Latest on Ruck's Pit

[Fossilized Dad]

Hi All,

 

I visited Ruck's Pit with my daughter and we found some good things. Also found another spot with calcite clams and matrix. The other spot is where we found some of our best specimen. I think we figured out how the operation works and detailed it (through showing not telling) in a video. What do you think is going on there? I'm curious to know what you get out of the video, especially those who may have been there before. We also show what looks like a new sorting area for the best fossils Ruck found there.

 

A couple of these I'd put in a museum, as they're beautiful. But not sure if others would agree. 

 

Seems like most of the "dirt" areas where people search for fossils is depleted. I base this off of other Ruck's Pit videos I've seen. But the dirt can, of course, be replenished...

 

 

[Reebs]

Really cool finds and I enjoyed the video very much. Thanks for sharing. 

[Fossilized Dad]

You're welcome. Glad you enjoyed it.

 

Lloyd

[Ludwigia]

[digit]

You two did better than I was able to do. It's been years since you've been able to dig in the actual "pit" at Ruck's. The row of muddy matrix spread out on the property (a mile or so away from the actual pit) gets picked through by quite a few people before it gets refreshed. I went there to investigate this as a fossil hunting opportunity for friends who were coming to Florida in the summer when the Peace River was running way too high to consider fossil hunting there. I spent a full day digging through the pile and using the hose to wash the mud from the matrix trying to reveal some dogtooth calcite crystals within the quahog clams in which they form. For all my efforts I was rewarded with a bunch of broken quahogs with a bit of calcite in them (smooth and not sharp crystals) and a loose piece of calcite that could have easily fit inside a walnut shell (with a bit of room to spare).

 

I'm glad to see that a bunch of effort on your part (and a smidgen of luck) allowed you and your daughter to find some nice specimens and make some memories.

 

 

Cheers.

 

-Ken

[Jared C]

Not only are the finds great but the photography is too - great stuff

[tombk]

Loved the video. It looks like a great father-daughter experience she’ll remember for a long time. You two make a good team, and the specimens clean up quite nicely. 

[Fossilized Dad]

58 minutes ago, digit said:

"The row of muddy matrix spread out on the property (a mile or so away from the actual pit) gets picked through by quite a few people before it gets refreshed."

Hi Digit,

 

Sorry you didn't have better luck. I think we were at the end of the line before it's mostly depleted. Seems like some people (see Crystal Collector's videos) may pay extra to get calcite clams from those tables (now that Ruck isn't going to fossil exhibitions) I showed in the video (behind a barbed wire fence) mixed with the dirt. In the Crystal Collector video, people in his group left with many calcite clams. Ruck's pit is a well-run business, but it means that people like you and me don't get as much, perhaps, as those paying the big bucks.

 

From what we saw, the "matrix" was hard rock and fossil shell pieces with a varying amount of clams cemented into the hard matrix, See the pictures and video. The dirt, I think is just "dirt," and a way to mix the clams with something that creates an experience of searching for fossils. Though totally "fake," it's still fun. At least we had fun when we did it. 

 

A little hint would be to check the culverts in the area where the matrix and clam rocks are used for erosion control and stabilization. There you get the real deal.

 

Lloyd