Todd manages to convince members of his family and some of his closest friends that he can make them rich, if they all quit their jobs and go gold digging with him.
Todd and Roj head into the town of Fort Frances to consult with former government geologist and gold prospecting expert, Allen Raoul. Allen encourages Todd to focus on the tailings - the waste rock from the former mine - as a way of pulling large amounts of gold off of the property.The only problem is that Todd's best piece of equipment - the trommel - is made out of a sewer pipe, lawnmower wheels and an old bedframe...and when the motor breaks down, it'll take some Northern Canadian ingenuity to get it back up and running. Despite his best efforts to motivate the crew, Todd just can't seem to light a fire under them. So, Todd lets his rifle remind them that they're here to work. Todd'S got a shot at gold-finding greatness, but it will take nothing short of a miracle to help Todd realize his dreams.
After a slow start, and with operations barely underway, the Shotgun crew finally catch a break when Matt discovers what appears to be the "real" tailings deposits uphill from the foundation.But are they the real thing? Matt quickly goes from hero to villain after a small lie leads to major potential problems, when a key piece of gold-finding equipment is mistreated. Finding the gold is still a work in progress, but between a lady-lead hunt for dinner, and a big, bad explosion at the mine site - these fools may still have a hope to get themselves back on track.
A visit from the geologist reveals that Todd and the team are finally digging in the right areas and if they can just get the trommel and shaker table working on a regular basis, the gold is there!
After finally seeing gold in the pan, Todd is hopeful that they can use the momentum to finally get things going - but gold production is still happening at a snail's pace. Although they've finally found the tailings, trying to sort through them with the rickety trommel is an exercise in futility that almost lands Grizz in the hospital. Fed up, Jimmy abandons his other duties to get the trommel working properly.
The machinery is finally operational and the team is starting to finally gel; Alexa and Olivia are crushing rocks on a full time basis, Roj and Jimmy are working together to figure out the chemical leaching process, and Grizz, Mikey and Matt have got the trommel running...but where's Todd?
Underwhelming assay results have put Todd's dreams of a golden ticket to retirement at risk. With time running out, and little gold to show, Todd breaks the bank and brings in new equipment to try and accelerate the process.
With winter fast-approaching, it's apparent that Todd and his team are entering their final days at Straw Lake. As the frost sets in, mining operations are compromised by frozen pipes, malfunctioning equipment and earth too solid for processing.
The Shotgun crew is back at Straw Lake and working towards a goal of 100oz on the season - but things may end before they start if Todd can't settle a dispute about shares in the operation.
A new piece of very expensive equipment arrives on site, but without the technical expertise on how to run it, the Shotgun crew is once again getting their gold-op off on the wrong foot.
Todd takes on a dangerous job when his operations are moving fast enough.
Todd adds a night shift in order to boost production - but the well-meaning night crew makes a decision that brings a key part of the operation, crashing down.
A cash-strapped Todd reveals to Roj that if they don't get gold...he could be going to jail, so Roj agrees to do whatever it takes to meet the gold quota before Todd sells the equipment off to pay his debts.
When Mikey gets caught making fun of the boss, Todd decides the ultimate punishment is to put Mikey in charge of the gold operation. Will Mikey get the gold they need, or will he crash and burn?
Todd takes the team on what seems like a wild goose chase, as he and Roj clash over the best way to meet their 100oz gold target.
Todd tries to impress a journalist with his gold operation by showing off everything the team is doing right - but somehow as they prepare for her visit, everything goes terribly wrong.
Unimpressed with the amount of gold they are finding, Todd decides to make a change and goes searching for a gold vein that he believes could lead them to the mother lode.
Todd's twin brother Trevor comes to Straw Lake in order to collect a debt from Todd - and since Todd has no cash he agrees to pay Trevor in gold...much to the dismay of the rest of the crew.
Matt makes a costly mistake with a major piece of equipment, which could bring the gold operation to an abrupt end.
In the last days of the season the crew is faced with not only being short on their gold total, but also the possibility of Todd selling the mine. Is this the end of the dream, and Shotgun Exploration as we know it?