Welcome to the nugget hunter social group. Yes the group says 'of the NW', but it doesn't matter if you live in Alaska, Oregon, Arizona, or even Georgia. If you get a thrill out of hunting for gold nuggets, or are interested to learn more, this is the social group to join on this website as most everything is related to coin or relic hunting.

Please feel free to post an introduction of yourself in this thread. Name, location, and experience metal detecting are always a good places to start.

My name is Gary, currently living in SW Idaho (See the Spud Detectorists social group for Idaho) and I first started metal detecting when I was about 12 years old. I am likely to be one of the youngest, if not the youngest person on the forums.(assumption) I am only 20, going on 21. Currently an Air Traffic Controller on Active Duty in the Air Force. Done some coin hunting in the past, but more interested in finding nuggets these day.

So again, welcome, thanks for reading, and hoping to see some activity among any nugget shooters on the forums.

I'm Jim and am a 21 year retired Air Force Master Sergeant now living in Alamosa, Colorado. Been swinging a detector since 1983 in Great Falls, Montana (Malmstrom AFB).
I normally hunt old stream beds or river beds. Did the "panning thing" a few years back and froze my rear off in the ice cold water. Plus, every tourist that comes to Colorado has a gold pan with them. I've never seen another person with a metal detector, though.......I guess I'm odd.

That's not a bad thing not seeing another detectorist. What did you do in the AF?

Hello, I'm a retired commercial photographer living in Selah, WA. Belong to a prospectors club that has a claim on a small river on the east side of the Cascade Mtns. Not quite warm enough here to detect up there yet, But later in the spring will see if my detector will turn up anything. I envy you your trip to northern Nevada OCHawgy. As a matter of fact, I will be going to southern Nevada / northern Arizona for about 10 days the last part of March. Gonna watch the Mariners in spring training in Peoria, and hopefully spend some time with my detector in the desert. Not sure where, but should be able to find somewhere. How did your trip go ???

Selah eh, I grew up in Yakima... mostly. Is there any good detectable gold in WA? When I was younger I tried doing a little prospecting up Morse Creek after joining the GPAA... since no one knew what we were doing, we (the family) found nothing. I haven't gone yet. Trip was postponed due to weather and other issues. It's less than 2 weeks out however. I have my fingers crossed.

I heard that GPAA had a claim up there somewhere. I'm not sure if there is much gold in the Cascades, and there is nothing over here on the east side except lava rock. No Igneous rock, its all covered with lava. Good luck on your upcoming trip to Nevada. Are you going to hit some GPAA claims there or wing it out in the high desert. ?

Well I am actually going out to Rye Patch with Gerry from Gerry's Detectors out of Boise. Getting a little training on the GPX4800 I bought from him a couple months ago. Last year I made the mistake of buying a GP Extreme and not taking advantage of Gerry's training. (I didn't buy from him, but I had looked into it at the time) After my new found knowledge, I am going to wing it in the high desert. Been doing a lot of research these past few months and have a few areas picked out. I will also be headed to eastern Oregon... all soon as the snow melts ha. I need to renew my membership before I can get out to the GPAA claims, which won't be until spring finally kicks in gear. But I don't think I have looked at my claims guide to see what Nevada has to offer. Good idea .

Well, just found out today, trip has been postponed yet again. -_- Due to snow. A friend of Gerry's got in contact with him today and said there is about 5 inches of snow covering rye patch! UGH. Stupid snow. I can't even get out to Oregon because of snow. Eastern Idaho has snow... everything is covered in snow except the valley, which sucks. I MIGHT try to go out Saturday and just do some local detecting, but we shall see.

Were you able to make that trip into Nevada? Im leaving next thursday for Arizona, and then a few days in Las Vegas. Taking a detector, but I Joined GPAA on the 7th in hopes of maybe hitting one of their claims down there, but its the 17th and they still haven't mailed my package with the claims guide in it. Cant figure out what the heck would take this long. I know they have some claims out in Gold Basin. May just go out there and look for meteorites instead.
Should be fun either way.

I went out to E Oregon and ran into some older gentleman out and about. After BSing with them and getting some good information on the area I was at, I only detected for about an hour. There was still snow in spots and the ground was very muddy. I only found a bunch of iron junk including a broken pick point. Due to military life, I am unable to make the next trip to Rye Patch early April. The next available trip will be in May and will be to the Sumpter area of OR.

That IS weird your GPAA package has not been shipped yet. Maybe it has but the tracking hasn't been updated. I've had that happen before where the shipping didn't update until it was delivered. Either way, good luck down in AZ. Meteorites have potential to be worth a lot of money... just have to happen to walk over one.

Iron seems to be the only thing that is plentiful underground. Hey, that trip to sumpter should be a neat one. I dont know if they let you Metal detect those tailing piles there, but they go for miles and miles around that area. Gotta get there myself soon. Think I would want a detector aimed more for gold hunting than I have now. Thinking seriously about one of the new digital gold bugs. ( Maybe).

As long as you have time to get out and swing your beeper to learn it and hopefully/eventually pay it off, I would say go for it.

Hello from the state of Georgia. I'm retired Navy and a gold explorationist. Presently amusing myself with locating and prospecting some of the historic mines sprinkled across the upper third of the state.

Hello from N. Arizona. Been a prospector since I was released from the Army in the early 80's. I took up metal detecting at the same time, but never got into it like I did Panning and sluicing for gold in creeks. I continued to MD through the years but off and on and never having a decent md to be honest, which helps. So I once again started swinging an md in past months and NOW, I'm into it full force. I will always think of myself as more of a regular prospector then a detectorist, but I am having fun which is what it's about. Still a GPAA member.....