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If I come across a rather large cache of various fossils in an undocumented area, do I need to report it? More context. They are all "parts and pieces". Scutes, teeth (no sharks), jaws, bones, fins, crushing teeth etc. They were in a branch of a stream that also held the first unearthed Hadrosaurus about a mile away. They were all on the surface within about 1/2 mile from one another. Most are pretty river worn but there are also a lot of keepers and even a few potentially museum-quality pieces. Should I report my findings or quietly open up a new web store- Thagomizers, etc.® (It's mostly osteoderms) Thanks in advance for your help.

I was wondering what the Texas law is for fossil hunting in a creek bed? I have been hunting in a creek and properties are fenced off above the creek. I have no interest in going onto the properties. I stay in the creek beds while I'm hunting. I just don't want to get myself in a pickle. I park near a bridge on the side of the road. This weekend I ran into a situation where the police came out to inspect why my car was there. Some of the people was understandably concerned since my car was there a couple of hours. Would it be a good idea to put a sign "fossil hunting" in my window to keep this type of thing from happening. I don't want my car to be towed while I'm hunting for fossil's. lol..

Should Peter Larson be pardoned by the president?

Hello everybody, I'm looking for the official excerpts of laws that stipulate that a fossil found on a private land in USA is the property of the landowner who can legally keep it, sell it or export it. Do you know where can I find these documents ? If I'm right, the fossils found in US are not considered as cultural heritage. It that right ? Thanks for your help, BR, Yann

Last fall the state of Illinois purchased over 2,600 acres near the town of Oglesby from Lone Star Industries, including former quarries, with the goal of making it into state park land. It is near the site of the popular Starved Rock and Matthiessen State Parks, and the state said it would take a few years to assess and prepare the site before it would be open to the public. http://www.newstrib.com/free/matthiessen-and-starved-rock-just-got-a-lot-bigger-video/article_203e37f8-d89a-11e8-9a7e-e72ef52ec0d6.html The quarry exposes the highly fossiliferous LaSalle Limestone, as well as a black shale that produces fossils too, so a number of scientists and fossil enthusiasts proposed that a portion of the new protected land should be made into a public fossil park- here is their proposal: https://www.esconi.org/files/proposal-for-a-fossil-park-at-the-former-lone-star-quarry-site-final.pdf Now a state legislator representing the area has introduced a bill to do just that- the synopsis reads: "Amends the Department of Natural Resources (Conservation) Law of the Civil Administrative Code of Illinois. Provides that the Department of Natural Resources shall designate a portion of the former Lone Star Quarry site near Oglesby as a fossil park to allow for the collection of fossils. Provides that Department by rule may designate which portion of the land shall constitute the fossil park and any requirements for admittance or permits for entry into the fossil park. Provides that the Department may collaborate with any State university to establish educational opportunities or events at the fossil park." Hopefully this will become a law and this park can join the famous Mazonia-Braidwood as Illinois's second park for fossil collecting. If you are an Illinois resident, please contact your state representative and tell them to sign on as co-sponsor or support this bill!