I just read that within two weeks of gold's discovery at Bonzana Creek in the Yukon that the entire creek had claims laid to it. Is there a specific rationale as to why this happens? Given the remote locations of these discoveries, I would think that it would be possible to keep it to yourself for longer than two weeks in order to gain significantly more riches for yourself before the public lays their claims.
Happy to explain. There's two books I'd recommend for you. The first is Gold at Fortymile Creek: Early Days in the Yukon, by Michael Gates. It's less than 20 years old and written in a readable and approachable style. It's well-cited and well-sourced. The second is Prelude to Bonanza: The Discovery and Exploration of the Yukon by Allen Wright. This is a 40-year-old book and written in a much more academic and formal style, but it relies on primary sources and is considered a classic.
Now, let's get to the discussion. Even if George Carmack, Skookum Jim and Tagish Charlie had intended to keep their find a secret, it would have lasted only as long as it took for them to reach Forty Mile, where they registered their claims at the North West Mounted Police post there. There were no secrets at that camp, and the mining claim register was a public record open to all.
Furthermore, it wasn't as if the trio could claim all of Rabbit Creek to themselves. The mining law present in the Yukon in August 1896 limited the size of claims very specifically. The trio each took the largest claims allowed by law, and they did benefit from them, but they could neither claim the entire creek nor keep the claim a secret.
Of course, they didn't attempt to keep it a secret at all. After they staked their claims on Aug. 17, 1896, they raced to the post at Forty Mile, arriving three days later. Along the way, they passed four prospectors who had been directed to Rabbit Creek by Joe Ladue (just as the trio had). They told the four about their find, just as they told two French prospectors who they encountered later.
When they arrived at Forty Mile and staked their claim, the Rabbit Creek was truly out of the hat. Forty Mile emptied by the next morning, setting off a regional ─ then global ─ stampede.
You see, it was counterproductive to be antisocial in the Yukon at this time. There was virtually no social or community security net. If you ran into a problem, it might prove fatal unless you could get help from the first person who happened by, regardless of who that person might be. It was almost a universal policy to stop and talk to people you met, as the opportunities for conversation were few and far between, and it was a treasure to talk to another human being. Furthermore, networking was critical during the Yukon at this time. Friends would tell other friends about new strikes and likely prospects. It's how the Fortymile country was prospected between 1880 and 1896.
Keeping Rabbit Creek a secret was not only impossible, it was implausible given the culture and social atmosphere present in the Yukon at the time.