Customer Stories
Words from Chris – April 2024
I thought the training was awesome! There were many things that weren’t new to me but I thought you had a very good way of explaining things. Lunk was super helpful in going through how to tune the GPZ7000 to the conditions. I’ve never witnessed the process on how to set that machine up and tune it to the ground like Lunk did. That was exactly what I was hoping to learn.
I do want to give a huge shout out to Lunk. He was very knowledgeable, helpful, and patient with me as I was figuring things out..
Kinda cheesy thing to say but guys like you and Lunk are my heroes. Getting to meet up with you guys is surreal. I find it so cool that I get to meet people that come to learn are true experts and respected in the detecting community. I also admire that you have the same passion and have made this such a big part of your lives. Not only that it’s a demonstration of your character with your willingness to help other people learn this discipline.
Detecting for gold is my passion and I strive to get to the level you guys are at. I will continue to embrace this and improve. You give me something to strive for.
Andy – April 2021
Gerry,
I just wanted to take some time to let you know how much I appreciated spending time with you and your staff at the training class on the weekend of April 9th. I hadn’t even had a chance to turn my machine on by the time I got to the seminar. So I definitely started from the beginning, with you guys, learning how to operate my new GPZ 7000. I’m new on this machine but I’m no beginner. I’ve been detecting for the last twelve years with an old Minelab 2200D in Nevada, California and Arizona. I’ve hit nuggets in the last two of those states but Nevada had always eluded me and I’d been skunked out at the Rye Patch several times over the years.
The training class was amazing. The lecture the first day was full of good info and was very well delivered, but the field training with my new machine was absolutely invaluable. After picking the brain’s of you and your pros the second day and receiving all the hands on instruction a person could want, I felt like I had a good grasp on how my machine worked. Then, about 15 minutes into the third day, on our little field trip, I hit my first nugget. Shortly after, I had two more good signals and called the group over. It was very unique to share this experience of finding gold with the rest of the class. Listening to how the other types of machines reacted to the targets and actually digging a nugget right in front of everyone. By the time the seminar was over I had hit four nuggets! Unbelievable!!!
Gerry, I’ve really got to thank you and your staff. You helped me break the Nevada barrier, with a brand new machine, and finally find gold at the Rye Patch. I even stuck around for a few more days and hit three more nuggets! For the first time, in well over a decade, I drove out of the Rye Patch with my head held high…and it all began by calling a man in Boise about a detector. It’s an experience I’ll never forget.
Thanks so much,
Andy Butts
Steve – March 2021
I recently purchased GPZ 7000 from Gerry detectors. First metal detector I have owned, always wanted one for the last 30 years or so but never committed. So during that time frame I told myself when I turn 60 and retire I am going to buy one. Turned 60 on St Patrick’s day bought a GPZ 7000 on March 18. Thru some coordination was able to meet up with one of Gerry’s team members for some 1 on 1 training down around Lake Havasue on March 27th for gold and the 28th for meteorites. Arrived at the meeting point the night before. Was greeted by Lunk and Rusty. Rusty must have been a professional chef, what a cook. We got up early on the 28th and headed out. After we arrived at our search point and went over some settings and ground balancing. Then Lunk and I searched around together and listened to sounds and dug up some trash, bullets, wires and shell cases. Then It was time to search on my own after more trash I was down in a wash and had a good signal behind a big rock. The dig was on. And low and behold it was a 5.5 gram nugget with some quartz in it. Made a believer out of me. Latter in the day I thought I may have a second nugget just down from where I had found the earlier one. Dug a hole about 18 inches deep 20 inches across and still had a good target but not sure if it was hitting on the sides of the coil or where I thought in the center of the hole I decide it was time to make sure I was doing this correct so off to get the professional. Lunk came over showed him what I was doing and we agreed the target was still in the center of the hole. Took out another scoop of dirt and it turned out to be a bullet. Win some loose some but turned out to be a great time on day two I didn’t do to well on the meteorites but I didn’t go home empty handed. I had the best time and made some great new friends, did I mention Rusty the camp cook? He can really cook. Thanks for a good time!
Sincerely, Steve from Riggins, ID
Dan Mott’s Success Story – May 2016
To Gerry and Crew;
I just had to share this with you, made my first day out Sunday gold hunting, since your teaching at the Rye Patch. Found my first piece of gold! I’ve had my GPX 5000 for a year now and nothing, but frustration! I went back to the heavily picked area at home, but applied what I learned and BINGO! It may be only a small 1/3 gram nugget, but sure got a big smile.
I had not heard of Gerry McMullen before, until someone in my prospector club mentioned looking for people to go with him to Gerry’s detector training class in Nevada, Well I needed to do something different if I was going to try and make my used GPX 5000 work. So I decided to try this Rye Patch class and I am sure glad I did. Not only was the information good but necessary to being successful. The training proved out the first time I made it home and went out hunting. Even if I had not found any gold, I had a great time with Gerry and his crew. There was more staff there than I expected and I was impressed with that.
The next time I buy a machine, new or used, it will be from Gerry and I would take him up on his free training, again. One thing I learned to finding gold was, there is always more to learn.
Thanks again Gerry, Mike, Lunk, Steve, Ron, and Spencer, for sharing your knowledge and the great time I had.
Your friend,
Dan Mott
Rye Patch, April of 2016
Jason DeLuisa’s “Testimonial” – April 2016
Hello Gerry,
I took a class with Keith to learn to use my SDC 2300. I thoroughly enjoyed the class! Keith was an excellent instructor. He was patient and supportive. Thank you for helping me choose the SDC and for referring me to Keith. I would
highly recommend him as an instructor to anyone wishing to learn more about metal detecting. I am confident that what I learned in the class will help me to be a more successful prospector.
Sincerely,
Jason DeLuisa
Erik’s “Testimonial”
Good morning Gerry,
My name is Erik and I reside in Nevada. I have been prospecting for about 25 years and took up metal detecting about a year ago. Originally, I purchased a mid-range PI detector from Amazon. I had never received any formal training with the machine and detected on the weekends regularly for the majority of that year without any gold. On one of my later outings, I performed a series of tests with my machine on a 1.5 pennyweight (2.3 gram) nugget buried at various depths. I realized that my machine was not “seeing” the target. Based on the recommendation of a fellow detectorist I contacted Gerry McMullen of Gerry’s Metal Detectors out of Boise, Idaho. Gerry was quick to respond and listen to my story. After listening, Gerry recommended the MineLab GPZ 7000 package and encouraged me to enroll in his training course to be held at Rye Patch, Nevada. Gerry gave me a great deal on the machine and training and the customer service was exceptional throughout the whole process of acquiring the machine and enrolling in training. At the three-day training course, Gerry and his staff of expert metal detectors conveyed their knowledge on detecting techniques, detector types and capabilities, detector settings and operation, and target recognition and recovery techniques. Gerry and his staff were very professional and willing to share their wealth of knowledge on detecting and prospecting. The weekend following the training course, I found 4 nuggets at two different locations. One of the locations had been detected several times over by many different machines and operators.
All I can say is, if you are serious about finding gold, coins, or relics, buy the best from the best!
Thank you for helping me realize my goals in nugget shooting.
Erik L. in NV
Gerry,
My first nugget, 1:45 hrs after I started swinging on my own.
Thanks for the settings!
Further on this – “first nuggie”; not that the nuggie was huge by any measure, but this little guy was under a copper clad bullet fragment, and at only at 3 inches deep, or so.
I almost didn’t dig it…. I’m facing a partial knee replacement in another week+, so “digging everything” is not my first choice (it hurts to transition from down to up). Anyway, I double checked the target site, and there it was…. my first sub-gram piece with the GPZ-7000. All your lessons were heard and learned…. So, thanks again. We all may have missed the field exercises@ Sumpter, thanks to the fires, but our pre-field class – day 1, was huge in grounding us (well at least me,) and I’m sure the others also.
Thanks again for your efforts on these training programs that are tied to our purchases… It was a very important element in the “why” I choose to buy through you, and not thru those few others dealers that are making similar offerings:
The combined knowledge that you and your staff afford those of us who trying our best to put these operational “puzzles” together – to effectively utilize these ever evolving and relatively complex “tools” for finding the ever elusive “AU” (gold) in thoroughly pounded gold fields – well, it is the difference! The detector prices are the same between dealers, but you definitely offer the most important added-value, the knowledge base that helps make these new tools work, along with the rationale’s behind them.
Take care again, and I’ll still try to join you all at the next classes at RP this Fall (Oct or Nov), work permitting. I’ll let you know as soon as I know, if there’s any conflicts.
Best, Dave
Peg T’S. Testimonial on Professional Training From Gerry’s Metal Detectors
Hi Gerry…I’ve been meaning to thank you for quite some time – ever since you helped me find my first real nugget with the GP3500 in eastern Oregon a couple years ago! But even before that, when I bought the used Gold Bug 2 from you at the local Gold Show and then went to my first training in the field…. I learned how to use the detector, but more importantly you taught me where it is best used and what type of ground to look for. You demonstrated how to localize and recover targets, and made available the best tools to be successful based upon your many years of detecting experience. I guess I took it all for granted until this past spring when I was at the ICMJ Prospecting and Mining Summit field trip at an old hydraulic mining site. There were dozens of other detectorists working the area, and it became very apparent to me in a short time that many of them had very little knowledge of their machines nor had the basics of prospecting with one. I had a great time finding numerous small nuggets, and even had the likes of Chris Ralph and Steve Herschbach watch the gal from Idaho work that GB2! 🙂
What a blast! And I knew then, how important my initial training had been. When I first met you at that Gold Show a few years back, I had no idea what a wonderful hobby you would expose me to……and now it’s not just a hobby, it has become a passion to search out those elusive gold nuggets! And thanks to the training sessions I’ve had with you, along with a lot of practice on my part, I’m having some success! Thanks Gerry.
Sincerely, Peg T.
Included here is some of my finds with their respective detectors including that “special” first one on the 3500!
Lunk’s SDC 2300 Story
“I think I must have dropped it right in this area,” my friend Harry said as he pointed to a patch of ground that had been raked and detected for gold nuggets many times over the years. He was explaining to me that he had just searched the area extremely thoroughly with his Minelab GPX 5000 detector set in the fine gold timing with a small search coil, and had found a tiny nugget the size and shape of a very small bird shot. After showing it to a fellow prospector, Harry put the tiny bit of gold, along with his test nugget, back into his nugget bottle…or so he thought; upon showing his wife later that day, it was discovered that the tiny nugget was missing! The area was then scoured again with the GPX 5000, a Fisher Gold Bug Pro and a White’s GMT in search of the lost nugget, without success.
“Let me try to find it with my Minelab SDC 2300 detector, Harry,” I offered.
“Sure Lunk, that’s a great idea, go ahead!” He replied. So I quickly unfolded the unit, set it to maximum sensitivity and began slowly searching the area. Within just a couple of minutes, the 2300 responded with a crisp, clear signal. “I think I may have found it,” I said as Harry, his wife Maureen and a fellow prospector all huddled together in anticipation. After clearing the surface stones away from the underlying soil, I soon discovered that the target was actually buried. The target was out of the hole and in my scoop after removing only a couple inches of material. A quick sifting revealed a small, thin and ragged piece of gold. “Is this your nugget, Harry? I asked as I handed it to him.
“No, mine was shaped like a bird shot,” he replied as he handed me back the nugget, “but that’s impressive!”
“Okay, well it’s gotta be in here somewhere,” I said as I continued the search. Soon I unearthed another small nugget, and another, neither of which were Harry’s missing nugget! Needless to say, everyone was incredulous that the SDC had so quickly found these targets that their detectors had missed. “It’s the new MPF technology of the SDC 2300 that is able to find nuggets that are just a little too deep for the very low frequency, VLF machines, and that don’t respond well or at all on other pulse-induction, PI detectors,” I explained.
Dusk was setting in over the Arizona desert by this time, so I resumed the search the following morning. After recovering seven more small nuggets with the 2300, none of which were Harry’s, I could only assume that his nugget had somehow escaped when he went to show it to his wife back at their RV.
This is just one example of why I couldn’t put the Minelab SDC 2300 down from the time I picked one up in the middle of November until I started swinging the new Minelab GPZ 7000 in March. During that time the 2300 located over 155 nuggets, just on beat-up old patches. I haven’t had as much fun with any detector since I first started detecting for gold nuggets back in 1996, and I sure wish I would have had this magnificent machine back then. Happy Prospecting!
Marc Kelly: 1352 medievil longcross penny dug with a Fisher F-75 in UK on a trip with Gerry. Good times!
Bill Skerjanc I found a Roman coin in a front yard and this 1800’s dog tag. You never know what you are going to dig with a Etrac!
Mike Hannah Idaho’s early years, all pre 1891 finds. Chasing the old stage routes to the gold fields of Idaho & Montana. (THE E-TRAC & GPX 5000)
Scott Thurber:
My third month of metal detecting I dug my first silver dollar! A 1921 Morgan, nothing special about it, last year that the Morgan was minted, but hey it’s a silver dollar! I was using my Explorer SE with the 8″ FBS coil. What a great hobby!
February 2nd, 2014
Gerry’s Detectors
Gerry,
Quartzsite, AZ. Training January 2014 with Gerry’s Detectors
Buying a GPX 5000 is a big decision, buying it was a commitment to getting far more serious about my long-term pursuit – nugget hunting. Choosing a dealer to buy from became as serious a decision because of the investment involved.
Along came Gerry McMullen (Gerry’s Detectors), offering the same hardware I could buy elsewhere (locally, neighboring states, or frankly anywhere – all at the same prices). However, Gerry’s was offering a difference – far more than most anyone else. Gerry was not making promises, nor all the value-added goodies other dealers add to help sweeten the “deal” of such a purchase.
Gerry’s Detectors was adding, to my thinking, the most valuable thing you need – an education in understanding and utilizing the full range of power this machine was capable of. There was no promise of finding gold during the field training they offered, however what was being provided was an A-Z instruction with expert instructors that worked closely with each class member. That’s exactly what I needed since I had tapped-out every other source available. I needed guidance on putting it all together, expert instruction in real world environments.
This GPX 5000 is an involved machine, more so than all the other VLF detectors that I have owned over the decades, and I was intent on learning everything I could about the relationship of the settings, knobs, and switches on the unit. I, and others in the class, wanted to know more about the available accessories, all the “tools”, the options and choices of coils and other accessories, relative to the areas we might be searching – from EMI, mineralization, trash, depth’s, etc. We wanted to know it all, or at least get a much better handle on it all.
Gerry’s classes covered it all, and the instructors were the best, patient, offering continued advise as we paired up with each to realistically work with different settings supplied, and how to handle the many types of sounds and targets we discovered in “real-world” type conditions. What a great way to learn.
Like many in our class we each brought different degrees of knowledge and backgrounds, some had been handling their GPX’s for some time – yet all of us seemed to know that we had missed a more integrated approach, or understanding of the GPX (most our units were 5000’s but we also had one 4500 in the class). This training covered practically everything, putting it all into a context that was far more understandable than anything I’d previously researched.
I left Gerry’s training feeling far more comfortable in my understanding of the “why” and “what” I was setting my machine up for. I already had settings acquired from on-line sources and publications. Now I began to understand not only how mine would work, but exactly how I could refine that, and how to increase the stability of my detector, to smooth out it’s performance, to deal with heavy trashy hunt areas, to accurately ground balance my machine, and in general to operate far more successfully. I feel I could go most anywhere, and configure the detector to maximize my finding of more gold even in heavily “pounded” grounds.
Our class members all had Pulse Induction – GPX machines, however VLF and other “PI” machines would have been welcomed also, and their relative values were also discussed at length. In my case, it will still take many more hours of actual usage to truly master this detector. Bottom line, other dealers were offering training, yet few had the reputation that Gerry had earned over his years, and few offered the additional individual expert trainers. Gerry was a great dealer to work with, an incredibly knowledgeable teacher, a straight shooter – no pressure and honest, his instructors were cut from the same cloth.
Whether it’s a VLF, or a Pulse Induction detector – Gerry knows it, works with the manufacturer, has tested or reviewed the pre-release units for manufacturers. He’s been there and done-it, talks the talk – but most importantly – he walks it too. He’s my any-day recommendation for any new buyer, and anyone looking to step up to a new machine.
Dave Gatley, Poway, CA
November 1st, 2013
Gerry’s Detectors Several years ago I purchased a metal detector from Radio Shack. I believe it was about $200. I never did quite get the hang of it. So it kind of got shelved for the most part.
More recently I began hearing about Gerry’s Detectors. I finally decided to check it out. My wife and I went to his place. He began to describe some of the machines he was selling. I decided to purchase the Fisher Gold Bug 2. He showed me a little bit about how it works and how to use it. I also paid a little extra for a 3 day training session.
My wife & I went to Rye Patch, Nevada recently where we met up with Gerry and his trainers. The 3 day course was very informative. I learned a lot. I would never have learned some of the more important things one needs to know to be successful in finding gold. We had a lot of fun learning. The training was excellent. I received a lot of one on one help. I now have a lot more confidence with my machine. I even found a small nugget. I believe I can now go out and know what I am doing. It’s a lot more fun when you know what to do and what to look for. I highly recommend Gerry’s Detectors and the training that only he can provide
Milton
September 30th, 2013
Gerry’s Detectors
I want to thank Gerry for all his help. I originally went in his store for new set of headphones and one thing led too another. Gerry’s customer service was superb. Gerry had a variety of headphones laid out for me upon my arrival and ready to explain how each one would best suit me. Well I made my choice and told him I was very new at detecting and Gerry immediately offered up his vast knowledge. Well long story short during my metal detecting trip to Idaho with my great friend Terry. I found $ 26.oo in change four coins of which were wheats, and my greatest find was a rare token from gem saloon Nampa, Idaho. As far as I know there are not to many out there. I have had some great offers for it but as for now not ready too trade. I found many more relics during this trip. But believe I wouldn’t have had this great success with out Gerry’s help. He has my business in the future. Thank you Gerry.
Happy detecting,
Steve
Dana
September 28th, 2013
Gerry’s Detectors
As he says, Folks, “We promise that if you stay for the three days, you will be able to work and understand your detector and be able to unearth natural gold.”
And we did just exactly that: After only one and a quarter days of classroom instruction, then some preliminary field-runs to get a feel for it all, then a short drive over to an open field of short sagebrush for a few hours of field training to finish out the second day. And in the middle of the third day, when the staff had gone to lunch, what I found was a shiny piece of yellow gold almost exactly half the dimension of a pin (exactly) probably smaller. Now, if I can find that small of a piece of gold on my own, in the middle of nowhere–I can find ANYTHING. And So Can You! With Gerry’s techniques. Incidentally, there were three other nuggets found on that day by people just like me.
This was my very first experience with any type of treasure hunting machine except for a few hours of one-on-one training with Jerry when I purchased a coin/relic machine from him earlier this year. When I purchased my first machine from Gerry, he was willing to spend the afternoon with me trying his best to deliver his complete formula for success in a short amount of time; At the training, he makes sure to involve everyone in class participation and does a good job in making sure everyone is understanding the information as we go. He can expertly instruct for each of the many brands and models he personally feels is the best suited to your focus of prospecting and can tell you exactly why they are superior to the other machines on the market and also what are the weak points. He will help you make the right selection and walk you through step by step to understanding your machine. He will tell you about all the things he doesn’t like about any one of the machines he sells–and even some that he doesn’t sell; and he can tell you the exact same amount of features he likes about all the exact same machines (If you ask him). Thanks to Gerry and his staff for a very educational and down-to-earth program, where anyone who wants to learn a proven formula for treasure hunting success–will have success! Come ready to learn as he will take you through the ABC’s of everything you will need to know to be able to find gold on your own.
I know this all may sound like Gerry either paid me to submit this review or he and I are related. I assure you that it is neither. I became interested in this whole subject by, of all places, watching YouTube videos on Metal Detector Finds and all related subjects. The more I watched these video shorts, the more I kept comparing the genuine content of Gerry’s videos to the others, and realized that someone who can teach me a formula for success in his field of expertise and is willing to personally instruct anyone who shows an interest in learning his method, actually lives close enough to Salt Lake that I should definitely check this out. Whether in the field or classroom instruction, I would recommend Gerry’s training to anyone who has a desire to learn a proven system from someone who is extremely successful in the business.
Dana
West Valley, UT
Gus Peppley
Every time a new Minelab PI gold machine comes out, the main question in the detecting community; is it really worth upgrading?
Since my first Minelab gold detector, there has been a pretty standard improvement with each new machine. They seem to be just a slight bit more sensitive on smaller gold, and also offer a more stable threshold than their predecessor.
Extremely Mineralized ground, as well as hot rock infested areas seem to be getting easier and easier to hunt with the release of each new model. The GPX-5000 offers an even wider variety of new timings to choose from that allows to you to crank up the sensitivity and depth capabilities if you’re hunting in mild or quiet ground. Or most beneficial if needed, you can select a timing that allows you to hunt in the most mineralized of areas. Being able to have this much control over your machine, and adapt to each ground situation by getting the very most depth and sensitivity that the ground and the stability of your machine will allow, can really increase the gold in your poke.
All of these setting options do sound a bit complicated, and I know a few people that are intimidated to get into one of the machines just because of that. But it’s really not that hard to comprehend with a little reading through the manual and charts that Minelab provides. The timing chart really helps make sense of the capabilities of each timing. With all that being said, this machine will work fine without all the tinkering as well. I have settings that I use that work fine just about everywhere. You can program the machine where you like it and leave it, and it will be very capable of finding gold.
If you are a beginner or still learning, the best way to increase your chances of finding gold is to get some hands on, field training by an expert. Why not buy a machine from someone who will actually take you out and teach you how to use it. This will save you countless hours trying to learn on your own. Gerry taught me how to be a successful nugget hunter in 2003, and is still training his customer today. My bet is that you will become a loyal customer as I have. Gerry is a top notch person, and he is very good at what he does. His customer success has to be the best in the world! And I doubt that is an exaggeration.
I just recently upgraded to the Gpx-5000, and have been able to spend about 14 days of detecting across 4 states with it so far. In that time, I have managed to find just over 50 nuggets. Nothing big yet, but those are easy to hear! This machine amazes me on small gold at depth, especially in highly mineralized areas that have given my previous detectors a little trouble. If the old-timers had these machines, the gold would be gone!
I was a little hesitant to upgrade from the 4500 to the 5000, only because I loved the 4500, and was so successful with it. Gerry insisted that I would like it better, and he was right. I should have done it sooner…
I wish you the best of luck to you on your next prospecting adventure.
-Gus Peppley
Idaho Ray’s Gold
Hi Gerry,
The day I crossed this patch of gold was record breaking cold in Southern Az. I had just recovered 10 nuggets in a small dranage and was so cold I was headed back to camp. I crossed the small hill above me and herd a loud reply from my earphones. Holy Crap! 3 grams plus at just over an inch deep. I quickly started checking the ground around me and produced 26 more nuggets that day. The following 6 days I had recovered a total of 70 nuggets and 2 ounces of gold. I could hardly sleep at night. My Minelab GP3500 produced some amazing gold from 16 inches deep to pieces so small I couldn’t even weigh them on my jewlers scale.The training I got from you when I first got my detector has produced many nuggets over the last 4 years.
Thanks,
Idaho Ray
Bob Seastrom
Good Morning!
I wanted to drop you a quick note of thanks. While I had learned some of the basics fooling around on my own, your training was informative and put me way ahead of where I would be right now. Although I was running a vlf machine I also learned things about the PI machines that I hope to put to use in the future. Many of the tips and techniques that you and your staff showed us would have taken a long time to figure out on my own. Some of these seemed like small lessons, but really are what gives a guy an edge in detecting.
After my Dad met me at the conclusion of the training we stayed another five days and detected at a few other sites. I think that helped cement my new skills. And being able to spend some time with Dad was priceless. Detecting will turn out to be something I can share with him. He loves the research and the whole process will, I’m sure, create memories. Finding a few more pieces of gold at the other sites was icing on the cake. Four small pickers at the training and another four from “elsewhere.”
Thanks again,
Bob Seastrom
Randy Garcia
Hi Gerry,
Just wanted to thank you again for the great training session. I’ve always wanted to detect for nuggets. I’ve tried a few places with other machine with no luck at all. After hearing about you and then reading the information on your website I decided to bite the bullet and buy the GPX-4500. Getting the three free days of training was icing on the cake for me.
The training part really helped me understand what to look for and how to setup my machine so I could be better prepared to find nuggets. I really didn’t feel I would need much help in detecting technique because I’ve been detecting since 1999 and felt that I’ve always kept the coil to the soil, moved slowly, and wouldn’t miss much if I could get my coil over it. I soon found out that my detecting technique wasn’t as good as I thought (grins).
Having you hookup to my detector so you could listen to what I was hearing was an eye opener for me. At least three times I would have passed over a target that could have been a nugget. The first time you said “what was that” and when we rechecked the spot I was stunned to hear that ever so soft “wee-ooh” sound that I had missed. Having you hear two more targets that I missed showed me that I have a lot to learn about nugget hunting.
I really didn’t think I would find a nugget while I was there and was more surprised than anyone when I got luckly and passed over a 2.6 gram nugget. Needless to say, I’m hooked on nugget hunting and I’ve been researching spots that I can get out and swing my new GPX-4500.
Even though I had to drive a long way to Sumpter, Oregon it was well worth it. I had a great time, made some new friends, and learned a lot. Finding the nugget was fun too (grins).
HH Randy Garcia
Marc Kelly
My name is Marc Kelly (aka AU MARC), I live in Middle Tennessee and am a devoted metal detectorist for the last 20 years. I had the good fortune to meet Gerry McMullen in the spring of 2004. I purchased a Minelab GP Extreme from him shortly after Christmas that year and decided to drive 2300 miles to Rye Patch NV. to get his training in the goldfields. At the time I also figured I would be able to figure out this high tech unit on my own and was more interested in being in Gold Country than actually getting his training as I am the type of person that would rather work my way through a learning curve on my own! Well.. was I wrong… After
meeting him and listening to his first morning discussion on how to start your detector properly I realized that I had much to learn in this specialized area of gold nugget metal detecting. His training techniques and personal attention he gives each and every customer is second to NONE! In a matter of hrs. I felt years ahead of the game. He not only teaches proper use of this equipment; he actually puts the new user in a confident state of mind which is in my opinion a very important facet in being successful when hunting for this elusive yellow metal!
My first morning actually hunting at Rye Patch Gerry was plugged in with me and we were both listening to signals my machine was giving in this small wash I was hunting. I passed over a spot that gave a small faint rise in threshold response and he sort of nudged me because I was continuing to walk on. He said you must investigate that type of sound/response. Ok…I said, so I kicked some dirt away and the signal started to improve. Well about 10 minutes later and about 14 inches down I was rewarded with my first ever Gold Nugget!!!!! This baby weighed in at 7.8 grams of SOLID GOLD!! There is no way I would have ever been able to hear and associate that signal as a nugget on my own!! I have gone on to dig many more since then and cannot stress how important that 3 days of training was!!! We have grown to be good friends today and have spent countless hrs. detecting together for all types of treasure from gold to very rare coins!!! I can only say…THANK YOU GERRY! FOR YOUR GUIDANCE AND FRIENDSHIP!
I highly advise anyone thinking about investing in a metal detector to take him up on his training and purchase it from him as you will end up being far more successful if you do!! Knowledge is the REAL GOLD!!
Best Wishes and GOOD LUCK TO EVERYONE!!
Marc Kelly
Wade Lundin
Hello fellow prospectors and treasure seekers. I want to share some things with you that I hope will help you as much as it did me. I have been metal detecting for about 20 or so years. Over the past two years my excitement and success has just been insane. I fought and struggled with my first detector from the local hardware store, but I still found some cool stuff and was hooked for life. I eventually moved up to a popular brand detector, I think I spent around $300.00. I would use it off and on for the next 15 or so years. Every trip out I would end up with a few hundred pieces of trash and a small hand full of coins. I eventually bought a Minelab VLF detector to try my luck at gold. I ended up finding a few small pieces, but a lot of wasted time for what I was trying to do with it. It is a great machine for tailings or small shallow gold. Three years ago I went on a prospecting trip to California, and on my way through Boise, Idaho I spent the night and need to find a new pick to dig up those huge nuggets in California. I ended up calling Gerry McMullen from Gerry’s detectors. Being from Montana I didn’t know my way around Boise, and he went out of his way to bring me some picks to the hotel so I could get exactly what I needed. After picking his brain for a while I could tell he was very knowledgeable on metal detecting. He gave me a couple of business cards and I went on my way.
I only found a couple of small pieces of gold that trip, but met a lot of really nice people. I ended up calling Gerry when I got home to pick his brain on what I might be doing wrong. That was a bad idea for my check book, but great on my next three years of detecting.
Gerry’s Detecting is amazing for the person who needs to learn these new high tech machines with hands on training. I know I need it. My first purchase from Gerry was a Minelab GPX-4800. If I hadn’t taken his hands on training in Nevada I would have been hosed, and it probably would be sitting in my closet collecting dust. Knowing what setting and coils to use in what area you are hunting is huge. You can memorize the owner’s manual and it doesn’t even compare to what Gerry and his team can teach you. I head south to the gold fields about 28 days a year and I have found nuggets every time. That doesn’t seem like a lot of time detecting for what I spent on that machine, but I would not have found what I did without it. When that first nugget hit the cup I didn’t care what it cost, I was on cloud nine.
After I had some gold saved up it was time to sell and I bought my second detector from Gerry. I wanted to buy a coin machine, but had no idea what was out there or what I needed. Gerry is great at taking the time to answer questions and ask the right questions to fit you to what you need. I needed a detector that could deal with a lot of high trash and could go deep for those old coins. He gave me a couple of options on different detectors. One was a little cheaper than the other, and I asked what one do you use. For someone who has used a metal detector for over 30 years, I am going with the one he has most success with.
I ended up getting the Minelab e-trac last year, and I tell you what, I feel guilty taking that thing out. I can’t even begin to tell you how awesome it does on trash at old homesteads in Montana. I am now filling my pockets with coins and only a hand full of junk at parks. At homesteads there is a lot of trash but the coins are old. Yesterday I dug my first Indian head penny and at the end of the day I had two more. The 20 or so pieces of trash were well worth it.
Gerry offers all kinds of training for all kinds of detectors, because he knows how and what each machine does. This next part is the coolest of my babbling on and on. I never had the chance to get training on my e-trac. I just did a lot of trial and error. I thought I was going to drive Gerry nuts with the phone calls from the park. What is this, how come this, this button, that button. Man Gerry has the patience, because I am not the only one calling him on a Sunday while he is trying to eat breakfast. Once you figure out your machine, man the cool stuff just keeps flowing.
To make a long story short, I would have been hosed buying a detector from some body that didn’t know what they were selling or doing. With all the extra phone calls and emails that I sent Gerry, he always had time and patience. Give Gerry a call at Gerry’s Detectors if you are looking to find more of the good stuff. I guarantee you will be bragging to all your friends.
Thank you, Wade Lundin
Bill Moore
I was one of those newbies who purchased a gold detector and kept putting off formal gold nugget training. I watched all the DVD’s and videos, and after 3 years of on and off detecting at poor sites, I finally read a magazine article on nugget hunting training that caught my attention. I then pulled up Gerry’s Metal Detectors web site and read the article on “How To Become a Successful Nugget Hunter” and was sold! I called Gerry McMullen in Boise, Idaho and upgraded to the Minelab GPX-5000 and scheduled my 3-day training session at Rye Patch, NV. Gerry sends each trainee a series of e-mails with details on the camp site, what to bring and expect from the 3-day session. The long 850 mile trip from Colorado to Rye Patch was a trip thru some of the most beautiful and unusual scenery that I have ever seen. The first day of training finally came and it was devoted to classroom training and learning all of the tools required to become successful in the field. The 13 trainees met Gerry, Spencer, Mark and Ron(Team Nugget Buster) at the camp site and we were split up into small groups to learn our machines. On Saturday we went out in the field and were shown a few good target signals that Gerry’s Team had located the night before. We got to hear the signals with our detectors and watched as the targets were removed from the soil. Then we were released to hunt with our trainers plugged-in to our machines. While hunting an area on my own with my trusty 17″ EM coil, I came across the soft wee ooh signal we were taught to listen for and dug out my first gold nugget with the GPX 5000! The 1.9 gram chevron gold nugget was about 8″ deep and the signal kept getting louder as I dug deeper, which is one of the many tips we were taught. I wasn’t sure who was more excited, Gerry or I when I gave him the nugget. Everyone took a quick look and we went back to hunting. I then found another target and located a specimen with gold about 10 feet from the chevron nugget’s hole. What an exciting day and we still had one more full day to hunt the huge Rye Patch area and find more gold. We must have searched at least eight different sites that weekend and Gerry made sure everyone had a ride to the hunt locations. First off, let me give a big thank you to my trainers as I would have never had the skills, knowledge and site research to find the gold…priceless. Gerry has really put together a great team of professional nugget hunter’s to train his customers. They taught me about setting up the GPX 5000, how to expertly Ground Balance your machine, what mineralized soil looks and sounds like, what double signals mean, how to protect power cords and connectors, etc. etc, etc.. The thrill and excitement of finding my first gold nugget were fantastic and I’m hooked for life. Folks it’s been said before, but there is nothing more important than professional hands-on in the field training! Just about everyone found some gold with the Minelab GPX’s and Gold Bug 2 nugget detectors during those 3 days, made some new friends and the experience was truly a blast!
Bill Moore
Laporte, CO