florida trip

[Wisco river rat]

okay so been tryin to do this for a long time i have a few areas picked out well its 200 square miles but looks good to me from 20 maps and google any body have any creeks or streams they would recommend other than the piece river I'm not a diver going to be me a shovel and some waders looking for info a general area to go to     

[Sacha]

How about some specifics. When are you coming and where are you staying?

[Wisco river rat]

I'm leaving in q week or so I'm staying in my truck and  staying around the piece river area to start 

Edited December 2, 2020 by Wisco river rat
Missing word

[Wisco river rat]

I'm really up to go any where just going to be walking creeks looking for gravel 

[Shellseeker]

Welcome to the forum... It is a friendly place with many people who know lots about fossil hunting. I am not trying to be difficult, but it seems you know little about an area I hunt frequently.

I hunt the Peace River and about 5 of its tributary creeks.

One of those places I hunt is Charlie Creek during season

Here is a USGS chart for the last 5 months showing discharge rates and depth for Charlie Creek, The 2 feet depth means 2 feet,  the 8 foot depths mean 8 feet.  Most of the creeks in the vicinity of the Peace River look exactly like this. I am unsure why you choose this time to begin your adventure, but most of the creeks you are thinking of walking have been too deep for 5 months to do what you suggest.  As you can see, the depth of the water is finally coming down. I have been hunting this area for 15 years and I know only a very few spots where hunting is possible!!!. The "season" normally starts in mid_November and ends early in June.

 

It may be  that you have few choices, but if your have some flexibility,  you should consider coming in the middle of January OR maybe hunting Northern Florida until the rivers AND creeks get low enough where it is easy to find low water creeks and streams..  and gravel.

[minnbuckeye]

I was in the area 10 days ago. My wife and I ventured out to a site along a river that had a beach. I found it but not until I was waist deep in water. And that was to get to the edge of the beach. A concrete example of what is in store for you unfortunately.

 

 Mike

[Wisco river rat]

Oh no I get it's going to be deep right now I just dont have a choice this time trying to get more knowledge of the creeks best way to me is to get in them I'm going by maps I just figured peace river area was a good place to start the diving I mentioned is because from what I've read the shallow areas are very picked through that's all if I was to go north where would be a good place to start there is alot of old phosphate mines on state land figured may go check eges of those I have no experience in Florida fossil hunting I'm going by maps which has worked out in the past other places but boots on the ground works best 

[Shellseeker]

On 12/2/2020 at 12:45 PM, Wisco river rat said:

Oh no I get it's going to be deep right now I just dont have a choice this time trying to get more knowledge of the creeks best way to me is to get in them I'm going by maps I just figured peace river area was a good place to start the diving I mentioned is because from what I've read the shallow areas are very picked through that's all if I was to go north where would be a good place to start there is alot of old phosphate mines on state land figured may go check eges of those I have no experience in Florida fossil hunting I'm going by maps which has worked out in the past other places but boots on the ground works best 

So,  let's break up multiple thoughts.

1) You are not walking in most creeks connecting to the Peace River this week or next.  They are just too deep , such that you can not reach the gravel in the creek bed.  The high water forces you to the banks, so no place to dig.

2) You are not diving in the Peace River this week or next.  The current is too fast and will sweep you downstream,  plus all the rain has filled the water with sediments so underwater, you can not see your hand in front of your face.

Net:  The Peace River and its creeks are not a good place to start before the season starts.

 

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good place to start the diving I mentioned is because from what I've read the shallow areas are very picked through

The issue that you have is you are trying to walk in from an access point (either the Peace River or a creek) that has parking. It is not the "shallow" areas that are picked through,  it is the areas around the access points. Humans following their nature, do the easiest thing 1st.  I find plenty of fantastic fossils in shallow areas that are 2-3 miles from the nearest "access points".  I reach those places with a kayak.

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if I was to go north where would be a good place to start there is a lot of old phosphate mines on state land figured may go check edges of those

When I said "North",  I was referring to 100 miles North,  say around Ocala or the panhandle of Florida. I do not hunt there, but have heard from others that water levels in general are lower this time of year in North Florida versus South Florida.

 

The land below Orlando _Tampa  surrounding both old and current phosphate mines is owned by a company called "Moasic".. They have money and lawyers, they do not want fossil hunters on their land, and they will prosecute trespassers. It is your responsibility to make sure what you do is within the Florida laws and regulations.

Basically, you must stay in the creek water. Anything else is trespassing.

 

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I have no experience in Florida fossil hunting I'm going by maps which has worked out in the past other places but boots on the ground works best 

That is correct. The 1st time I thought about it was 8-9 years ago... It is great conceptually and brutal in practice. I quickly eliminated trips when the water was too deep... like now. After a short set of trials,  I also eliminated when the water was too shallow... larger rocks with gaps that catch your ankles, sugar sand that sucks your leg halfway up the calf.... So, in those precious months between when the water is too deep and the water is too shallow, I prospect with a kayak.  You have to cover lots of ground.

I know some creeks where there is little/no gravel for miles!!!  The fossils exist in layers.. Maybe a creek has not enough flow, churn, time to have cut through those layers.  so everything is mud, sand, shell... How do I know about those creeks that produce little or nothing in the way of fossils?  I had to spend what felt like eons of time prospecting before I believed.

Most creeks are very similar to the Peace River,  very long stretches of sand bottom,  shorter lengths of fossil bearing gravel.  The churn of the river covers the gravel with sand sometimes and moves the sand off the gravel...sometimes. The sand might be 6 inches or 6 feet deep.

It is like that song  "All the gold in California"

 

There are a few creeks in Bone Valley, far from the beaten paths ( minimum of a couple of miles from easy human access) that are fossiliferous. and your "boots on the ground" or maybe my kayak at middle water depth is the only way to get there.

 

[jpc]

I would have some advice to offer, but I could not get through the non-punctuated post.  That takes a lot of effort to read.  No Thanks.

[PODIGGER]

I highly recommend you heed the advice of @Shellseeker and others who have been at this for many years. I have only been hunting the Peace River for about 2 years and have learned a lot from generous members here on the forum about the best times to visit the river and areas that may produce the greatest results. 

 

On a scouting trip to the Peace River a little over a week ago I was unable to even gain access to foot paths along the banks that I have previously used to evaluate the possibility of launching my kayak.  The river is just to deep and flowing too fast right now for fossil hunting.  This is rather disappointing as last season I was actively hunting in the river in October.  I hope to be hunting soon, but as of now it is just not a good idea.