New Zealand Gold Prospecting & Metal Detecting Forums Archive

I've noticed this topic has been touched on in other forums - in fun at times - but I think there's potential for serious conflict with the high gold price. I've had claims up the Wakamarina for some 20 years and wasted a lot of my first two or three summers up there with four poachers altogether including one lovely character my mate christined "Dracula" due to his large incisors and posh English accent. Sounds like a joke but he's not. After catching him with a dredge twice - in quite a remote area- I took the whole dredge off him. Went to the police in both Havelock and Nelson but they were useless saying it was matter for Mines Dept. Dept said despite inspection fees you pay as part of the permit, there are no "free inspections". They said I needed to pay a couple of thousand to get an inspector up from Hokitika and they would have to catch someone redhanded. What a joke. The sad lesson I learnt was to have to take matters into ones own hands ie take the gear. That could cause a fight - but how do you avoid it? Any ideas? Incidently Dracula - I wonder where he is now - had stolen his wetsuit gear from a caravan he broke into on another claim in the Waka and the dredge I had to give back as he had stolen it from Golden Bay.

I've found poaching has got bad again last summer like in the early days and I'm not talking about panning etc which I don't mind but people staying at the camp ground for weeks and deliberately sneaking up and down the river on weekdays hiding small dredges in the bush. I have a pretty good idea who. It may be a bit of a joke to a few people (although some good posts too) but when you spend tens of thousands on a claim and then invest in gear for it, it's heartbreaking to waste so much time chasing people when you just want an enjoyable part-time experience. And its bullshit that all the best areas are claimed. I could name numerous stretches of various gold-bearing rivers that aren't. There's a certain element that gets a thrill out of poaching. It might not be such a thrill for either of us if they get caught.

It is a very real issue and you hit the nail cleanly on the head when you said that some extremely good spots are not claimed at all - simple minded halfwits seem to go by the weird idea that because an area is claimed then it is 'the' best spot to go.

I have a good working relationship with a CIB chap - he has visited several trespassers, mostly hunters though, and told them in no uncertain terms the consequences of trespassing on private property. I am also lucky that the neighbour has security cameras which take a record of every vehicle which goes up the road to my property and has informed me that I can access the records should I have the need to do so.

I had thought for a long time about security cameras and offshore some really good ones can be sourced for mere baubles and currently have some on the way - if I remember I will report back on there efficiency.

None the less I have caught red handed several hunters myself and four metal detectorists. I also have a number of friends who fossick on my place including some from this site and their mere presence is the best deterrent there is so that it has got to the stage now that the poaching has greatly diminished as no one wants to come along to poach, find someone there and their day is ruined for them.

my advice to anyone with a claim is to visit it at unlikely times, if any gear is found grab it fast as it shouldnt be there and allow a select number of fossicking friends access to have a play and a good day out keeping in mind that it is better that good friends and trustworthy people get the gold rather than dimwitted skunks.

Edited by user Monday, 24 September 2012 10:05:15 PM(UTC)  | Reason: Not specified

Why on earth, if your going to poach, would you do it on claimed land; your just asking to get caught.

Sorry

Edited by user Monday, 13 January 2014 7:23:03 PM(UTC)  | Reason: Not specified

Some good points here and thanks for suggestions especially from Golddigger7, diggahole! and Lammerlaw. Agree one of the best options is to have good relations with locals, which is where I'm getting info from when not at the claim. On the other hand I don't really want locals to have to confront poachers on my behalf. Have been looking at battery/solar operated security cameras from Brisbane and should have one or two installed soon but would be great to share your experiences with such cameras Lammerlaw? Will also pass on details of any cameras I get.

Totally agree that people poach on claims thinking most of the gold is there, when in fact a claim is more likely to have been systematically worked than in many unclaimed spots.

hay where abouts is your claim on the wakamarina?,we also have a claim up there was up there on saturday with the old claim owner going over it showing us where the best areas to work and parts he never worked are,half way down our claim we came across a cupple of fossickers one in wetsuit having alittle look on our claim,after chatting to them for a bit and showing us some gold they seemed ok ,bit crazy finding someone dredging on your claim,the old claim owner on our claim found a dredge below his claim and him and a cupple of people took it out of the creek and took it to the cops and apparently it was stolen from the coast they sorted it all out

Edited by user Tuesday, 25 September 2012 9:22:36 PM(UTC)  | Reason: Not specified

Have a look at the permits webpage. Its a great resource

I was up their sunday parked the rav down on the flat near steves and walked the all nations we were gone all day didnt see any cars at deep creek tho ,their are some fallen trees some one is cutting up for fire wood on the road side just up from the bridge iv been looking out for you fellas you hide well jd

Thanks element-dont want to step a meter onto somebodys hard earned claim without permission!

will do overdog thanks keep up the good work
we were up the onamelato yesterday way up had to doge the logs as the foresty boys dropping them impresive but not nice watchin the trees coming down whats the history like for gold up their plenty of quarts iv been looking for some reading/history on this area jd