Panning or sluicing?

Panning or sluicing? panning is my go to choice.

Panning is for cleaning cons and prospecting. Sluicing moves more material equals more gold.

In my opinion, it depends on the site and content of the area to be worked with many times I use test panning or pan the material in several places to see how the area makes deposits, etc. Many times, I have discovered that gold is present throughout an area by doing some test pans but may show better areas to find the color with spreading your testing in an X pattern. Otherwise, I prefer sluicing and if capable, power washing. I have yet to own my own Keene A52 and plan to own one in the near future. I think that bigger sluice will be a great addition to my arsenal of gold equipment and sluice with more and different material. Happy Prospecting!

When you are test panning that is prospecting. That is what I meant by panning is for prospecting and cleaning cons. By the way the club will be raffling off an A52 soon. It is used but serviceable.

I agree with BH Prospector, my post was to Panner1's initial post. My contribution. Lol, I should answer more forward to which post I am speaking about. Yes, the pan is better for tests and prospecting. Sluicing is running more material. That's fabulous to hear, ill have to place in the drawing. Thanks for the share, BH Prospector!

What brands of pans & sluices has anyone been running/using and what do they prefer? Which ones have been working out the best & why? So far the little Ez Sluice has been working well. It is a backpacking size after classifying, the small sluice seems to its job well. I have not seen any gold in the tailings after a few catch pans to verify.

My preferred equipment depends on the situation. For pans I prefer the Garret. For regular sluicing I like the Keene A52 under normal conditions and if the creek is deep. I have legs for that. I also have a small sluice that is no longer made since the inventor has passed, that works well in slow or normal flow that might also be rather shallow. I also will use the little EZ sluice in slower and narrow creeks. Then I have the large gas pump Keene highbanker that I also can set up for recirculating if need be and a mini recirculating Gold Buddy highbanker that uses a battery operation and is self contained. Then in dry conditions I use a Gold Buddy dry washer. I like to have options for what ever situation I plan to go into.

Is anyone calling Dusty Johnson's office and telling them that the 1/2 million dollars they are wasting on finishing imposing the RNA and BA mineral withdrawal should be used on other projects and proposals instead of trying to eleminate pick and shovel prospectors and miners in the black Hills. The Forest Service has already spent a 1/4 of a million on this proposal and failed to complete the EA as required and the segregation period has run out. They can not restart the segegation period so now the proposed areas are open to prospecting and claiming. But the process stays open for them to complete if they spend another 1/4 million dollars on this proposal. Call Johnson's office ( 1-202-225-2801 ) and tell the person that answers that the Black Hills Forest service is wasting money on a failed Mineral Withdrawal #45590 and this money can be better spent on other projects and proposals such as Mountain pine beetle, roads washouts and repair, camping areas mountain Bike Trails or off road trails.........This is a misappropiation of tax payers dollars.