Gatorman Posted July 1, 2007 Share Posted July 1, 2007 In Florida hunting fossils can be a rather dangerous hobby, especially if your as dumb as Cris and I. Now I'm not saying Cris and I are unintelligent at least not in every sense. Cris has a above average near genius IQ and at one time I myself was a genius at least that what my 157 IQ claimed I don't put much faith in that though. Common sense is what I put faith in if you have that I consider you smart and it seems recently Cris and I are lacking it. Our fossil hunting trips are usually to the river or a creek so needless to say we get wet and in my thoughtful mind I figured why wear shoes to ruin them in the river or have to take them off at the banks so we walk about a mile through the woods with all kinds of nice pointy and sharp things to step on things such as bones, glass, briar's. rocks, and my favorite these odd seed pod things that have thorn's all over them. Sounds like fun right? Well you would think after the first time we wouldn't do that but no I do it every single time I figure I have tough feet and I have a very high pain tolerance so I don't worry, but then i get a 1/4" stick stuck into my foot. I thought nothing of it I said ow and pulled it out and went on fossiling, next day my foot is red and swollen and there is black all in the wound, so I clean it out best i can picking out as much of the black with a safty pin and rinsing with peroxide and then I'm done satisfied it will be fine. I was wrong following day the itching started, now I can deal with pain but itching is a whole other story I hate itching it drives me bonkers. The itching was accompanied by some nice ridges leaving the black hole in my foot 6 in total, hookworms a really nice parasite I just cant tell you how much I love them. And along with all this I also get a mild case of blood poisoning. So its not just the rattlesnakes moccasins and gators I have to watch out for now I have to watch out for sticks. Oh and by the way Cris has just done this very same thing only he didn't get as many worms. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Owens Posted July 1, 2007 Share Posted July 1, 2007 I guess we all have to learn the hard way when we are in the "boonies." I don't remove my shoes anymore (I wear cheap tennis shoes) as glass has a dampening effect on enjoying your outing. Also, when going through the woods I've learned that long sleeve shirts go a long way in keeping the poisen oak & ivy off of you. Now the cockleburs, your jeans are gonna be full of them. I have found no way to avoid them as we cross a field to get to the river or creek we're gonna hunt. Like you said, you need to be aware of the snakes (never saw a gator in east texas, but they are there). As long as I know where they are I leave them alone & they usually leave me alone, but I have run accross an agressive Moccasin or two. The only time I really got concerned was on a trip to the N. Sulpher River in '73 & we came upon a pack of wild dogs. I always carried a .357 mag when we hunted there, but I still didn't feel comfortable with it as there were 10 to 12 dogs in the pack. We managed to frighten them off by yelling & running toward them. The last thing you want to do is show fear. There are some things that no matter what you do you can't control. I've come home & when I got ready to shower, I found I'd accquired some "friends" ------ ticks & / or leeches. But, that's all part of the fun in fossiling hunting. ;D -----"Your Texas Connection!"------ Fossils: Windows to the past Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gatorman Posted July 2, 2007 Author Share Posted July 2, 2007 Leeches don't bother me they come off easy and have little effect on me but ticks I hate I am allergic to them so i know really soon when I have one on me, thankfully they don't seem to like me much either. Most snakes we either walk around or move with a stick, have had a small moccasin run across my foot before and Cris nearly stepped right on a big one. And gators really aren't a problem they tend to want less to do with you than you do of them. Most of my injuries are glass or sharp object related. Mike I'm glad you knew what to do with those dogs, dogs can be very dangerous if you don't handle them right. As a former propane delivery man I have a very good working knowledge of all sorts of dogs and I can tell you just about every dog is different and needs to be treated as such they do have personalities and you have to respect that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
worthy 55 Posted July 10, 2007 Share Posted July 10, 2007 What! sounds like everyone here loves RED BUGS huh? ??? I did not hear a word about them oh yeh NOSEEUMS too !! Talk about itching, it goes on for days !Those little critters just eat me up if I don't spray down good. Those are two of God's critters that I would never miss if they were gone : It's my bone!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gatorman Posted July 10, 2007 Author Share Posted July 10, 2007 Yeah those things will drive you crazy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Owens Posted July 10, 2007 Share Posted July 10, 2007 What! sounds like everyone here loves RED BUGS huh? ??? I did not hear a word about them oh yeh NOSEEUMS too !! Talk about itching, it goes on for days !Those little critters just eat me up if I don't spray down good. Those are two of God's critters that I would never miss if they were gone : I assume your referring to "chiggers?" I have those & mesquitoes here at home, so I don't consider them as something to be careful of on my hunts. Just goes with the territory anywhere you go here. What's a noseeum? ??? -----"Your Texas Connection!"------ Fossils: Windows to the past Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gatorman Posted July 10, 2007 Author Share Posted July 10, 2007 noseeums or little biting gnats that you cant hardly see they swarm in groups usually get all up in your nose and in your eyes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
worthy 55 Posted July 11, 2007 Share Posted July 11, 2007 With chiggers , it's after the hunt when they come in it play! ;D ;D It's my bone!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Cris Posted July 11, 2007 Share Posted July 11, 2007 Yeah...... Tell me about it.... *scratches ankles* They get me every time I go to the river. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
worthy 55 Posted July 11, 2007 Share Posted July 11, 2007 Good to hear that your a bug magnet too I thought it was just me! ;D ;D ;D ;D It's my bone!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gatorman Posted July 11, 2007 Author Share Posted July 11, 2007 they don't bother me ;D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
worthy 55 Posted July 11, 2007 Share Posted July 11, 2007 Your a lucky man!!! 8) It's my bone!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Uncle Siphuncle Posted July 22, 2007 Share Posted July 22, 2007 ??? Here in TX I have to drive hundreds of miles per weekend when collecting. Yesterday I got my second speeding ticket in 3 weeks. Man, this is gonna be a drag once my insurance agent catches wind of everything. Beyond that, try staging 2 vehicles 37 miles apart on a river, only to find out at the end of the day after enduring a prolonged downpour that required an hour of bailing with a Gatorade bottle that your buddy left his keys upstream in your truck! I took all the money out of his wallet and waved it in the wind until a car stopped and drove me back to my truck. Grüße, Daniel A. Wöhr aus Südtexas "To the motivated go the spoils." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gatorman Posted July 23, 2007 Author Share Posted July 23, 2007 well that sounds like a crappy day. hope you actually found something decent on a trip that sucked that bad. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
worthy 55 Posted July 23, 2007 Share Posted July 23, 2007 LOL! Man I have been there and done that too. It was not funny at the time but later we had a good laught! ;D ;D : It's my bone!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roz Posted July 25, 2007 Share Posted July 25, 2007 I am not sure if it is true or not, but have heard to put sulphur around your ankles before you hunt. If it was already mentioned, sorry. Welcome to the forum! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Owens Posted July 26, 2007 Share Posted July 26, 2007 Roz, My grand mother told me to use sulphur on my socks to keep the chiggers off. Can't remember if it works or not. I haven't thought about it in years. But, as I recall, her home remedies always worked when I was sick, so most likely it'll work. Mike -----"Your Texas Connection!"------ Fossils: Windows to the past Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jkfoam Posted July 26, 2007 Share Posted July 26, 2007 Roz, Mike, Yes sulfur dust will work. Its a little odorific though. Some people are more sensitive to the sulfur smell than others.. I guess I'm one that is more sensitive. I think you can buy the sulfur at the Pharmacy. It use to be sold in a small box and called "Flours of Sulfur". I think. It is just powdered elemental sulfur. What you would do is take a couple of tablespoonfulsof the sulfur and place it in the center of a 12 inch square of cloth. Ball it up and tie it off with string or a rubber band. Then just dab it on the skin and chothes around the ankles. When you slap the sulfur ball down on a surface you can see some of the sulfur dust come out. It is easioly washed off the skin. When I was a kid we use to make skink bombs out of it by burning it. (Makes sulfur dioxide! Burning chunks of sulfur is also known as Brimstone), I was not a spankless child. LOL JKFoam The Eocene is my favorite Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NCteeth Posted September 24, 2007 Share Posted September 24, 2007 The only danger I've faced so far fossil hunting was a moccassin. Stirred up one about 5 foot long yesterday out of a build up of leaves in the creek. Scared the you know what out of me. I asked the wife should I kill him with the shovel or not because he was sitting in the way of the way we were going. Well I decided to toss a small shovel full of stones in his direction to try and shoo him off. After seeing how high he raised up and the quickness he struck at the debris passing by I wimped out of the killing him with the shovel deal. Didn't want to get anywhere close to him so we walked up the creek bank and proceeded to walk around that spot for a ways. I was bottle hunting in a creek last week and stepped in a sandy spot and sunk down to my crotch. Couldn't move. Tried to dig myself out to no avail. Nearly pulled my left leg out of socket it felt like. Luckily a couple of boys who wanted to smoke a left handed cig under the railroad tracks rescued me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gatorman Posted September 24, 2007 Author Share Posted September 24, 2007 Snakes seem to be the biggest problem for anyone. I haven't found quicksand yet been in mud up to my waist though thats pretty fun Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NCteeth Posted September 25, 2007 Share Posted September 25, 2007 Snakes seem to be the biggest problem for anyone. I haven't found quicksand yet been in mud up to my waist though thats pretty fun luckily it wasn't quicksand just a real soft spot Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Cris Posted September 25, 2007 Share Posted September 25, 2007 I've been deeper than waist before... I had to have my friend cast net me and pull me out.. Nooot....fun... Trust me... haha Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flagponds Pirate Posted October 17, 2007 Share Posted October 17, 2007 It seems like you guys run into snakes alot when fossil hunting. I was a little concerned that someonea thought to try and kill one with a shovel. Now along with fossils, I also like to go out into the woods and collect reptiles, including all manner of snakes. There are alot of copperheads where I hunt fossils and I think I should hand out some advice so no one gets hurt. Never try to kill a snake, as 90% of the time it ends in a snake bite. Just nudge it with a long stick or your shovel and it will eventually race off in the opposite direction. I dont know how many times Ive had to ask another fossil hunter why he didnt just shoo the snake away. I also usually have to calm them down as they think they will loose their foot . Bottom line is dont try to kill a snake as it requires you to get too close, just do what you can to avoid injury. Other than that, the only hazard I deal with when hunting fossils is the looming threat of having a cliff side fall on me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ebrocklds Posted October 17, 2007 Share Posted October 17, 2007 i agree, you should stay as far away as possible. unfortunately i got way too close two weeks ago. i jumped out of my car in a hurry and landed right on the head of a baby rattler. luckly for me(not so lucky for him) i squished his head and he died a few minutes later. i felt bad but was glad for the good fortune of a well placed foot!! brock Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gatorman Posted October 17, 2007 Author Share Posted October 17, 2007 I never try to kill snakes, I just have a bad habit of catching them Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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