5-14-22: Bone Valley Fossil Farm Visit

[Nimravis]

While on Sanibel Island, Florida, I decided to visit a “fee site” called Bone Valley Fossil Farm, located in Bowling Green, Florida. I ran across this site a couple weeks ago while searching the internet. I made a reservation last week to visit today. It has been in existence I believe for several months. It is located on a family farm and the owners excavate down to the fossil layer and then bring the material to the “Searching Stations” and parcel it out in sections. The nice thing with the way that they do this is that your car is 20 feet away from the section that you selected to hunt.

 

There are a few options and I believe young kids a free, but you would have to double check. They have half day visits and you can select to collect in the AM (8a-noon) or PM (Noon-5pm). I chose to collect for a full day, which was 8am-5pm. I feel that the full day is they best way to visit and it give me you time to go through your section. If you run out of material, they bring you more. I was not the fastest searching since I was sifting for the purpose of having smaller material to search through later.

 

I left at 6 am and made the 2 hour trip to the designated meet up area. Once there, you sign a release, pay for your visit- cash, and then you select a folded up piece of paper that has the section that you are going to hunt.

 

The meet up area is below-
 

The farm is a 5 minute drive to the collecting site.

 

 

Driving on the farm road, the fog was terrible during most of my 2 hour drive.

 

 

The first look at the site, I had section #4.

 

 

I brought three sifters with me so I could take home some smaller material to search during the Winter. I did bring a small rake and a shovel, but I ended up using the ones that they provided. I believe that there is another site that has “dry hunts” and you sift or search through dry material. In my opinion, this site is better since they provide water hoses to go through the material in your section . If you do visit, plan on getting wet.

 

 

 

 

It was 89 degrees (F) today and there is no shade, unless you set up a tent or go to your car, people did it both ways today, I opted to just search.

 

Next to me I met a nice couple and the husband, Daniel, just joined the Forum today. @Meganeura, they found some nice stuff, much more than me. It is the luck of the pile.

 

Here is the first Meg that was found and few piles away from me.

 

 

Here are some more pics of the site. As you can see, it gets very muddy.

 

 

 

 

 

CONTINUED ON NEXT POST- 

Edited May 16, 2022 by Nimravis

[Nimravis]

Here is a couple pics of Daniel, @Meganeura and a few of his finds that I took pics of.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Here is a pic of me that Daniel took, I am dressed to keep the sun off of me. I am filthy and soaking wet, but having a blast.

 

Here are some of my finds-

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

CONTINUED ON NEXT POST

[Nimravis]

These are not the greatest pics, but you can see the pieces that I found today.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Daniel and his wife found a lot more than me, and I believe all sections that were searched had numerous Meg finds, if that is what you are looking for, and I think that is the case.

 

Here is the 1/8” sift material that I will be bringing home.

 

 

All in all, I had a great time today and met a nice couple and new member of the Forum. Many of the people that showed up today have been there numerous times and I will surely return the next time I visit Florida. The staff is very helpful and always come around to see if you need anything or to help the searchers Id their finds.
 

 

Edited May 16, 2022 by Nimravis

[stats]

Wow!  Nice shark teeth!  What was the largest one found?   Does the material come out of a stretch of river or somewhere on his land?   What tools did they provide?

 

Thanks for sharing!

 

Cheers,

Rich

 

[siteseer]

You are wise to dress to avoid the sun especially where there's no shade and you're out there for hours.  You saved yourself a sunburn and maybe worse..

 

Years ago, I removed a dugong skull from a jacket for a friend and went through the matrix.  I found a few stingray and guitarfish teeth.

[Meganeura]

1 hour ago, siteseer said:

You are wise to dress to avoid the sun especially where there's no shade and you're out there for hours.  You saved yourself a sunburn and maybe worse..

 

Years ago, I removed a dugong skull from a jacket for a friend and went through the matrix.  I found a few stingray and guitarfish teeth.

Having worn to avoid the heat instead… despite applying sunscreen every 3 hours I still got burned. Ralph had the much better plan here!

[Fossildude19]

Nice report and great finds, Ralph!

Thanks for posting this. 

[Meganeura]

8 hours ago, stats said:

Wow!  Nice shark teeth!  What was the largest one found?   Does the material come out of a stretch of river or somewhere on his land?   What tools did they provide?

 

Thanks for sharing!

 

Cheers,

Rich

 

The largest tooth found yesterday was just over 4” in length! And they dig the material right out of the ground, it’s not from a river.

 

We’re given hoses, rakes, and shovels, though all you really need is the hose!

[mr.cheese]

Thank you for that, I asked in @Meganeura's thread everything you have shown here! I wish there was something similar in the UK. Looks like an amazing way to spend a day!

[Shellseeker]

2 hours ago, Meganeura said:

The largest tooth found yesterday was just over 4” in length! And they dig the material right out of the ground, it’s not from a river.

 

We’re given hoses, rakes, and shovels, though all you really need is the hose!

@Nimravis

Lots of curiosity..

I was present when a friend was attempting to start one of these businesses a year ago. In order to be successful, they need to find one species of fossil.... Megalodon.  so they dig thru the eons of time searching for Megs,  and when they find a good layer (20 to 30 feet down), they dump it so that you can search it.

Note that most of your finds are dark blue blades with pale white roots..That is because that color dominates the layer being dug.

 

I was concerned about my capability to search on land in the blazing hot Florida sun  for hours and hours at a time.  It seems to me that this is a young man's game. What are your impressions?

 

Any recommendations to share with other TFF members who might want to walk in your footsteps?

 

Thanks for sharing. 

 

[Mark Kmiecik]

Nice report Ralph. Again, thanks for the tour! By the way, I have heard they are going to make mud the official Florida state mineral. 

[Nimravis]

Jack,
 

I did notice the grey-green clay in some of my pile.

 

There were some older people (my age- 61) collecting, but I think they did a half day. I was covered from head to toe and collected the whole 9 hours, I just stopped a few times to drink some water. I did not have any problem with it and it did help having a hose. When I was spraying the water into the sifters if would splash and keep me wet, I really think that helped a lot. In addition, it is great having your car 30 feet from you, someone could always go inside and cool down. I am glad that I did the full day visit, but you could have as much fun on a half day visit to see how it is. I know a few of the older people have visited the site a few times in the past and keep returning.
 

I did not bring my 8 year old grandson along, he would not have a problem with the half-day visit, but 9 hours would be too long in my opinion. Now if it was 30 years ago and my sone was 8, he would have no problem with the 9 hours because he loved fossils, my grandson on the other hand would rather play baseball or football. One more thing with the kids, I did see a couple playing in the trenches that filled up with ankle deep water, they looked like we’re having a blast.

 

I would love to visit this place after a huge rainfall, that would be very helpful.

Edited May 15, 2022 by Nimravis

[Nimravis]

11 minutes ago, Mark Kmiecik said:

Nice report Ralph. Again, thanks for the tour! By the way, I have heard they are going to make mud the official Florida state mineral. 

Thanks much Mark.

[siteseer]

9 hours ago, Meganeura said:

Having worn to avoid the heat instead… despite applying sunscreen every 3 hours I still got burned. Ralph had the much better plan here!

 

I don't know how old Ralph is but an older friend of mine says to always listen to an old man - at least listen to his advice.  I'm almost as old as he is.

 

Anyway, I avoid the sun when I can.  When I'm outside, I tend to wear hats and long-sleeve shirts even on warm days.  I'm thinking about trying one of those shirts that is supposed to block the sun.

[Meganeura]

35 minutes ago, siteseer said:

 

I don't know how old Ralph is but an older friend of mine says to always listen to an old man - at least listen to his advice.  I'm almost as old as he is.

 

Anyway, I avoid the sun when I can.  When I'm outside, I tend to wear hats and long-sleeve shirts even on warm days.  I'm thinking about trying one of those shirts that is supposed to block the sun.

Yeah my biggest problem with long sleeves is I will sweat like crazy and get very very hot. But I'll figure it out. 

[Shellseeker]

25 minutes ago, Nimravis said:

Jack,

I did notice the grey-green clay in some of my pile.

Anytime I have seen grey_green clay, I have done very, very well. This one came from that grey_green clay...

25 minutes ago, Nimravis said:

 

There were some older people (my age- 61) collecting, but I think they did a half day. I was covered from head to toe and collected the whole 9 hours, I just stopped a few times to drink some water. I did not have any problem with it and it did help having a hose. When I was spraying the water into the sifters if would splash and keep me wet, I really think that helped a lot. In addition, it is great having your car 30 feet from you, someone could always go inside and cool down. I am glad that I did the full day visit, but you could have as much fun on a half day visit to see how it is. I know a few of the older people have visited the site a few times in the past and keep returning.
 

I was somewhat stupid in my youth, and thus have COPD in addition to age to overcome. 1/2 day is likely my limit.

 

25 minutes ago, Nimravis said:

I did not bring my 8 year old grandson along, he would not have a problem with the half-day visit, but 9 hours would be too long in my opinion. Now if it was 30 years ago and my sone was 8, he would have no problem with the 9 hours because he loved fossils, my grandson on the other hand would rather play baseball or football. One more thing with the kids, I did see a couple playing in the trenches that filled up with ankle deep water, they looked like we’re having a blast.

 

I would love to visit this place after a huge rainfall, that would be very helpful.

I have a 51 year old son, who loves fossil hunting and a 15 year old grandson who is sort of OK with it. I can always sit in the shade or the car....Agree with you on Rainfall.

 

[Nimravis]

@Shellseeker beautiful tooth.

[Coco]

Sift out with water, barefoot, what happiness ! Beautiful finds.

 

FMI, what is COPD ?

 

Coco

Edited May 16, 2022 by Coco

[Nimravis]

2 hours ago, Coco said:

FMI, what is COPD ?

You are correct about beautiful finds.
 

What Jack was talking about is Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD).

Edited May 16, 2022 by Nimravis

[Troodon]

Nice finds and looks like lots of fun for everyone.  Thanks for posting.   Any more stops on your trip?

[Nimravis]

On 5/16/2022 at 7:37 AM, Troodon said:

Nice finds and looks like lots of fun for everyone.  Thanks for posting.   Any more stops on your trip?

I will be hitting Southern Indiana and Northern Kentucky as wee as GeoFest in Cincinnati,I have never been there and this will be a perfect time to hit it.

Edited May 18, 2022 by Nimravis

[Jeffrey P]

A great trip report as usual Ralph. Excellent finds. Congratulations. Someday, I'll make it to Florida, and I'll try to check this place out. 

[Family Fun]

Great report, a ton of great information provided.

 

Very nice tooth Jack!

 
With everyone giving out their age, I’m 63 and now I know the next full day trip I’ll be booking in my near future.

 

Rick