In order to make a valuable mineral Discovery one typically will need to develop some very specific skills and experience. In order to succeed you will need to do some basic research first. Before heading out into the field to make our mineral discoveries we spent countless hours of old fashioned library type research to prepare ourselves to have a reasonable chance to succeed in locating a profitable mineral discovery.

To begin prospecting for valuable mineral deposits one has to set themselves up for success by locating and researching an area that will have a more than reasonable chance of precious metal minerals occurring in them. How do we determine where we can find such areas? This Question has been asked by many, but understanding what all is involved to locate these areas and how to research them out has been achieved by very few. Historical research and recorded records can be invaluable tools to begin to have a good understanding of the region you are looking in. Keeping an accurate journal or recording the data you collect both in the field and from your research is critical to being successful as well.

Historical Maps are great sources of information on past activities and access routes

The modern professional prospector uses many tools that are not typically available to the small scale prospector. However, with that being said, often times the data they collect is published or becomes available to the small scale prospector from articles or reports that are available thru public media sites. Colleges that have classes focusing on mining or geology often times will have literature on an area or a subject that can be invaluable to the researcher. Whenever and wherever these documents can be found they should be collected and applied to the research data being compiled by the small scale operator.

Often times the data collected by researchers for large companies will be published by the company they work for or used by the USGS and published by them. Cross referencing all the data you can collect is a good place to start your prospecting.

Locating a Mining Claim

Locating claims, that is, physically putting up corner monuments, identifying the proper positioning of the claim on a map and writing up a proper location document is very challenging for most people. Each State has its own set of statutory requirements for locating mining claims. There are different time frames involved for recording them with the county they are located in. The Department of the Interior requires filing with the BLM in a timely manner as well. After initial filing there are specific requirements for maintaining the claim annually.

Here in Idaho the specific rules are quite different than say in California. Here we have to follow:

State Statute Title 47, Chapter 6,

47-602. METHOD OF LOCATING MINING CLAIM.

The locator of a mining claim must at the time of making his location designate his claim by posting at one (1) corner of the claim his notice of location in writing in which there shall be stated:

1. The name of the locator or locators.

2. The name of the claim and whether located as a lode mining claim or as a placer mining claim.

3. The date of the location and the mining district, if any, and the county in which the claim is located.

4. The directions and distances which describe the claim.

5. The direction and distance from the corner where notice is posted to such natural object or permanent monument, if any such there be, as will fix and describe in the notice itself the site of the claim.

Before recording his notice of location, the locator must mark the boundaries of his mining claim by placing at each corner or angle of the claim a substantial monument or a post at least four (4) feet in height and four (4) inches square or in diameter. Each post and monument shall be marked with the name of the claim, the position or number of the corner or angle and the direction of the boundary lines.

The locator shall mark the boundary lines so that they can be readily traced. Where it is impracticable to place a monument or post in its true position, a witness monument shall be erected and marked to indicate the true position of the corner or angle.

47-604. NOTICE MUST BE RECORDED.

Within ninety (90) days after the location of the claim the locator or his assigns must file for record in the office of the county recorder of the county in which the claim is situated, a copy of his notice of location.

Failure to file notice of location for record within ninety (90) days after location of the claim shall constitute an abandonment of the claim.