Scouting an area

[gordywilliams]

I'm new to this and asked this same question on FB but:

I am in the Florida Panhandle and fossils here aren't as prolific as say Gainesville and southward in the peninsula but in an unknown locale where a Topo map and also where visually you can see that the creek is way down in the stratification how do you search?? Do I look for steep clay banks? Do I look for feeder streams? How long and how deep do you sift a test spot? Should I look in the upstream side of a log fall? Sandbars or deeper spots?  

 

I have been Point A dam and pretty much anywhere you sift there, bank/shallow/deep, you find stuff. It's easy there but going elsewhere is difficult and morale ruining.

[tmaier]

On a "recon trip", you should consider it to be just a hike. Don't bring along all the gear and expect to find fossils. You can't even be sure that you will find ground that you can legally hunt on.

Low places with no moving water will be having sedimentation, and so you won't find anything there, unless somebody has been digging.

High spots errode away, revealing what was left there previously. The top of mounds and the sides might show something.

Streams and rivers are good at digging trenches, so see what they expose.

Otherwise, enjoy the nature.

[mrieder79]

Look for hard bottom.  If you find rock or gravel, you're getting closer.  It's tough finding new spots that way, but unless you have friends who are willing to share, it's about the only way.  

[gordywilliams]

We don't have much hard bottom up here, and we have gravel galore but no fossils in it.

[jcbshark]

Honestly, I'll check every spot I suspect to be good. Then I'll check the ones I don't lol. I've found them in spots I never would have thought I would then struck out 3x in a row where I thought I'd do well. Even if you go to a spot and find no traces you still learned something others that didn't try will know and when you do find a great spot it could be yours for the taking. Not sure about up your way but down here there's a particular layer of material to look for and will give you a good indication of what can expect to be found. It's also nice to find someone who shares your interests and can help explore new spots, an extra set of eyes can always help not to mention the company: ) I will give a spot about 20 minutes to turn something up if I feel particularly good about it, less if not. Also any "trap" log, rock, obstruction is a good spot to try wherever you see larger material pooled up. Rivers act as natural sifters.good luck!

[mrieder79]

Persistence is key.  You have to keep looking and looking and looking and looking.  That's really the only way.  

[StormDancer]

Walk slowly whilst looking, its amazing what we find here on the beaches walking very slowly, often overtaken by people rushing to get to the next patch, who miss the stuff that's not obvious.

 

[Railrider1920]

Hi gordywilliams,

I know this thread is old. I'm hoping you are still following it.

I'm Rob. I live over in Niceville. I was wondering if you have found any decent places in our general area to look for fossils or even arrow heads.

 

Thanks,

Rob