The Coyote Knoll project has seen limited exploration since discovery in 1988 by Terry and Robert Steele when working for Independence Gold Mining. The property consists of 83 lode mining claims and two State Metalliferous Mineral Leases for a total area of approximately 3000 acres. During 1989 and 1990 Independence Gold and Freeport-McMoRan conducted surface sampling, trenching and reverse circulation drilling. Drilling found two excellent intercepts of silver and gold mineralization in two previously reported drill holes (CK-141. and CK-23) contained within or proximal to the historic open pit. CK-14 has an intercept of 8.19g/t Au and 1,060g/t Ag over 1.52 m from 9.14 m downhole and CK-23 has an intercept of 2g/t Au and 814g/t Ag over 1.52 m from 45.72 m downhole.
In 2012 Amnor Energy held the property and completed a 12 ton representative sample that was collected, crushed and processed by gravity separation. The average head grade of the material was reported to contain 0.13 ounces per ton gold and 43.6 ounces per ton silver. The first pass gravity processing recovered just under 50% of the gold and silver. Metallurgical testing returned recoveries of gold and silver at 90% using flotation milling or leaching.