82-2-101. Manner of locating claim. A person who discovers upon the public domain of the United States, within the state of Montana, a vein, lode, or ledge of rock in place bearing gold, silver, cinnabar, lead, tin, copper, or other valuable deposits or a placer deposit of gold or other deposit of minerals having a commercial value that is subject to entry and patent under the mining laws of the United States may, if qualified by the laws of the United States, locate a mining claim upon the vein, lode, ledge, or deposit in the following manner:

(1) The person shall post conspicuously at the point of discovery a written or printed notice of location containing the name of the claim, the name of the locator or locators, if there is more than one, the date of the location, which must be the date of posting the notice, and the approximate dimensions of the area of the claim intended to be appropriated.

(2) Within 30 days after posting the notice of location, the person shall distinctly mark the location on the ground so that its boundaries can be readily traced. It is prima facie evidence that the location is properly marked if the boundaries are defined by a monument at each corner or angle of the claim, consisting of any one of the following kinds:

(a) a tree at least 8 inches in diameter and blazed on four sides;

(b) a post at least 4 inches square by 4 feet 6 inches in length, set 1 foot in the ground, unless solid rock should occur at a less depth, in which case the post should be set upon the rock and surrounded in all cases by a mound of earth or stone at least 4 feet in diameter by 2 feet in height. A squared stump of the requisite size, surrounded by a mound, must be considered the equivalent of a post and mound.

(c) a stone at least 6 inches square by 18 inches in length, set two-thirds of its length in the ground, with a mound of earth or stone alongside at least 4 feet in diameter by 2 feet in height; or

(d) a boulder at least 3 feet above the natural surface of the ground on the upper side. When other monuments or monuments of lesser dimensions than those described in subsections (2)(a) through (2)(c) are used, it is a question for the jury or for the court where the action is tried without a jury as to whether the location has been marked upon the ground so that its boundaries can be readily traced. Whatever monument is used, it must be marked with the name of the claim and the designation of the corner, either by number or cardinal point.

(3) Within 60 days after posting notice, the locator shall comply with the United States mining laws.