Mitkof

Thanks Rob... good job.

Rob, excellent idea Suzy and I’ll be glad to help another family hit with cancer. We’ll be keeping Bill and Barb in our prayers. Tomorrow morning we’ll get on Pal-Pal and donate what we can. You and Dawn give Bill a warm smile from all of us dealing with this disease. God Bless you two for doing this... it will not be forgotten. Fritz...

Hi Jim, hit some warm weather up here, so I read that #414 Bulletin, excellent thanks. Question: Is there another later (1920s-today) Bulletin that covers that 7 Troughs and Trinity Range area??? If so what's the Bulletin number and do you offer them for sale??? Many Thanks again that #414 is a gem from 100 years ago. Fritz...

Hi Jim, sent you an e-mail... it's was blocked... 2nd try seemed to go thru OK. Let me know as Suzy and I'd like one of those #414... Thanks... Fritz

Hi Jim P., excellent web-link to current 36 CFR 288 Subpart A, many thanks. These are the rules I try to operate by and FS management can not be more restrictive than the CFR reguires or allows. Thanks again...

Thanks Guys... words of wisdom from both of you... basically buyer beware.

Hi Bob, I'm having trouble seeing the logic here. So next spring I'm on NuggetHunting forum "Classified" website. There is a used ML 4500 for-sale by Pete Smith. How to I discover if it's a fake or real 4500, Pete's asking price isn't germain. Do I ask for Pete's serial number and call ML??? How does the marketplace flag these fakes??? Of course after my purchase I send it to ML for repair and tune-up only to be told it's not a real ML 4500. Enlighten me please...

Hi Chris, not sure you'll be the same guy after becoming a famous TV star. I can see them groupee's camping in your driveway might piss off your neighbors. Looking forward to March 2nd. Great book, after reading many and still not getting the big picture. It's starting to penetrate my thick skull. I went back and re-read parts of Maley, Pettijohn, Wolff, etc. and now I can understand them. Thanks, you've succeeded where many have failed. Being I'm denser than Pt that's saying something. Thanks again great book... Keep Smiling...

Hi Uncle Ron, very good point. Codan is the real key to ML future, and two issues will be big for them. 1) The Africa market appears to be a typical Boom/Bust event. Codan can't sustain ML over long-haul by chasing erratic short-lived market sales like Sudan. 2) The bogus 4500's in market will really screw-up used 4500 machine sales for years (maybe decades) to come. ML had better figure out a way to isolate or ID those bogus products because the damage to ML down the road will kill 4500 sales and ML product reputation. (I'd suggest a ML 4500 serial number website listing valid 4500s. Anything not listed by ML is bogus.) Keep Smiling...

Hi Chris, some good observations, thanks... Your new book is a gem, and your msg on "slate-shist" is noted in my pea brain... I hope ML didn't make a fools decision to close their Ireland plant, before getting their Asia plant up and running smoothly. Hundreds of mfr have made that error and basically committed suicide. The wise ones learn from others mistakes. I hope ML can gets it's feet back on the ground, as it would be a really loss if they go under. I'll keep swinging my old ML and smiling that I have one and it works OK. Enjoy Life and Keep Smiling...

Ouch... here's the issue: “The second USFS rule would prohibit possession or use of metal detectors outside of USFS designated areas. The agency said that many archaeological sites on the forest have been significantly damaged from treasure hunting, by those who loot sites to sell artifacts, and by others who are unaware that it’s illegal to disturb and remove artifacts from federal land without a research permit. Additional information on these closures can be found on the forest website (www.cs/unca/nfsnc). Comments on this proposal should be mailed before March 15 to the National Forests in North Carolina, 160A Zillicoa Street, Asheville, 28801, or sent to “comments-southern-north-carolina@fs.fed.us” Seems FS doesn't much like public use of "public forest". They admit to alreadying having laws and regulations to stop and protect historical and archy sites. They are just unable to educate the public and enforce existing laws. Seems a piss poor way to manage public land. (It's like having a speed limit on forest roads, then also prohibiting any vehicles capable of exceeding that speed limit.) That's our new world, liberty (with sideboard limits) or socialism (telling others how to live). Time for MD folks to comment, and IMO you should also send those comments to your congressman and senators. Good Luck & Keep Smiling...

Hi DogRunner... The head guy is Walter Eason. He was or maybe still is with GPAA. Walter was one of the GPAA guys who years ago worked out an agreement between GPAA and USFS in AZ for some GPAA mining claim operations (POO). My impression is he's a straight shooter, and good guy. The only concern I have with AMPO is the basic confusion they have over the type of prospecting I do. In AMPO mission statement they call it "recreational mining" when it's actually called "casual mining" under the CFRs. The difference is a major one. A 'casual' prospector falls under General Mining Law (GML), mining CFRs, NOI, and POO. A 'casual' prospector has protections requiring "administrative notification and administrative resolution" to problems before FS/BLM can issue a citation. But 'recreational' prospecting technically doesn't even exist under GML or CFRs, so your activity falls under different CFRs and you loose your GML rights and protections. Seems a minor issue, but it's not. True story (about 10 years ago) example: Friend out with his dog MDing when FS LEO drives up and says "The Ranger sent me out to issue you a citation." They talk for a little bit and my friend inadvertantly says the word 'recreation'. The LEO at that point stops the discussion and writes him a violation, not for a prospecting problem, but for a recreation violation, no permit. AMPO needs to change their mission statement and attitude to embrace 'casual' prospecting and educate people to call always themselves casual prospectors. Keep Smiling...

Thanks Lucky and Dave, I like cleaning cracks and have trouble getting my coil to work properly in tight places. That Falcon might be the answer... Keep smiling...

Hi Rob, looks like the rain will continue in AZ for next few months anyway. NOAA 90 Fcst attached. Should move some nice gold around, and uncover some nuggets. Yep some folks think it's easy work, just flip a switch. I did my time with DOE-BPA as lineman climbing towers keepin' them lights on. Only worked transmission never distribution, basically 230 and 500 lines from Columbia and Snake River dams. Too many windy nights 100s of feet in the air. The 3-wks/mo on the road is what drove me away, find a new job or a new wife. Jobs are easy to find, good wives ain't. Keep Smiling... PS: I just called you about that WOT coil... nobody home.

Chuck, that photo with the Liberty dime is without a doubt one of the best pictures I've seen in many years. Keep up the great work. Good huntin'...