Old Timers Missed This GOLD… I Proved It (4 Buckets Test)

Old timers missed more gold than most prospectors realize. In this video, I ran a 4 bucket test at an old working to see how much gold was actually left behind — and the results surprised even me. This isn’t theory or speculation; it’s real material, real recovery, and real results straight from the field.

I break down where old timers missed gold, how geology, erosion, and changing water flows played a role, and what modern prospectors are still walking past today. You’ll see how bedrock traps, placer behavior, and gold concentration zones can dramatically improve your chances of finding gold if you know what to look for.

This test is based on hands-on field experience, abandoned mine sites, and the same mistakes I see repeated by modern prospectors year after year.

If you’re interested in gold prospecting, abandoned mines, mining history, and real-world geology, this video will change the way you look at old workings.

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00:00 Old Timers Missed This Gold (4 Bucket Test Begins)
00:32 Where Old Timers Left Gold Behind
01:28 Reading Bedrock & Hidden Gold Traps
02:06 Why This Spot Still Holds Gold Today
03:10 Dry Washer Setup for Maximum Gold Recovery
04:35 Priming the Dry Washer (Critical Step Most Miss)
05:33 Adjusting Airflow to Stop Gold Loss
06:15 Checking Tailings to Avoid Losing Gold
07:01 Cleaning Bedrock for Fine Gold
08:12 Running the 4 Buckets of Pay Dirt
09:38 Dry Washer Cleanup & Concentrates
10:55 Panning the Concentrates (Gold Reveal)
12:05 How Much Gold Was Recovered
13:15 Ancient River Channel Geology Explained
15:05 Why Old Timers Couldn’t Mine This Gold
17:00 How You Can Find Gold Like This Today
19:20 Final Results & What This Test Proves
#GoldProspecting #GoldMining #OldTimers #FindingGold #AskJeffWilliams