Gold Panning in Washington. (How to stake claims)

[Smossy]

Any experienced gold panners out there? Im trying to figure out the process of finding land that I can actually process and look for gold/minerals etc.
Seems kinda complicated and might just need it dumbed down for me 

[JKEEN33]

https://wdfw.wa.gov/licenses/environmental/hpa/types/prospecting

[Smossy]

https://wdfw.wa.gov/licenses/environmental/hpa/types/prospecting

Thats a good start thanks,  I never came across this one for some reason. Just random pages from ma and pa panners.

[JKEEN33]

You are required to have a copy of the pamphlet on you. I just print a copy and keep it in my pack. Lots of YouTube videos and clubs in WA.

[Smossy]

You are required to have a copy of the pamphlet on you. I just print a copy and keep it in my pack. Lots of YouTube videos and clubs in WA.

I kinda got on a gold kick one day, it was weird. I started thinking about it, then obsessing on it, now I want to find it.. lol
Lots of stuff to figure out quickly. Thanks for the feedback JKEEN33

[Mudman]

Only few spots in Western Wa and they arent great.  Go east Wa.  Dredge or pan the Silk or Hit NE Wa to prospect.  There is a spot close to you but mostly light flour gold is it.

[Cultusman]

  If you haven’t panned for Gold before do yourself a favor and buy a $20 dollar bag of Paydirt and practice panning it over and over till you get good at it. This will help shorten the learning curve greatly.

[Jingles]

To get started and learn more I would suggest joining one of the clubs here is WA. STAY away from Gold Prospectors Association of America or LDMA they are excellent at mining the miners.
One of the state clubs that has or had a lot of claims when I was a member, and before I got 2 of my own, was Gold Prospectors Mining Association or North Central Mining Association.
In regards to staking a claim first find an area that isn't already claimed then find some gold in that stream, river, creek, ditch, Mark that spot with a post with notice of discovery Name, Address, date of discovery, then contact BLM in Portland for papers to file a claim. It will take quite a bit of time staking out the boundaries of the claim and filling out paperwork and a considerable amount of money.
I can offer this info most everything on Blewett pass north side and south side is already claimed up and it is a Class C Felony for claim jumping ( prospecting panning sluicing, dredging, high banking, metal detecting on someone else's claim) and the majority of the claim owners up that a way will press charges however innocent the person might think they were.
Most FS, and DNR land is open for prospecting as long as it isn't already claimed.

If you want to practice and improve your panning abilities get some #8 shot 12 pieces pound it flat mix it into a cup of sand and pan that until you can keep it all in your pan.

[Smossy]

To get started and learn more I would suggest joining one of the clubs here is WA. STAY away from Gold Prospectors Association of America or LDMA they are excellent at mining the miners.
One of the state clubs that has or had a lot of claims when I was a member, and before I got 2 of my own, was Gold Prospectors Mining Association or North Central Mining Association.
In regards to staking a claim first find an area that isn't already claimed then find some gold in that stream, river, creek, ditch, Mark that spot with a post with notice of discovery Name, Address, date of discovery, then contact BLM in Portland for papers to file a claim. It will take quite a bit of time staking out the boundaries of the claim and filling out paperwork and a considerable amount of money.
I can offer this info most everything on Blewett pass north side and south side is already claimed up and it is a Class C Felony for claim jumping ( prospecting panning sluicing, dredging, high banking, metal detecting on someone else's claim) and the majority of the claim owners up that a way will press charges however innocent the person might think they were.
Most FS, and DNR land is open for prospecting as long as it isn't already claimed.

If you want to practice and improve your panning abilities get some #8 shot 12 pieces pound it flat mix it into a cup of sand and pan that until you can keep it all in your pan.

I'm not super concerned about being perfect. That's really part of what I want to do. I'm by no means in it for profit, I just cant get over the idea of finding precious materials the same way guys did 100 years ago.

[Mudman]

Go pan the sands on Deschutes off of vail rd area.  You will find flour golds.  Look for the recent flood plains loaded with sands and then look for any depressions with some black sands settling.  It isnt much of worth but ya will find some yellow.  Honestly ya wont find much of nothing without proper equipment and good locations.  Nat forest up high for creeks and such?  Get some classifier sifts and buckets n shovel/pick.  Snuffer bottles.  Highbanker or dredge.  I had the Blue bowl to classify fine and it works but is very slow process.  Gold Genie better imop.  Mercury works great but not safe and hard to find, not recommended.  Also have heard Kennedy creek Capitol forest has some gold but we never found any..  I would bet upper deschutes has a pocket somewhere if ya have access.

[Smossy]

Go pan the sands on Deschutes off of vail rd area.  You will find flour golds.  Look for the recent flood plains loaded with sands and then look for any depressions with some black sands settling.  It isnt much of worth but ya will find some yellow.  Honestly ya wont find much of nothing without proper equipment and good locations.  Nat forest up high for creeks and such?  Get some classifier sifts and buckets n shovel/pick.  Snuffer bottles.  Highbanker or dredge.  I had the Blue bowl to classify fine and it works but is very slow process.  Gold Genie better imop.  Mercury works great but not safe and hard to find, not recommended.  Also have heard Kennedy creek Capitol forest has some gold but we never found any..  I would bet upper deschutes has a pocket somewhere if ya have access.

I have the 888 backpack sluice from GR engineering in australia on it's way here, plus all my pans n such, having a hard time finding nice 5 gallons bucket classifiers though. I dont want plastic ones. Potentially gonna be going all the way to 400 grade. I drive vail road everyday to work so I may have to potentially check that out. Technically my sluice is a gradeless sluice, dump and recover.
https://highbanker.com.au/products/888-backpack-sluice-with-mini-cell-dream-mat

[YellowDog]

Here is our backpack dredge design. Dont get out to dredge much myseld bhut beijng able to move a lot more material is nice when I do.

[Buckewe]

There are some decent places in western wa. Almost exclusively flour gold. You have to move alot of material but it can be enough to keep you entertained. Look up historical gold maps close to you and you can find a small stream to work, it's just like hunting the farther from the road the better it gets. I will second staying away from any of the prospectors associations. I was just running my sluice on sunday a bucket that was laying around and had some decent flour gold.

[Smossy]

Here is our backpack dredge design. Dont get out to dredge much myseld bhut beijng able to move a lot more material is nice when I do.

That’s pretty nice, I wanted to stay away from pumps and high bankers for now as I think those require more licensing, no? the one I ordered I feel like should do me well, seems like lots of people have good luck with their wash mats.

[Smossy]

There are some decent places in western wa. Almost exclusively flour gold. You have to move alot of material but it can be enough to keep you entertained. Look up historical gold maps close to you and you can find a small stream to work, it's just like hunting the farther from the road the better it gets. I will second staying away from any of the prospectors associations. I was just running my sluice on sunday a bucket that was laying around and had some decent flour gold.

I’ll check our those maps, at this point any legit info helps being as I’m only a week or two into the interest. Gives me more reason to stream and creek hop, which is always fun by itself.
That 70oz liberty nugget I’m sure still has people out waiting to strike it rich. I’m not really trying to compete with people, I’ve seen multiple people (strangers) panning close proximity. I just wanna venture off on my own and find places that look untouched.