Shellseeker Posted December 8, 2016 Share Posted December 8, 2016 Gorgeous Hunting day.. We have a cold front coming in Friday night but today was high 70s , sunny and somewhat warm water. Nothing special on the fauna page, some mosquitoes, shiners (fish), and turkey buzzards. I was out with 2 fossil hunting friends and this particular location is known for a lot of small shark teeth with an occasional mammal tooth -- so what I found today was a lot of small shark teeth including some excellent upper hemis, a couple of turtle footpads/spurs, a couple of tapir tooth caps, an Excellent Meg and a very good horse tooth. This makes for a very memorable day, especially since the companionship of friends in a favorite location already makes this outing special. Then, one of my friends found this!!! Who knows what else is hiding under the gravel, sand and mud? We will try to find out on future trips.. but not this weekend -- Saturday morning temps are 35 degrees. 5 The White Queen ".... in her youth she could believe "six impossible things before breakfast" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
digit Posted December 8, 2016 Share Posted December 8, 2016 Whoa! A full round! Quite the find. I wondered what all that whooping and hollering was (I'm only 165 miles away--I'm sure the sound carried this far). That would be the trip-maker fossil for sure (maybe for the season). Now you'll have to go back and find the rest. Thanks for sharing. Cheers. -Ken Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kdeus Posted December 8, 2016 Share Posted December 8, 2016 Wowza! Nice! Now I really, really, really want to get down there. I can't wait to see what more you come up with there. Congrats! That 35 degrees is going to be cold here this weekend and I'll be spending it in a tent. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
digit Posted December 8, 2016 Share Posted December 8, 2016 I'll be hiding as far south in Florida as I can. I briefly considered joining the FLMNH volunteer dig up near Ocala this weekend and I think I'm glad I dropped that idea. Brrrr... Cheers. -Ken Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
old bones Posted December 8, 2016 Share Posted December 8, 2016 Wow, wow, wow! Wish I was there! Talk about BIG chunks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bone Daddy Posted December 8, 2016 Share Posted December 8, 2016 Florida doesn't get cold. By official Yankee definition, cold is not achieved until the temp hits 39F. Nice finds. That tusk section is a keeper. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FossilDudeCO Posted December 8, 2016 Share Posted December 8, 2016 EXCELLENT Tusk section!!! I will join you all in just a mere 2 months so save some for me!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gizmo Posted December 8, 2016 Share Posted December 8, 2016 Very nice, thanks for posting! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CBOB Posted December 8, 2016 Share Posted December 8, 2016 What a great find and a great day for you guys! Congrats on the good finds! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Plantguy Posted December 8, 2016 Share Posted December 8, 2016 Man Jack, those teeth are pretty nice. So was the tusk falling apart or is it pretty solid? Curious what the game plan is for preserving it--want to prepare in case something like that scares me in the future! I havent had to deal with something that special. LOL. Regards, Chris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fossildude19 Posted December 8, 2016 Share Posted December 8, 2016 Great report, Jack! Thanks for sharing it here. Regards, Tim - VETERAN SHALE SPLITTER VFOTM --- APRIL - 2015 __________________________________________________ "In every walk with nature one receives far more than he seeks." John Muir ~ ~ ~ ~ ><))))( *> About Me Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PFOOLEY Posted December 8, 2016 Share Posted December 8, 2016 Great little Meg! "I am glad I shall never be young without wild country to be young in. Of what avail are forty freedoms without a blank spot on the map?" ~Aldo Leopold (1887-1948) New Mexico Museum of Natural History Bulletins Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jcbshark Posted December 8, 2016 Share Posted December 8, 2016 Great finds Jack, congrats ! Every once in a great while it's not just a big rock down there! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shellseeker Posted December 8, 2016 Author Share Posted December 8, 2016 4 hours ago, Plantguy said: Man Jack, those teeth are pretty nice. So was the tusk falling apart or is it pretty solid? Curious what the game plan is for preserving it--want to prepare in case something like that scares me in the future! I havent had to deal with something that special. LOL. Regards, Chris Chris, I was curious about the same thing. Steve, who found the tusk has decades of finding and sometimes selling Florida fossils. He felt that the section was more than solid enough and would not need preservation, but if it did, he would soak it for 24 hours in 60-40% water-Elmers clear glue and then allow it to dry out. I lifted it for photos and it was very solid, but as many advise it is hard to be positive over the long terms. I considered that if it were mine, would I slice-polish on of the ends to better view the schreger lines and rings (No, not my style to further damage) or use a wax or polish on the outer covering (a real possibility)? Thanks to all who posted on the thread. As most of you know, I feel blessed having the Peace River within driving distance and post to share the magic. While river fossils tend to be not perfect, I love the character and beauty in river washed fossils like the small Meg that have survived for millions of years. 1 The White Queen ".... in her youth she could believe "six impossible things before breakfast" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shamalama Posted December 8, 2016 Share Posted December 8, 2016 13 hours ago, Bone Daddy said: Florida doesn't get cold. By official Yankee definition, cold is not achieved until the temp hits 39F. Nice finds. That tusk section is a keeper. I think you mean 39F is "Chilly". 20F or lower is cold in my book. -Dave __________________________________________________ Geologists on the whole are inconsistent drivers. When a roadcut presents itself, they tend to lurch and weave. To them, the roadcut is a portal, a fragment of a regional story, a proscenium arch that leads their imaginations into the earth and through the surrounding terrain. - John McPheeIf I'm going to drive safely, I can't do geology. - John McPheeCheck out my Blog for more fossils I've found: http://viewsofthemahantango.blogspot.com/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shellseeker Posted December 8, 2016 Author Share Posted December 8, 2016 3 hours ago, Shamalama said: I think you mean 39F is "Chilly". 20F or lower is cold in my book. I grew up in Connecticut and lower Vermont so I did learn a little about cold, but I have been spoiled for more than 20 years now down in Florida. At one point I was intense about fossil hunting and purchased a set of various millimeter wet-suits. I have gone into the Peace River in some previous January when air temps were high 40s and measured water temp was 54 degrees. Slight breezes and occasional raindrops were real attention grabbers. I thought it was cold especially after 5 or 6 hours of digging. Numb extremities eventually forced me to quit for the day. Just in case you might question my judgement, I did have a honey hole that was producing outstanding fossils and what's an addict to do? The White Queen ".... in her youth she could believe "six impossible things before breakfast" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sacha Posted December 8, 2016 Share Posted December 8, 2016 Nice Jack. Ken and I went today and had a nice day out, but without anything worth posting. When I got back to Deland, I was surprised how much colder it had gotten on the 3 hour trip home. Timing is everything! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
digit Posted December 9, 2016 Share Posted December 9, 2016 Brrrrr.... John must have had a thicker wetsuit than the 2/3 mm I was wearing (3mm in the core and 2mm in the arms and legs--not .666 mm). The lack of sun to provide any exothermic basking as well as a breeze that was not helping things caused me to start to get periodic shivers when the wind picked up. I solved that by fashionably wearing my windbreaker over my wetsuit--a fashion statement I don't expect to catch on. I had John take some photos of my in all my glory so I could send them to my wife Tammy who is currently away on business in Portland, ME (and was still warmer than me today despite her latitude). Once I download the silly photos of me I'll start a topic for our little outing today. No spectacular finds (the biggest piece of proboscidean tusk was about the size of a postage stamp) and for me were mostly small shark teeth (I used a 1/4" mesh instead of my usual 1/2"). Did find a few unusual smaller finds which I'll photograph and present in a separate topic (and John can add photos of anything he'd like to add). Even a cold and relatively fruitless day fossil hunting still beats a day working behind a keyboard. Cheers. -Ken Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Plantguy Posted December 9, 2016 Share Posted December 9, 2016 22 hours ago, Shellseeker said: Chris, I was curious about the same thing. Steve, who found the tusk has decades of finding and sometimes selling Florida fossils. He felt that the section was more than solid enough and would not need preservation, but if it did, he would soak it for 24 hours in 60-40% water-Elmers clear glue and then allow it to dry out. I lifted it for photos and it was very solid, but as many advise it is hard to be positive over the long terms. I considered that if it were mine, would I slice-polish on of the ends to better view the schreger lines and rings (No, not my style to further damage) or use a wax or polish on the outer covering (a real possibility)? Thanks to all who posted on the thread. As most of you know, I feel blessed having the Peace River within driving distance and post to share the magic. While river fossils tend to be not perfect, I love the character and beauty in river washed fossils like the small Meg that have survived for millions of years. Thanks Jack for the answer. I'm partial to that awesome rough textured look myself and would leave it alone. Having said that I suppose if I had lots of them I surely would want a polished section too admire...oh on the wish list would be have one partially encased in matrix....OK, I'm delirious... Appreciate showing the photos! Regards, Chris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sixgill pete Posted December 9, 2016 Share Posted December 9, 2016 Wow, that piece of tusk is ridiculously awesome. That little meg you found is pretty nice too. To bad it got to cold to go back and look for more. Bulldozers and dirt Bulldozers and dirt behind the trailer, my desert Them red clay piles are heaven on earth I get my rocks off, bulldozers and dirt Patterson Hood; Drive-By Truckers May 2016 May 2012 Aug 2013, May 2016, Apr 2020 Oct 2022 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Minnesota Nice Posted December 9, 2016 Share Posted December 9, 2016 On 12/8/2016 at 9:59 AM, Shamalama said: I think you mean 39F is "Chilly". 20F or lower is cold in my book. 39 and we wear shorts.....20 we think about putting on a jacket.....Currently 13 in Minnesota and I might break out the gloves Frango Ut Patefaciam...I Break in Order to Reveal Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sagebrush Steve Posted December 10, 2016 Share Posted December 10, 2016 It's 75 and sunny here in California. About ready to get into my bathing suit and hop into the hot tub with a nice glass of wine.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grimlock Posted December 10, 2016 Share Posted December 10, 2016 Sounds like a great trip. That tusk section is amazing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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