The Erbeck occurrence is located between Cockle and Dunn creek which empty into tbe east side of Duncan Lake.

The area of the Erbeck is underlain by coarse clastic rocks of the Upper Proterozoic Horsethief Creek Group. The rocks in the area have been mapped as amphibolite, dolomitic limestone, marble, quartzite and muscovite schist. The amphibolite is possibly a meta-volcanic rock.

The area was investigated in the 1920s when the Dary and Dismuth (082KNE062), 4 kilometres north, were explored. In 1945, five contiguous claims were staked by R.E. Erdahl and J.E. Pinchbeck in the vicinity of lower Cockle Creek on a northwesterly trend. They were known as the Tin City, Canyon, Old Glory, Cyclone and Erbeck claims. The Tin City (082KNE071) was staked to cover a showing of tin, beryllium and scheelite mineralization. Claims in the vicinity of the Erbeck claim were Crown-granted in about 1900 (Iron Hand (Lot 5668) and Iron Chief (Lot 5669)). Sipald Resources acquired 12 claims covering the area in 1983. Newmont Exploration of Canada Limited optioned the property in 1984. Work by Newmont in 1984-85 included geochemical soil, silt and rock chip surveys, a magnetometer survey, trenching and 794 metres of diamond drilling in 13 holes. During 2007 through 2009, Braveheart Resources Canada Inc. completed programs of prospecting and geochemical (soil and rock) sampling on the area. In 2011, the area was examined by Moose Mountain Technical Services on the behalf of Rainbow Resources Inc. as the Big Strike property.

In 1945, the rocks underlying the Erbeck claim were reported to be greyish-green and brown schist, quartzite and limestone cut by quartz veins. One vein up to 1 metre in width was exposed for 30 metres. Mr. Erdahl reported that a greater width and length of vein containing pyrite, pyrrhotite and galena had been observed at other localities on the claim.

In 1984, Newmont Exploration examined what they believed to be the Erbeck workings. These consisted of two shallow pits in a sheared carbonate-quartzite contact zone that hosts pyrite, pyrrhotite, chalcopyrite and galena. A sample of quartz vein material assayed 1 per cent lead, 19.5 grams per tonne silver and 0.067 per cent tungstic oxide (WO3) (Assessment Report 13473).