 2008)

Get it while it's good. We are the Indians and someday whitey will kick us into the reservation. I only wish I could have been recycling when I was filling dumpsters with e-scrap along with 100 other clients.


----------



## Scott2357 (Aug 22, 2008)

We may see the day when people buy long ago closed landfills for recycling all that e-scrap. :shock:


----------



## Seamus (Aug 22, 2008)

I'm a dumpster diver from the eighties out of need at the time. I'm slowing down the landfills from getting it all. I have friends in low places that bring me stuff to keep their garbage bill down. Oouuuhhh, now there's an idea for recycling. Why didn't I think of that? I even get copper wire, brass ect. 
Prospecting in the city can be profitable if done right.


----------



## Rag and Bone (Aug 22, 2008)

The amount of waste generated in America is astounding. I'd wager to say that no culture has ever wasted so much. It's a right and responsibility to harvest valuable "garbage". 

Most people turn their noses up at scrappers, dumpster divers. I'm proud of it. If people lived right there wouldn't be so much waste, I'd be out of a job.


----------



## Seamus (Aug 22, 2008)

Gives people like me a second income. $$$$

I look at it as redneck income.


----------



## junkelly (Aug 23, 2008)

It's not dumpster diving - it's "proactive recycling".

I found some gold plated license plate frames in a dumpster. I'll see if I can get pictures.

-junkelly


----------



## Seamus (Aug 23, 2008)

I'm a dyslexic redneck. I have been informed that dumpster diving is corectly pronounced proactive recycling. I will adjust with the times. Thanks


----------



## Seamus (Aug 23, 2008)

In a PM I was informed that dumpster diving is actually proactive recycling. I will clean up my act or get a life. Thank you

You can always tell an Irishman,
but you can't tell him much


----------



## istari9 (Aug 24, 2008)

I'll second that, it gives me a living!

Ray :wink:


----------

