Classes For the Fall 2020- Spring 2021 Season Will Be Released Late Summer 2020.
Questions about classes? Contact us at info@arizonaoutback.com or call 928-777-0267
AZO does offer private lessons for enthusiasts wanting a more personalized experience. Email or call us for more information.
Arizona Outback has been a leading supplier of metal detection equipment since 1998, and our training division is the only one in the United States to carry a full endorsement from Minelab Electronics. All of our classes are held on private mining claims in the goldfields of Arizona. These properties encompass some of the most historic gold-bearing ground in the entire state and are NOT open to the general public. Many thousands of nuggets have been found in these regions by metal detectorists, and many are still being found today.
The purpose of these classes is to provide the knowledge and hands-on training that is needed to increase a person’s odds of finding gold with a metal detector. Some of the topics covered will include: Understanding the Detector’s Controls, Ground Balancing, Proper Technique, Target Recovery, Pinpointing, Recognizing Geological Clues, Prospecting Safety, and much more.
We can accommodate most major brands of detectors. If you do not own your own metal detector, that is no problem at all. You are welcome to use ours. In fact, we have some of the most advanced detectors made by MINELAB on hand for those without their own equipment. Best of all, there’s no extra charge for a day’s rental!
What is included?
• Personalized 1-Day training with a certified instructor
• Access to private gold-bearing claims
• The use of a metal detector (if needed)
• The use of picks, headphones, and any other necessary equipment
• 3-Day Claim Pass!
• Keep all the gold you find!
What is NOT included?
• Food & Drink. You will need to pack a sack lunch and beverage for the day. We suggest something simple that can pack easily in a cooler. Bring plenty of liquids.
• Transportation. You will need to meet with the instructor and get yourself to the claims. Our instructors will NOT provide transportation to and from your hotel/motel. All of our claims have good access and a 4WD is not necessary.
Where am I going?
The Bradshaw Mountain Range, in central Arizona, is 40 miles long and 25 miles wide and gives rise to a number of important gold districts. These gold districts are among the most productive placer fields in the state and still yield gold to individual prospectors working in the area today. A 1926 geological report stated that mining from 23 mines produced 870,827 ounces of gold and silver between 1875-1923 although the writer felt that number was inaccurate as not all mines were included and placer gold was not represented. He also made note that mining in the area began prior to 1875, which was also unaccounted for. The gold is extremely widespread and many smaller tributary gullies and ravines have been worked but these smaller deposits do not appear in any reports or other documentation. Reexamination of these smaller streams has led to some excellent discoveries with the modern-day metal detector.
Meet your Instructor - Who is Chris Gholson?
Chris Gholson’s introduction to gold prospecting started off at a very early age when his grandfather began taking him along on his many excursions into the Arizona desert to search for Indian artifacts, relics, and of course, gold. In 1998 Chris wrote his first book Metal Detecting for Placer Gold, which sold over 3,000 copies. He has worked as a contributing author for several magazines including the Gold Prospector, The California Mining Journal, and Lost Treasure. Chris has made several appearances on both the Outdoor Channel and the History Channel, and has been featured in television commercials for Minelab Electronics. In May 2000, he graduated from Arizona State University with a B.S. in the Biological Sciences. He has prospected throughout the western United States, the goldfields of Alaska, the rainforests of South America and the Australian Outback. Chris has found numerous pounds of gold nuggets, an assortment of meteorites, and thousands of coins with his metal detector over the years. He now resides in central Arizona with his wife and daughter.
For more information on this infield experience with AZO, view our full information document below and contact us today!
Learn To Metal Detect with AZO! - Full Information Sheet
