shakergt
Moderating Team
Inexperianced prospectors
- Thread starter shakergt
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Very true our hobby is slowly killing itself and some of the newbies , the internet puts information at everyone's fingertips and locations and techniques are shared flatout, it used to take 3 to 5 years research to find new areas or build someone's trust enough to find out about access etc, now I reckon a newbie can become quite productive in 3 months and young fit cashed up people can move mountains in a day.
But anyway that's human nature and really the best deterrent to uneducated prospectors are the horror stories of lost newbies.
But anyway that's human nature and really the best deterrent to uneducated prospectors are the horror stories of lost newbies.
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You know, when those prospecting shows started up, I said it would ultimately be a bad thing for the industry.
Long term I mean.
I think I said be careful what you wish for , to those that were excited about the shows.
So here we are......lots of keen, inexperienced prospectors, in remote areas, with big expectations, and loads of drive.
Some spending big money on 4x4s, machines and camper trailers or vans. Some do well in a short time and keep at it, others don't. And some are just grubs that go where ever they want, when ever they want, leaving a trail of garbage and damaged tracks and land behind them.
All this will do, is make it harder. More people looking for less resources, and pissing off more land owners and mining companies as they go.
Long term I mean.
I think I said be careful what you wish for , to those that were excited about the shows.
So here we are......lots of keen, inexperienced prospectors, in remote areas, with big expectations, and loads of drive.
Some spending big money on 4x4s, machines and camper trailers or vans. Some do well in a short time and keep at it, others don't. And some are just grubs that go where ever they want, when ever they want, leaving a trail of garbage and damaged tracks and land behind them.
All this will do, is make it harder. More people looking for less resources, and pissing off more land owners and mining companies as they go.
sorry mate post soooo negative.
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Jaros said:
Do you mean the ABC News article in the link in the first post?
Goldchaser1
dave
Jaros said:
not negative jaros,that's reality...
Like the mid age couple, dressed for Melbourne Cup Day bogged to the diff in a remote WA area.
Pulled up and offered help and was met with total arrogance.
Could see the woman tilt her head, reading her mind, "Who is this smelly individual thinking he knows more than us?"
Glanced at the hubs on his Nissan Patrol and they were still in the "Free" position.
The fella said he had put the vehicle into 4WD/low range but this was the result, bogged!
Woman still prancing around looking like her s**t wouldn't stink.
I locked in the hubs and suggested he give it another try.
Some spinning wheels and vehicle pulled out of bog and they kept going.
Not a thank you or a wave, as they headed off for their next disaster................
Pulled up and offered help and was met with total arrogance.
Could see the woman tilt her head, reading her mind, "Who is this smelly individual thinking he knows more than us?"
Glanced at the hubs on his Nissan Patrol and they were still in the "Free" position.
The fella said he had put the vehicle into 4WD/low range but this was the result, bogged!
Woman still prancing around looking like her s**t wouldn't stink.
I locked in the hubs and suggested he give it another try.
Some spinning wheels and vehicle pulled out of bog and they kept going.
Not a thank you or a wave, as they headed off for their next disaster................
Good man NJ. :clap:
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It's so easy to get lost, I remember just on dusk one time I crossed a barb wire fence where 3 fences met and from above they looked like a mercedes sign, I wondered only a few metres from them and when I walked back there I could not remember which one I had crossed took me half an hour to workout which one it was, :N:
Not prospectors but an example of saving life by carrying appropriate emergency equipment when disaster strikes.
https://www.9news.com.au/national/m...-wa-news/958a9eec-3b19-4363-8af6-f583df5ac82c
https://www.9news.com.au/national/m...-wa-news/958a9eec-3b19-4363-8af6-f583df5ac82c
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Mate, the patch where I worked last wet season, you got disorientated 50m from the car. I made a dumb mistake, and tried to be cagey. Parked my car about 1 km from my patch. On my way home, plotted a course on the gps, only the gps didn't show flood Plains. I was in real, very serious trouble after I crossed the first one. Because I was met with a 2nd , bigger one with 2 creek crossings.Ridge Runner said:
Took me nearly 5 hours to travel a couple of km. I had a radio, gps, water bottle, and thank God I also had a life straw. My heart rate was through the roof. It was about 35 deg and close to 100% humidity. By the time I got home, both legs were cramping ,calves and thighs. If I didn't have a gps and the life straw and an umbrella (I used it for shade) I reckon I would have died.
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davent said:
Yeah thats pretty much what I did, we never had GPS's back in the 90s but I have had one ever since they came out,
Ever since I got the urge to go exploring I now carry 2 GPS's and mark the Car on both of them and turn one off so in case one goes down I have a backup with the Car logged in,
You don't have to spend big bucks just buy a couple of basic models that will draw a Bread Crumb trail and ya good to go and Energizer lithium batteries give you almost double the run time too, My first one got stolen when I put my bag down detecting one time Now I wear a combat vest with one in the pocket and the other in a backpack along with food and drink etc, In dense forest areas a compass isn't much use because you can't see any landmarks, So 2 GPS's is the safer option. :Y:
Experienced people get lost.
One thing most people do (mostly newbies) is get out all excited and go go go.
Before you leave home study aerial images , spot valleys ridges clearings etc,
During last part of travel take note of where the road is compared to where you are going to
Park vehicle, study what you can see from there , once again look for valleys and ridges
Check where the sun is and where it will travel to from there
Everytime you take a break or drink have a look for the things you seen last time you stopped.
These are things bushys do subliminally and training your brain to do these things will give your inner compass a good update.
Detecting patch hunting really can be dangerous, you have a plan to work an area and its funny how clear ground , different looking patches and even bugs or ants change your direction over and over ,
I love a bit of night detecting and its crazy how often I end up back where I have already been , or get started again the next day and can't believe how far from camp I have kicked leaves and sticks about.
One thing most people do (mostly newbies) is get out all excited and go go go.
Before you leave home study aerial images , spot valleys ridges clearings etc,
During last part of travel take note of where the road is compared to where you are going to
Park vehicle, study what you can see from there , once again look for valleys and ridges
Check where the sun is and where it will travel to from there
Everytime you take a break or drink have a look for the things you seen last time you stopped.
These are things bushys do subliminally and training your brain to do these things will give your inner compass a good update.
Detecting patch hunting really can be dangerous, you have a plan to work an area and its funny how clear ground , different looking patches and even bugs or ants change your direction over and over ,
I love a bit of night detecting and its crazy how often I end up back where I have already been , or get started again the next day and can't believe how far from camp I have kicked leaves and sticks about.
G
Guest
G'day
It has often amazed me how people will spend the big bucks on detecting gear and 4wd and so on but will think that the cost of a gps, plb and uhf radio, are a waste of money, all that gear can be purchased for less than the cost of a couple of coils, and even though you may carry them about for years without using them, its when the chit hits the fan you will be glad that you have them that's for sure, when things go wrong in the bush they can seriously go wrong and you can end up a statistic very easily.
There are also those who wont be told, and take way too many chances due to both arrogance and the opinion that they have a superior sense of direction, you may think that you will never get lost but that's a fallacy, it can eventually happen to anyone and if you are not as prepared as you can be then you will learn a valuable lesson that is providing you survive.
I have had this conversation with others that will continue to take chances and what I have said to them is you may be careless with your own safety but also you are putting others at risk who have to look for you, when you are in the bush with company you have the obligation to look for them if they don't turn up back to camp so it is disrespectful of you not to have been prepared yourself and carried the necessary gear, unfortunately this has often fallen on deaf ears, but the fact remains you simply have to be self reliant if you want the best chance of coming out of a bad situation alive.
If you are with others in the bush make sure you make a plan between yourselves in the event of someone getting lost or hurt, make sure everyone is on the same page and knows the plan, this way you have each others back at all times, I have been on thousands of bush trips and could fill a book on the mishaps and dramas I have seen unfold and many were due to people simply being careless, but sometimes things go wrong never mind how prepared you are and you cant cover all situations, but if you are prepared and have the mind set that one day it could happen to you then at the very least you will be better prepared to handle it and possibly come out of it in one piece.
cheers
stayyerAU
It has often amazed me how people will spend the big bucks on detecting gear and 4wd and so on but will think that the cost of a gps, plb and uhf radio, are a waste of money, all that gear can be purchased for less than the cost of a couple of coils, and even though you may carry them about for years without using them, its when the chit hits the fan you will be glad that you have them that's for sure, when things go wrong in the bush they can seriously go wrong and you can end up a statistic very easily.
There are also those who wont be told, and take way too many chances due to both arrogance and the opinion that they have a superior sense of direction, you may think that you will never get lost but that's a fallacy, it can eventually happen to anyone and if you are not as prepared as you can be then you will learn a valuable lesson that is providing you survive.
I have had this conversation with others that will continue to take chances and what I have said to them is you may be careless with your own safety but also you are putting others at risk who have to look for you, when you are in the bush with company you have the obligation to look for them if they don't turn up back to camp so it is disrespectful of you not to have been prepared yourself and carried the necessary gear, unfortunately this has often fallen on deaf ears, but the fact remains you simply have to be self reliant if you want the best chance of coming out of a bad situation alive.
If you are with others in the bush make sure you make a plan between yourselves in the event of someone getting lost or hurt, make sure everyone is on the same page and knows the plan, this way you have each others back at all times, I have been on thousands of bush trips and could fill a book on the mishaps and dramas I have seen unfold and many were due to people simply being careless, but sometimes things go wrong never mind how prepared you are and you cant cover all situations, but if you are prepared and have the mind set that one day it could happen to you then at the very least you will be better prepared to handle it and possibly come out of it in one piece.
cheers
stayyerAU
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well said stayyer au "self reliant" prepare for the worst hope for the best,i found out the hard way i set my beacon off with 7000 a couple years ago but the cop said to me i rather find u alive than dead
Moneybox
Philip & Sandra Box
I used to be proud of my natural navigation abilities in the bush but since heading out prospecting I've created a level of self doubt. I've realised that in this almost flat country with very little in the way of trees, creeks, gullies and hills navigation is difficult even on a good day. When it's overcast then my sense of direction is very poor.
I went for a walk down stream once, I think it was in NSW somewhere but I was following a creek so I considered the trip back to be straight forward. After an hour or so I started to see some features unfamiliar to me. I look for my foot prints and realised that I was actually in a different creek. I returned upstream on a different branch of the creek. Once I realised my mistake I climbed to the top of the range and looked down almost right to where we were camped. The diversion was very little in distance but I could have ended up anywhere.
I went for a walk down stream once, I think it was in NSW somewhere but I was following a creek so I considered the trip back to be straight forward. After an hour or so I started to see some features unfamiliar to me. I look for my foot prints and realised that I was actually in a different creek. I returned upstream on a different branch of the creek. Once I realised my mistake I climbed to the top of the range and looked down almost right to where we were camped. The diversion was very little in distance but I could have ended up anywhere.
Can you post what this about for those who don't use Facebook ?shakergt said:
G
Guest
Gpx5000 said:
G'day
I fail to understand why you would say this should be in the whinge of the day thread, possibly just possibly some of what has been said here might save a life or at the very least for some one avoid them embarrassment of being caught out and seen by all as being a fool for getting lost and not being prepared, I have no idea what level of experience will protect you from getting yourself in the chit but if you are prepared then its pretty obvious that you will have a better chance of getting yourself out of it again regardless on the level of on the ground experience you may have.
Yes the more you do something the more experience you have to deal with a bad situation, but Its also a fact that some people who have been around for years can become complacent then they will take chances and have a careless attitude towards their own safety, so if they get caught out and survive it may just be the wake up call they need, if not then their last thought may be they will be blaming themselves for being stupid.
cheers
stayyerAU
