rplatt Posted August 6, 2013 Share Posted August 6, 2013 Greetings and thanks for having such a great resource forum. Apologies if these questions have been answered before, but I searched through the forum and did not have luck finding answers to my questions. I've been looking through the forums and see places like Flag Pond, Brownies Beach, and Matoaka Cabins listed as access points for the searching areas. I have a 12 yr old daughter that has always wanted to try fossil hunting, so we are going to do this on Saturday. Can some of the experienced hunters make a recommendation of a couple of sites that would most likely ensure a positive experience for my daughter? We are not averse to hiking, getting dirty, or heading off the beaten path for our hunt. My hope is that she has a great time and will want to do this again. We have a sifter built and plan on taking a couple of shovels and getting wet and dirty! Any other recommendations or tricks needed for the hunting? Thanks for your help! Rich Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CrocodileJen Posted August 6, 2013 Share Posted August 6, 2013 I don't know much about the Calvert cliffs, but am familiar with the Miocene formation (my kids and I hunt the Miocene cliffs on VA side along Potomac). I found it helps to be familiar with the types of fossils you may encounter so you know what to look for/ don't overlook something good. Fossil Guy has some good printable fossil and shark tooth guides. Good luck! http://www.fossilguy.com/sites/calvert/ http://www.fossilguy.com/id_papers/index.htm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FossilDAWG Posted August 7, 2013 Share Posted August 7, 2013 (edited) Rich, Brownie's is sure to produce a fair number of small to medium sized teeth, of several species, plus a chance at a larger tooth, by sifting the shell hash along the shore below the cliffs. You might also find dolphin teeth and vertebrae, and pieces of whale bones. If there has been a recent cliff fall that brings down some of the Zone 10 layer, many good shells can be found as well. Stay out from directly underneath the cliffs, as chunks fall off from time to time and you can't (legally) dig into the cliff face anyway. Note there is a fee for parking for those who are not residents of the county. Matoaka Cottages can be good for shells. I only visited there once and can't really comment on how the shark tooth collecting compares to Brownie's, except to note that my one experience was that teeth are less abundant there. Never been to Flag Ponds, but I've heard the teeth are smaller and the shells are mostly fragmented, as both are carried down the shore from outcrops to the North. Don Edited August 7, 2013 by FossilDAWG Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
obsessed1 Posted August 7, 2013 Share Posted August 7, 2013 See the post below for Calvert Cliffs info. The only difference for your weekend hunt and the conditions mentioned are the tides are about an hour earlier this weekend and the wind will be out of the south. While it won't help blow the water out of the bay it won't hurt the water level very much at all. Also take along plenty of water and sunscreen. Good Luck! http://www.thefossilforum.com/index.php?/topic/39272-need-advice-for-calvert-cliffs-area-tomorrow-july-26/?p=431144 Here's my first big Meg from Brownies Beach. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TNGray Posted August 7, 2013 Share Posted August 7, 2013 Rich, Brownies Beach is a great place to start. There are many other fossils at Brownies Beach beyond shark's teeth. It is probably not the best place for shark's teeth due to the competition but if you are interested in other fossils, they often ignored or passed over by the tooth collectors. In the pic below, the pectens (scallop shells) are from Calvert Cliffs State park, everything else is from Brownies Beach. I found a number of bones, vertebra, etc as well as a lot of tooth segments from rays and skates. There are also a variety of bivalve species. Teeth from rays vs. sharks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
416lisamariec Posted August 8, 2013 Share Posted August 8, 2013 Brownie's Beach, most definitely! Even if you don't hike, you will find teeth right at the main beach area. If you do decide to hike, go right and keep going Bug spray, sunscreen, plenty of drinking water and some baggies to keep your finds in are pretty much all you need. If you decide to go past the red signs, keep her to your left, keep the cliffs to your right, and keep her off of them. Watch out for jellies and best of luck! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
416lisamariec Posted August 8, 2013 Share Posted August 8, 2013 Oh - one more thing...if you want to avoid the fee ($13 per person, even your kid), get there at 7AM, no later than 7:30 AM. Look for Bayfront Beach sign - blue and white. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rplatt Posted August 9, 2013 Author Share Posted August 9, 2013 Thanks for all of the great information! I really appreciate you sharing your knowledge with us. I'll let you know how it turns out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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