*It Is Time Again...But Where Are The Juniors?

By Barry Murray

Prospecting is such a cyclic endeavor. Boom to bust, and back again. Inside of thirty years a target area can go from a "crazy old coots" backyard, to a camp with prospectors physically battling over claim lines, and then back to faded "notice of location" papers from claim stakes that have fallen over, blowing in the wind.

In the recent past, mineral prospecting as an endeavor is in a down turn, but the bust really wasn't caused by the economics of supply and demand. It was more of a matter of negative attitudes that has led many independents to conclude, "Why bother? I don't have the clout to get it permitted, anyhow."

Some of those negative attitudes have been changing, though, leading me to the conclusion that investing time and money in mineral exploration, might not be a bad idea in the next few years.

Don't accept this conclusion without doing your homework, though, something that seems to be a common mistake today of people betting their pension expecting a return of a comfortable retirement. I am not a silk stocking analyst suggesting you buy Enron stocks. The complexity of the situation isn't explainable in a simple sentence touting itself to be a "fact." Intelligent investing depends on examining "real life" situations, where attitudes have a tangible value.

To follow the full cycle of why I think mineral exploration is poised to make a comeback will take a bit of perseverance on your part. This long and rambling piece is my answer to all nay sayers with a backward attitude I have met in the past 30 years, when trying to take a mineral prospect forward.