Essexella Sherae From Mazon Creek

[Ordovician]

Here is a photo of one of my favorite fossil that I found an Essexella Asherae....Jellyfish blob from Mazon Creek in March of 2006!

[crinus]

Now, that is a nice specimen of Essexella. Did you get both halves?

Crinus

[Ordovician]

Thanks, in fact that I found a half piece of the rock......I dont know where is other half.....maybe it broken byself from the weather OR someone opened it and throw away! Many fossils hunters threw rocks away after opened the rocks and they dont know its jellyfish, blobs or even worm! I found several blobs and I kept it!

[Guest bmorefossil]

very cool

[Guest Nicholas]

Awesome Find!

[crinus]

Are you collecting inside the nuclear plant site or outside of the fense. I haven't collected that site in years and was wondering where people are collecting these days. I hear that you can collect inside the nuclear facility but that they required you to have a power boat to get to the islands. Is this still true?

crinus

[Ordovician]

Commonwealth Edison (now Exelon) bought some land in around 1980's. Exelon and Illinois dept of Natural Resources work together to get some agreement for the public to use the land for fishing, hiking, and wildlife. Braidwood Lake is about 2640 acres for powerplant and fishing. You can use your own boat to some islands to look for fossils. Other area is private sportsman club that you can go there if you know someone. Better place is Mazonia Fish & Wildlife area just south of small town Braidwood. Enter Check Station on Huston Road from Braceville to get permit to look for Mazon Creek fossils.

From the Braidwood Lake down to the end of the Mazonia South Unit ( Monster lake, Pondo Lake and Eagle Lake ) is the famous place called PIT 11 thats where many Tully Monsters, Jellyfish and many rare fossils found! North of Braidwood Lake is most fossils is plants but some plants can be found anywhere.

Heavy fossil hunting pressure!!!! It is the famous place for fossils but harder and harder each year to find fossils because of big thanks to Illinois DNR dont do anything much but let weeds, trees and plants increasing that would be diffcult to find fossils. I know there is a small area that close to the public but I went there from field trip from museum. Many times I found rocks that already opened from someone! Hard to find large rocks like 6 inch long. Small rocks is left over! Good things that we can go to Mazon Creek to look for fossils and it is not like BURGESS SHALE IN BRTISH COLUMBIAS!

Be good and wise hunter and use common sense! Park in early morning then you can walk as far as you can go to search for fossils! The farther you go from parking the better chance to find fossils! Plenty of water to drink, get some snacks and of course insect spray.....LOT OF TICKS! Bring small shovel like hand shovel for garden because Illinois DNR dont allowing us to digging! Keep eyes on the ground, small ditches is good place that heavy rain flowing to bring some rocks to the light! Early Spring and late Fall is good place to go where theres less weeds and plants! I dont tremember excatly the date is open and close for the season. March and Late October is good month to go! June, July and August is not good month to go! Monster Lake, Eagle lake and Pondo Lake is good place to search for Tully Monsters and other rare fossils but remeber the farther you go is the better chance to get some nice fossils and dont forget to have time to go back to parking before dark!