# Prospecting

**URL:** https://weekendtreasurehunter.discourse.group/c/prospecting/8.md

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## [About the Prospecting category](https://weekendtreasurehunter.discourse.group/t/about-the-prospecting-category/10)

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**Author:** [@Seeadler](https://weekendtreasurehunter.discourse.group/u/Seeadler)\
**Replies:** 0\
**Last updated:** [September 20, 2026, 6:09pm UTC](https://weekendtreasurehunter.discourse.group/t/about-the-prospecting-category/10 "2026-09-20T18:09:43Z")

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Creek gold, claims, gear, and technique.

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## [Burning a metal pan first time you use](https://weekendtreasurehunter.discourse.group/t/burning-a-metal-pan-first-time-you-use/29)

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**Author:** [@Seeadler](https://weekendtreasurehunter.discourse.group/u/Seeadler)\
**Replies:** 0\
**Last updated:** [September 20, 2026, 6:48pm UTC](https://weekendtreasurehunter.discourse.group/t/burning-a-metal-pan-first-time-you-use/29 "2026-09-20T18:48:27Z")

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I was told it is a good idea to heat/burn a new metal pan before first use, any truth?

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## [What's your read on flood gold vs. bedrock gold?](https://weekendtreasurehunter.discourse.group/t/whats-your-read-on-flood-gold-vs-bedrock-gold/28)

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**Author:** [@Seeadler](https://weekendtreasurehunter.discourse.group/u/Seeadler)\
**Replies:** 0\
**Last updated:** [September 20, 2026, 6:47pm UTC](https://weekendtreasurehunter.discourse.group/t/whats-your-read-on-flood-gold-vs-bedrock-gold/28 "2026-09-20T18:47:15Z")

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Curious how people here think about where gold actually settles after a big flood event versus what’s been sitting on bedrock for years.

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## [How do you find out if a creek is already claimed?](https://weekendtreasurehunter.discourse.group/t/how-do-you-find-out-if-a-creek-is-already-claimed/27)

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**Author:** [@Seeadler](https://weekendtreasurehunter.discourse.group/u/Seeadler)\
**Replies:** 0\
**Last updated:** [September 20, 2026, 6:46pm UTC](https://weekendtreasurehunter.discourse.group/t/how-do-you-find-out-if-a-creek-is-already-claimed/27 "2026-09-20T18:46:41Z")

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Claims research seems to trip up a lot of new prospectors. What’s your actual process for checking before you set foot somewhere?

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## [Best beginner gold pan setup for creek prospecting?](https://weekendtreasurehunter.discourse.group/t/best-beginner-gold-pan-setup-for-creek-prospecting/26)

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**Author:** [@Seeadler](https://weekendtreasurehunter.discourse.group/u/Seeadler)\
**Replies:** 0\
**Last updated:** [September 20, 2026, 6:46pm UTC](https://weekendtreasurehunter.discourse.group/t/best-beginner-gold-pan-setup-for-creek-prospecting/26 "2026-09-20T18:46:05Z")

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If you were starting from zero today, what pan, classifier, and sniffer bottle setup would you actually recommend, and why?