Anyone here pan for gold

[firehawk1]

I've been told that the some streams down in Brown County have gold in them. Not alot, but it is there. Anyone here have any experience panning for gold? I bought 2 pans years ago, but just never found the time, or someone to go with that has experience.

 

[Elkrock777]

Try googling indiana gold prospectors there are a few clubs here in indiana. One of them meets at a country store in brown county, i dont remember the name but they are pretty friendly people.

 

[firehawk1]

Thanks, I'll check it out!

 

[ironjaw]

my father in law does that down around Gatesville (i believe) in brown county. I've gone out with him a few times and really enjoyed it too.

 

[RelicHound]

My wife and I are going to go do this some time..not real sure where. I have a buddy that goes to Alaska and Australia every year just to hunt gold. he always seems to find at least 1 nugget that pays for his trip,last year in OZ he found a nugget that will pay for his next 2-3 trips back.
I purchased a couple of pans and snuff bottles a few years back..I'm hoping Ill get to use em one of these days.

 

[Whosyer]

INDIANA_GOLD

 

[E5RANGER375]

i went to a gold panning clubs meeting in Gatesville one time. it was pretty cool. they raffled off gold pickers and nuggets, etc. good bunch of guys and a couple gals. i got to use one guys dredge, and it was effing SWEET!!!! and yes i did find flakes of gold. blew my mind. the store down there even had pans and classyfyers you could rent or buy. pretty neet.

 

[jd4320t]

I had no idea you could pan for gold in Indiana. I'm definately going to check it out. It's something I've always wanted to do.

 

[Indy_Guy_77]

My uncle belongs to the "club" or "association" here in Indiana...or whatever they call it. They have several outings per year. He hasn't found any nuggets yet, but plenty of flakes.

One note, though: In order to be "100% legal", you need a gold panning permit if you're going to do anything in a State Forest. Also, if in a State Forest, you cannot displace any material with a pick, shovel, or sluice box. I'm not at all sure if a panning permit is needed for any "public" areas. But I DO know that panning in any State Parks is a no-no unless you get special permission/permit. (The state forest panning permit doesn't count)

-J-

 

[Raye7r]

One of the prospecting shows on the Outdoor Channel once mentioned Sugar Creek in Indiana and before that I had heard some locals were selling gold they had found.
Indiana Gold Locations

 

[Raye7r]

Indiana rules regarding. http://www.in.gov/dnr/water/files/wa-Gold_Prospecting_Rules_brochure.pdf

I couldn't find the book "Gold and Diamonds in Indiana" Mr Langman cited.

 

[Raye7r]

Well I couldn't find the book at DNR but here is a place that has it.
IGS Publication C12
Sorry for so many posts.

 

[christman]

If your into this stuff, you might like to take a trip to Arkansas. They have a State or National Park there that you do the same things, but with diamonds instead.

Diamond Mines - Crater of Diamonds State Park

I only mention this because my family has been once and had a great time. And yes, we actually found some diamonds. (Nothing big, but they were there.)

 

[Anonym]

Had a buddy take me to dig some test buckets around Atterbury one year. We went back to his place and panned through some of it and did find some flakes. Pretty cool stuff! I wouldn't mind doing it again.

 

[Goosepond Monster]

I know that people pan for gold in the Morgan-Monroe State Forest.

 

[Armed Citizen]

No, I don't but my EX-WIFE does a pretty good job "panning for gold" out of my paycheck every two weeks

 

[HICKMAN]

My brother has been looking in to it, have to see if he ever found anything.

 

[E5RANGER375]

look for the black sand in the creeks. its not a 100% sure sign, but if you have black sand you have a higher chance to find gold. also there are ways to study curents and such to find the most ideal collection sights. its a hard core science that some people realy get into and some make a living off it still. living in indiana just isnt the ideal place to make a living off it, but there have been some nice nuggets found in southern indiana, so im sure there are more out there. i think the group i went and met, was call the "central indiana gold panning society" or something similar, and they had several meetings a year at that gainesville location. i just didnt have the time to do it anymore so i never went to another one. but they were a great group of folks!! good honest people!! i would encourage anyone to look them up and get involved. its a blast!!! unless you travel to arizona, california, alaska, etc, then i can tell you not to expect to find too much. you will spend a lot more on your equiptment than you will make in what you find. its a hobby, not a job. just dont have unreal expectations going into it, and you will have fun. and yes you WILL find gold, here in indiana. it will probly be flakes, but hey its still gold, and your the first human being to EVER see it in history!!! that itself is cool.

 

[tenring]

Map - Google Sightseeing

 

[ironjaw]

look for the black sand in the creeks. its not a 100% sure sign, but if you have black sand you have a higher chance to find gold. also there are ways to study curents and such to find the most ideal collection sights. its a hard core science that some people realy get into and some make a living off it still. living in indiana just isnt the ideal place to make a living off it, but there have been some nice nuggets found in southern indiana, so im sure there are more out there. i think the group i went and met, was call the "central indiana gold panning society" or something similar, and they had several meetings a year at that gainesville location. i just didnt have the time to do it anymore so i never went to another one. but they were a great group of folks!! good honest people!! i would encourage anyone to look them up and get involved. its a blast!!! unless you travel to arizona, california, alaska, etc, then i can tell you not to expect to find too much. you will spend a lot more on your equiptment than you will make in what you find. its a hobby, not a job. just dont have unreal expectations going into it, and you will have fun. and yes you WILL find gold, here in indiana. it will probly be flakes, but hey its still gold, and your the first human being to EVER see it in history!!! that itself is cool.

My father in law taught me to look out for that black sand. I was on a job up in W. Laf. doing a creek bore and I spotted some black sand. I called him and I have never heard him get that excited even when I called him about his grandchildren being born!!! Anyway I pulled 2-5 gal. buckets up from where he told me to dig. After getting back to the shop that nite it was a friday nite I had to use the restroom as soon as we got back. Another co-worked dumped out the buckets. I picked up what I could and he said he did find a few flakes in what I had brought him. So He constantly jokes with me about keeping tabs on his money....It's funnier when you hear him 'complain' about it in person.