Fossil Digging In South Dakota And Montana

[LanceHS]

Well, just finished up a whirlwind pair of digs in South Dakota and Montana. I went dinosaur fossil hunting in the Hell Creek Formation at two sites: the first just northeast of Newell, South Dakota, and the second northeast of Jordan, Montana, right below Fort Peck lake.

I had great weather; mostly 90-110 degrees F, low humidity and windy. The digs were very productive at both sites with many dinosaur teeth, turtle/croc scutes, dinosaur ribs and vertebra uncovered.

Below are some of the better finds from South Dakota:

4+ inch T rex tooth uncovered by the group (good serrations and an intact tip)

One of my finds, a complete 9 inch Thescelosaur ulna

From Montana, we re-opened an old site and after pushing back some hillside we found a large depost of dinosaur bone material:

Starting to uncover a probable triceratops vertebra

And my favorite find, a triceratops rib that took me 3 days to dig out (with interesting breaks in the head and towards the distal end...note other partial ribs around it...)

All in all, it was a great trip this year.

Lance

Edited July 2, 2012 by LanceHS

[sward]

That sounds like the opportunity and thrill of a lifetime.

Congratulations on your finds...and I'm thrilled just to find a fish/shark vertebrae.

[Vordigern]

great finds!!! Particularly like that rib, nice job digging it out!

[fossilman01]

Awesome finds...................I'll be headed to Montana around the Melstone area and hunt the 'Late Cretaceous Bearpaw Shale" for marine fossils around the end of July............

[LanceHS]

Awesome finds...................I'll be headed to Montana around the Melstone area and hunt the 'Late Cretaceous Bearpaw Shale" for marine fossils around the end of July............

The Bearpaw is exposed near where I dig in Montana, but I haven't explored it. My dig partners, though, have worked some areas of the Bearpaw; last year they found some really nice and large ammonites.

[LanceHS]

Congratulations on your finds...and I'm thrilled just to find a fish/shark vertebrae.

Thanks...I have just as much fun sorting thru Lee Creek material...it's all a blast!

[mommabetts]

Awesome finds, thank you so much for sharing them with us.

[bowfin]

Hi lance,

Wondering if you were on a fee dig site or on your own? I have gone on digs with a paleontologist the last three years in South Dakota, Wyoming and North Dakota. Always looking for places to hunt on my own.

Nice finds, T-Rex tooth is excellent

[Nandomas]

T-rex tooth and other finds are awesome, congratulations

[bowfin]

Wondering if this was a private dig or pay to dig outing? Have dug in Buffalo S.D and Newcastle Wyoming the last couple of years and had good success. Tric. Teeth, T-Rex tooth, 2 large turtle shells, one had the top and bottom shell, still putting that together.

Really nice finds you have, still waiting for a big bone or rib.

[LanceHS]

Sorry folk for not getting back to you all sooner...I had a chance to go back to Montana in March, and my real job has kept me busy, so I haven't been posting much to the forum the past few months.

Nandomas, thanks...I get a thrill out of all my finds.

Jesuslover340, there are few good public places in Montana for digging...most land is state, BLM or privately owned. Some folk try to arrange for digging permission on the privately held ranch land, but that option is probably not very promising. Maybe if you knew someone who already had a ranch under contract and who could take you out with them...

bowfin, the Morrison Formation dig I went to near Shell, Wyoming, was private. The Hell Creek dig near Newell, SD, was a pay dig and is run by a friend. You generally cannot keep the material until it has been evaluated and then he may let you purchase the finds. My prospecting and excavation in Hell Creek near Jordan, MT, is also a pay dig, but it is run by a non-profit. All material found goes to the Garfield County Museum in Jordan.

I am more into the experience vice trying to keep much material. But, I am looking to see if I can take some finds home and prep them off-season.

Hope that helps,

Lance