Gold owl sluice mats. Gold Owls amazing ability to catch even the finest gold is setting a new standard worldwide. From Europe to Africa, Canada to Australia, the ability of Gold Owl is proven again and again, The ability to change the configuration of the mats, on the fly, is the greatest innovation yet in sluice mat design. For example, depending upon where you dredge, the Rogue River in Southern Oregon can produce a lot of gold in these larger sizes. But the river is loaded with fine gold, as well. It is kind of hard to see in the images but if you look close, you can see the plastic sluice under the false bottom where we placed the riffles for larger gold. May 01, 2019 Many Minnesota prospectors prefer a sluice box to a gold pan. This is because a sluice box is better at capturing smaller pieces of gold. In order to sluice you are required to get a permit from the state government. A gold pan can still be effective in Minnesota, but it requires a steady hand, a keen eye, and some experience.