Gold Detecting / Nugget Hunting

Author Reese Townes

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Born and raised in Montana, Reese Townes was introduced to prospecting and detecting for gold at an early age when his father became a dealer for Garrett Metal Detectors in Great Falls, Montana, in 1980. Reese quickly took to detecting and panning for gold in an area with a rich gold production history. It continued to be a big part of his life as he grew older. He has had the privilege of learning about geology and its relationship with gold. He has also had the opportunity to pick the brains of very knowledgeable old timers willing to share what they knew about gold deposits in Montana.

Reese has always wanted to understand placer gold movement, including the mystery of why gold ends up in odd places where, theoretically, it shouldn’t be. He has prospected for gold all over Montana as well as in Northern Idaho and Northern California. In 2009, Reese decided to focus solely on detecting for gold, permanently giving up dredging, high banking, and panning, as detecting yielded better gold. Reese has developed a method for finding the earliest stage of a stream channel and believes firmly that mass wasting is a major contributor to placer gold distribution. Reese loves to teach others what he knows and to pass down his knowledge so all can benefit from seeking the precious yellow metal called gold.