have any of the members on this site chucked it all in and now detect for a living. i realise you would have to be lucky to find the big one ,but is there enough gold left out there , and vacant land to make a basic wage ( enough to live on ) without getting into the proper mining side of things with machinery etc. i know we would all probably love it full time , and i know if it was easy everyone would be doing it ,but have many of you actually done it ? curious to hear your feedback on this
is it viable?
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roy cobb
Steve
I know someone who is making a living detecting but he is single and going ok but its not for every one.
shakergt
Moderating Team
Don't do it. I have been told you need to dig at least 100 holes a day to even break even. To make it worth while you would need to get around 25 to 30 ounces to give you around $42000 to $50000 going on todays gold price. If you can manage that in say six months well it might be worth doing. I don't know how much of that figure would be left by the time you take into expenses like fuel, food, bills etc.
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Keep the job.
Dron
Dron
I would love to give it a go, once I save up enough money for a Zed and a reliable 4wd, and some fuel money. I would put all my stuff into storage and hit the road for a year.
I would rate my chances of success as being possible, but unlikely. I think access to good ground would be the key to success.
I would rate my chances of success as being possible, but unlikely. I think access to good ground would be the key to success.
There are a few blokes doing it full-time, but it does not nearly average a wage for the overwhelming majority. Keep your day job....it is more fun as recreation with the lure of a slight chance of a big one. Full-time is also hard work - it can lose its attraction.
Matt80
Matthew
If your aim is to buy equipment, quit your job and go find your fortune then expect to be very disappointed, but if you have enough experience, have access to good enough ground and know u can make it through the rough times(you need to be able to manage your finances well) then u might have a chance. Then again if you have enough experience you will likely already know if you could make enough money doing it full time.
Most people that try will fail, but not all. One of the guys around here bought a zed and was finding so much he quit work three months later, he's certainly making a lot more than l am working. One thing to note though is that the guy has been fossicking and mining for many years, the zed just tipped the scales for him.
Most people that try will fail, but not all. One of the guys around here bought a zed and was finding so much he quit work three months later, he's certainly making a lot more than l am working. One thing to note though is that the guy has been fossicking and mining for many years, the zed just tipped the scales for him.
Dron
Dron
Well I talked to my Boss today and he is willing to give me the month of August off work.
So I'm going to give it a go for a month - if it doesn't work out at least I will have a job to come back to.
So I'm going to give it a go for a month - if it doesn't work out at least I will have a job to come back to.
Jim Rocher over at bedrock dreams has commented on this a few times, and it comes up on the forum from time to time.
This is what I posted on one of the other threads, extensively quoting Jim...
"Which brings me to my next point concerning the premise of whether or not you can make a living as a small-scale gold miner here in the Lower 48. What does making a living mean to you, first of all? Does it mean you have no fixed address, no dependents, no bills to pay and simply cruise around to various claims or gold areas mining as you go and sleeping in the bed of your pick up each night? Does it mean you eat cold beans out of cans and minimize your gas expenditures so that you're overhead is also minimized? Does it mean (as an individual) you can work marginal gold ground using a dry washer, sluice box, or highbanker and pull on average a gram or two a day...in season, by the way. Yep, seasons can interfere. The weather is not always gonna cooperate when you need to get the gold. Ma Nature operates on her own terms, not based on yours or your immediate needs, financial or otherwise. You see what I'm getting at here? Sure, you might make a living at small-scale gold mining here in the Lower 48 if you go at it in a similar fashion with little or no overhead, but most of us (probably you as well) have dependents and families and bills and mortgages to pay. So what does making a living at gold mining mean to you? Making two thousand, three thousand, five thousand dollars or more a month by mining worked-out areas or borderline claims with your family on pins and needles never knowing exactly HOW much you'll earn through your small-scale mining activities? If you think you can predict the outcome here and say to yourself I can pay for health insurance for the family, make sure my kids have school clothes and the latest I-Phones, and my wife is happy with her home and new furniture then I'll say this...you ARE delusional. Plain and simple. You are allowing your dreams to impact reality as it is and in the final analysis you're heading for a very rude awakening."
"Listen, I know only too well I really piss people off on this topic because I tend to rain on their grandiose parades by telling them the truth as I KNOW IT based on 36 years of real experience. It's nigh impossible to make a living as a small-scale gold miner here in the Lower 48 these days. Hell, even when virgin ground was still plentiful here and new gold discoveries were waiting around the next bend small-scale mining was a tough proposition. And this was in an era where rules and regulations governing mining activities were essentially non-existent. Interestingly enough, the majority of the e-mails and comments I get regarding this topic come mostly from those with little real field experience as small-scale gold miners and even less overall knowledge. Greenhorns and newbies, many of them. As the Good Lord is my witness, those operating from this premise are the very first to seize on the "making a living" thing and the last to let go of it. You could say they don't know any better and while that's true, the reality of the matter is that most folks don't like being told the truth. They believe what they want to believe, no matter how unrealistic or nonsensical that idea is. Dreams die hard."
http://www.bedrockdreams.com/2016/03/can-i-make-living-gold-mining-revised.html
That said, there are a few professional and semi professional prospectors in Australia, and I've met a few. But it is a very small proportion of the prospecting population, that's for sure!"
And I reckon your chances of breaking even as a beginner are negligible. The semi-professionals have years of hard worn experience.
Barry commented
Definition of a prospector..
"Loads $10,000 worth of equipment into a $1500 car . drives 1000km for $50 worth of gold lol"
and that's true, too/
This is what I posted on one of the other threads, extensively quoting Jim...
"Which brings me to my next point concerning the premise of whether or not you can make a living as a small-scale gold miner here in the Lower 48. What does making a living mean to you, first of all? Does it mean you have no fixed address, no dependents, no bills to pay and simply cruise around to various claims or gold areas mining as you go and sleeping in the bed of your pick up each night? Does it mean you eat cold beans out of cans and minimize your gas expenditures so that you're overhead is also minimized? Does it mean (as an individual) you can work marginal gold ground using a dry washer, sluice box, or highbanker and pull on average a gram or two a day...in season, by the way. Yep, seasons can interfere. The weather is not always gonna cooperate when you need to get the gold. Ma Nature operates on her own terms, not based on yours or your immediate needs, financial or otherwise. You see what I'm getting at here? Sure, you might make a living at small-scale gold mining here in the Lower 48 if you go at it in a similar fashion with little or no overhead, but most of us (probably you as well) have dependents and families and bills and mortgages to pay. So what does making a living at gold mining mean to you? Making two thousand, three thousand, five thousand dollars or more a month by mining worked-out areas or borderline claims with your family on pins and needles never knowing exactly HOW much you'll earn through your small-scale mining activities? If you think you can predict the outcome here and say to yourself I can pay for health insurance for the family, make sure my kids have school clothes and the latest I-Phones, and my wife is happy with her home and new furniture then I'll say this...you ARE delusional. Plain and simple. You are allowing your dreams to impact reality as it is and in the final analysis you're heading for a very rude awakening."
"Listen, I know only too well I really piss people off on this topic because I tend to rain on their grandiose parades by telling them the truth as I KNOW IT based on 36 years of real experience. It's nigh impossible to make a living as a small-scale gold miner here in the Lower 48 these days. Hell, even when virgin ground was still plentiful here and new gold discoveries were waiting around the next bend small-scale mining was a tough proposition. And this was in an era where rules and regulations governing mining activities were essentially non-existent. Interestingly enough, the majority of the e-mails and comments I get regarding this topic come mostly from those with little real field experience as small-scale gold miners and even less overall knowledge. Greenhorns and newbies, many of them. As the Good Lord is my witness, those operating from this premise are the very first to seize on the "making a living" thing and the last to let go of it. You could say they don't know any better and while that's true, the reality of the matter is that most folks don't like being told the truth. They believe what they want to believe, no matter how unrealistic or nonsensical that idea is. Dreams die hard."
http://www.bedrockdreams.com/2016/03/can-i-make-living-gold-mining-revised.html
That said, there are a few professional and semi professional prospectors in Australia, and I've met a few. But it is a very small proportion of the prospecting population, that's for sure!"
And I reckon your chances of breaking even as a beginner are negligible. The semi-professionals have years of hard worn experience.
Barry commented
Definition of a prospector..
"Loads $10,000 worth of equipment into a $1500 car . drives 1000km for $50 worth of gold lol"
and that's true, too/
On I think you have left your run about 25 year to late regards john
Let's fast forward to your month off work.
What's the plan??
Ps , fwiw , I'd take a year off if I had no kids , no wife , no mortgage and was on the dole to go detecting.
Then again if I was in that situation I'd probably rather just head to Thailand. :Y:
What's the plan??
Ps , fwiw , I'd take a year off if I had no kids , no wife , no mortgage and was on the dole to go detecting.
Then again if I was in that situation I'd probably rather just head to Thailand. :Y:
Yes and you could come back with a lot more then you went over there with ]Upside said:
] ] :8 :8 :8 :8 :8 
I'm only a hobbyist gold detectorist, and have been at it part time for ~7 years.
Lots of reading, researching, map work, exploring, liaisons etc.
I've probably spent ~$30k (maybe much more more) on equipment, fuel/accommodation etc and found around~ $10k gold.
I don't expect that ratio to change greatly. My job (for another 6 days) pays for my living and my family's well being - then retirement.
How to make a small fortune prospecting is generally to start with a large fortune.
Keep your job mate
Lots of reading, researching, map work, exploring, liaisons etc.
I've probably spent ~$30k (maybe much more more) on equipment, fuel/accommodation etc and found around~ $10k gold.
I don't expect that ratio to change greatly. My job (for another 6 days) pays for my living and my family's well being - then retirement.
How to make a small fortune prospecting is generally to start with a large fortune.
Keep your job mate
Whats the plan after you start retirment BW ?BigWave said:I'm only a hobbyist gold detectorist, and have been at it part time for ~7 years.
Lots of reading, researching, map work, exploring, liaisons etc.
I've probably spent ~$30k (maybe much more more) on equipment, fuel/accommodation etc and found around~ $10k gold.
I don't expect that ratio to change greatly. My job (for another 6 days) pays for my living and my family's well being - then retirement.
How to make a small fortune prospecting is generally to start with a large fortune.
Keep your job mate
