Maus Creek flows north west through the Hughes Range before making a turn to the south east as it enters the Upper Kootenay River valley.
Regionally, the area is located on the eastern edge of the Belt Basin. The Belt Basin is formed by the Middle Proterozoic Belt Super group. The Purcell Super group is comprised of a thick accumulation of calcitic and carbonate rocks that are interpreted to have been deposited in a large intercratonic basin.
Locally, the area is underlain by moderately north-dipping sediments of the upper part of the Creston Formation and the lower part of the Kitchener Formation. The Creston Formation consists mainly of medium- to thick- bedded mauve siltstone and white quartz arenite, overlain by interbedded green argillaceous siltstone and minor quartz arenite. The Kitchener Formation conformably overlays the Creston Formation. The Kitchener Formation is composed mainly of carbonate and carbonate- rich calcitic sediments of thinly laminated dolomite, buff and light- green dolomitic siltstone, argillaceous dolomite, rare oolitic limestone, green siltstone and massive dolomite.
Prospecting for placer gold has continued on Maus Creek in buried stream channels. No gold was reported from active or old channel ways.
In 1939, pay gravels along bedrock from underground workings were reported to yield from 8.6 to 15.3 grams per cubic metre. At the time, two weeks of work, produced 283.5 grams of gold (Halladay, L.B. (1979-04-27): Re: Maus and Wildhorse creeks placer leases).
The early history and exploration of the area is related to the discovery of placer gold on the Wild Horse (Wildhorse) River in 1864. During the 1930’s, miners are reported to have made a living by sluicing the surface gravels of Maus Creek. In 1939, a 27.6 metre shaft was sunk to bedrock on P.M.L. 733. In 1949, the leases were allowed to lapse. During the 1950’s through the late 1970’s, the area was staked and prospected by G.R. Castles. During 1956 through 1958, the shaft was dewatered and reinforced and over 31.2 metres of drifting was accomplished. In 1959, a seismic survey was completed and identified a possible buried stream channel, 60 metres wide, cut into glacial till at a depth of approximately 12 metres from the surface.
In 1963, churn drilling and seismic surveys, by Veezay Minerals, identified a deeply buried channel of pay gravels west of the creek were it enters the Kootenay River valley, near the south western slopes of Lone Peak.
