There Are Still Quality Fossils In The Peace River, Florida

[PrehistoricFlorida]

I hear a lot of people say that the Peace River in South Florida is "over hunted" and "hunted out". While it is over hunted, it is certainly not hunted out! There are still many quality mammal fossils and shark teeth to be found.

Here's a recent acquisition that was found in the Peace River a few years ago. This is a saber cat lower carnassial (molar) tooth. Smilodon fatalis from the late Pleistocene.

Florida fossil hunting is the best! Good luck out there!

[megaholic]

Absolutely correct Nate! Certain people are routinely getting amazing items all the time. Me? no, I am partial to collecting wet sand!

MH

Edited June 23, 2015 by megaholic

[DinoMike]

All you need is a good solid storm or 2 to hit the reset button on the river!

[digit]

I've heard some of the "old timers" talk about a time when even easily accessible sections of the Peace River (like the Arcadia boat ramp) were still chocked full of great fossils that could be gathered with little effort. While the low hanging fruit that had accumulated for some years may now be gone, the river is generous and deposits a new load of fossils every summer when the river rages and carves out material from the banks to regenerate the various gravel beds. Being the first out in the river as it recedes may allow an eager hunter to be able to access the fresh deposits but there are other ways that are less time critical. Find a section of the river further away from boat ramps and road crossings and do some prospecting. If you can find some deeper holes when the river is at its nadir or locate a pothole in an otherwise featureless hardbottom where fossils have gotten caught, then you stand a good chance of pulling out something worthy of your efforts. John (Sacha) and I did pretty well diligently working some deep pockets and seams of gravel to unearth some quality mammoth and mastodon finds so I have to agree that it may not be as easy as it was 30 years ago but it is still well worth the effort. A good plan and some diligent hard work will never fail to turn up some interesting novelties. Those who feel the Peace is tapped out need to stop digging in the shallow surface gravel of the same old spot and get out and explore a bit. Sure, you may get skunked and find more sand than gravel beds some days but persistence pays off (when helped by a generous dose of luck).

Fossil hunters who live in Florida should not forsake the Peace as it is an incredible resource for fun fossil hunts.

Cheers.

-Ken

[Sacha]

There is nothing left to find in the Peace. Don't even come and look! Try the Withlacoochee.

[PrehistoricFlorida]

There is nothing left to find in the Peace. Don't even come and look! Try the Withlacoochee.

There's plenty in both Withlacoochee's as well.

[Plantguy]

Dang Nate, now that's just wrong! Stunning tooth.

John, you are killing me...thanks for the hint...

Regards, Chris

[digit]

There is nothing left to find in the Peace. Don't even come and look! Try the Withlacoochee.

Hah! Yeah, that's the ticket--nothing left in Florida at all--all fossiled out--yeah, nothing to see here, move along now. Go try Maryland or North Carolina instead....

Cheers.

-Ken

[Shellseeker]

Wow. It is late at night and I did not even go hunting today. But... this thread gave me a laugh!!! How can I possibly agree with both Nate and John.. Almost seems impossible. SS

[sseth]

What an amazing tooth. That is every fossil hunters dream. Thank you for sharing this with us.

[cyclemia]

hi guys. i'm new here. but i've noticed how hard it is to find a full incisor from a smilodon. about 20 yrs ago I received one as a gift when i was a kid from my fathers friend. i didn't know they were that rare

[PrehistoricFlorida]

Hi Cyclemia, It appears you have a cast of a saber cat canine.

[Auspex]

I've heard some of the "old timers" talk about a time when even easily accessible sections of the Peace River (like the Arcadia boat ramp) were still chocked full of great fossils that could be gathered with little effort....

Bear in mind that we Old Timers have "selective highlight memory"; condensing the fruits of thirty trips into one....

(The older I get, the better I was).