This Is Why Dave Turin Isn't On Gold Rush Anymore

Dave Turin, aka Dozer Dave, was a staple on "Gold Rush" from Season 2 until Season 7 after previously popping up in a few episodes of Season 1 as a consultant to fellow former star Todd Hoffman and Jack Hoffman. Dave — or Dozer Dave as fans of the show may better know him — worked tirelessly alongside Todd on the popular Discovery series as the two mined for gold and sought out serious riches while the cameras rolled.

According to Dave's Discovery bio, the reality star is "a red-blooded All-American go-getter" who's run his own family quarry for more than 30 years, and was instrumental in the success of the show back in the beginning. He then went on to team up with Freddy Dodge and Derek Dodge in season 5 before he partnered up with Todd to see a whole lot of success.

Fast-forward to the wake of Season 7 wrapping filming though, and it was revealed that Dozer Dave was leaving the series under what appeared to be some somewhat controversial circumstances. Read on for the truth about Dave's eyebrow raising "Gold Rush" departure that ended in a dramatic fashion pretty fitting for reality TV.

"Gold Rush" star Dave "Dozy Dave" Turin didn't leave the Discovery series under the best circumstances. Despite being a main cast member for five seasons, that all seemed to change towards the end of Season 7 when things turned nasty between him and his co-star, Trey Poulson. The 2017 episode saw a fight break out as the two got into an altercation that was captured by the cameras.

That seemed to be the final straw for Dave, as he left the main show shortly afterwards and addressed his departure in a Facebook post. "It's definitely not how I had expected my run with 'Gold Rush' to end, but it is clear to me that it is time to move on. I have some new opportunities, so you just might see me in the future — God willing," he wrote. "Keep the positive posts coming my way; they really mean a lot to me. God bless you and yours, Dozer Dave."

Though Dave didn't offer any more concrete explanation as to why he left the show, he appeared to hint again in the comments under the post that the fight was the catalyst for his leaving. "No amount of money or gold is worth working with a disrespectful crew member. Time for me to move on and put this behind me," he told fans. "Can't work with someone that uses his fist rather than words. It's time for me to move on."

After waving bye bye to the main show, Dave Turin didn't exactly leave the "Gold Rush" world completely. The Hollywood Reporter confirmed in 2019 that the star was staying with Discovery to appear in his very own spin-off series, "Gold Rush: Dave Turin's Lost Mines," which debuted on Discovery GO.

The spin-off came about after Dozer Dave started getting requests from around the country from people who needed a hand "resurrecting their failing mines." Dave took a look at several mines on the Discovery GO series, before settling on one that he could then "turn into newfound riches." As of June 2021, the series has been pretty successful and has aired three seasons.

As for what else Dave is up to these days, though he doesn't share a lot of his life on social media, it seems like he's enjoying his time away from the main series to focus on his own show and other ventures. He also seems to be making the most of his downtime in between filming, as his Instagram snaps show him golfing and spending time with family.