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I have recently joined am quite new to hunting for fossils. I have recently gone on a collecting trip to lake Texoma (located on the Texas/Oaklahoma border) and found some specimens. I already have the usual geological tools (chisel, bricklayers hammer Estwing brand, chisel, crack hammer,etc). I then brought them back home and I am quite troubled by how hard they are to get out! I am afraid that I will ruin my specimens (I live in Virginia, so I am no where near the collection site in case I want to go back and obtain more).

Hello everyone, This is my first post on the forum but certainly not the last! I came across this forum while looking for a place to hunt for fossils nearby me, and everyone's enthusiasm has rekindled my boyhood love of Fossil Hunting and Collecting. The forum looked like one of the best and kindest communities I have encountered on the internet. I look forward to conversing with everyone, seeing some cool fossils, and most importantly adding to my paleontological knowledge and fossil collection. Some facts about me, My name is Ara, and I am an Armenian (Բարէւ!) 19 year old boy and a Ecology/Pre-Medicine Student at UCLA (Go Bruins!). I'm currently in the process of trying to get access to our awesome fossil archives, as soon as I do I will make sure to post some pictures for everyone to see! I have loved dinosaurs, and fossils in general, since being born. My collection is certainly quite small, with less than 20 specimens currently. I will post some pictures and ask for more IDs soon. Most of my collection consists of Trilobites from UDIG fossils in Utah, Some specimens from a river bed in Montreal, and some other invertebrates from the local areas (Santa Monica Mountains, Malibu, Mullholland Highway, etc...) Some of my other interests include: Ichthyology, Fishing, Fish Keeping, History of the World Wars, Reading, Gardening, Collecting Succulents, Cacti, Orchids and Tillandsias, anything having to do with Automobiles, and firearm collecting. Last but not least, I pose a question for everyone: As a fisherman, I have noticed that anglers tend to be very competitive with other fisherman, and aren't always the nicest when it comes to congratulating other's catches, and worst off all sharing fishing spots. Do you guys think a similar mentality exists among Fossil Hunters? If so, is it rude to ask people for their hunting spots, are these well guarded secrets that if "I-told-you-I-would-have-to-kill-you-kind-of-thing" lol? I look forward to many years of Fossil Collecting joy with everyone!