Hunting the Peace River, please help!

[SharkToothLover757]

Hello Everyone! So my mom and I are going to be flying to Florida in the beginning of March to do a shark tooth hunting trip in the Peace River. (Will also be a vacation) Can anyone please give some tips on the best places to stay, parts of the river to hunt, best guided tours, anything will help!! We will be flying into Sarasota Airport.. Also, if anyone knows where you are able to rent shovels and shifters for a few days, since we will be flying I can't bring mine. Thanks in advance! 

 

Holly

[FossilDudeCO]

Hi Holly!

 

I have heard that the Canoe Outpost is right along the Peace River and offers canoe, kayak, and shovel / sifter rentals.

 

From the looks of it, you can either take a tour, or go about it at your own leisure.

 

I will be there at the end of this month, so I will try and leave you a couple things

 

Best of luck!

 

-Blake

[Max-fossils]

Hey Holly,

 

From what I know, fossilfunatics.com is a good place to start.

Also, if you do some quick forum searches here, you will find many things about the Peace River.

 

Have fun hunting, and keep us updated on your finds!

 

Best regards,

 

Max

[Shellseeker]

Holly,

Not sure where to start, but will try to set expectations.

The Peace River is 62 miles long and has a huge store of mammal fossils and shark teeth from the last 2 million plus years. Many members of this forum find fantastic treasures all the time, BUT

1) The river has had intensive fossil hunting pressure over the last 5-10 years and those interested grows by leaps and bounds yearly. I used to be able to dig anywhere and find hundreds of mammal and shark teeth. Now, I have to diligently search and a few areas look like a moonscape under the surface. Still doable, but much harder

2) Those areas easily accessible by walking in have been heavily dug and the vast majority of fossils removed. You can always find some fossils that were "missed" but it is not easy. I effectively walked into the river at the Arcadia boat ramp last Friday, found about 30 small (< inch) shark (Bull, Lemon, Dusky, Tiger) teeth, 1 larger lower snaggletooth, 2 nice sand tigers, plus a good upper horse tooth.  I dug for 6 plus hours and I enjoy hunting in this River. 

3) I am more successful because I have all the gear , 10 years experience and kayaks, canoes, motarized boats to get me deep into the interior.  

 

You need a shovel and sieve,  but more important, you need to get away from the easy access points. There is really only a couple of ways to do that:

1) Hire a guide.  Costs $75-$100 per person which is really the only negative. http://fossilhuntingtours.com/

or http://www.fossilexpeditions.com/

Real benefit is once you do this, you KNOW at least one good fossil location.

2) Canoe Outpost http://www.canoeoutpost.com/

Once again , cost $$$ They provide you with the canoe and fossil hunting gear and drop off and pick up spots. Problem is that you likely will have great difficulty identifying a good fossil location.

3) Connect with someone locally (TFF, Fossil Club, etc) and schedule your vacation to coincide with a planned trip by one of those clubs,

 

I have seen people do all three. some more successfully than others.

Good luck hunting,  SS

 

[Uncle Siphuncle]

Be sure to get your FL fossil permits before you go.

[jcbshark]

I have a spare shovel and sifter you can borrow if you like. I'm just south of Venice: )

[Shellseeker]

5 hours ago, Uncle Siphuncle said:

Be sure to get your FL fossil permits before you go.

https://www.flmnh.ufl.edu/index.php/vertpaleo/amateur-collector/fossil-permit/

http://www.ameliasharktoothadventures.com/ethics-laws-and-permits.html

 

To the best of my knowledge, the restriction stated below limiting digging to a "hand shovel" is NOT enforced on the Peace River. I do not know if that is true on any other Florida waterway;

 

Quote

Fossil Collecting is not allowed in waters that border a state or federal park or preserve. One may not fossil collect in a state or federal park or preserve. Other restrictions may apply to a site, so it is always important to find out if other restrictions do in fact apply before fossil collecting in state owned or controlled creeks or rivers. In most cases, you are allowed to dig for fossils in a creek or river bed owned or controlled by the state, but you can only do so with a hand shovel and you may not dig into the banks or the bedrock. In regards to private property, in most cases you are allowed to dig for fossils with a hand shovel in a creek or river bed bordered by private property, so long as you have the permission of the landowner.

 

[Bone Daddy]

Please delete - accidental double-post.

 

[Bone Daddy]

Second what Shellseeker said. Just one minor correction, the Peace is 106 miles long (according to Wikipedia), which runs from near Bartow in the north to the bay at Punta Gorda in the south.

 

The northernmost stretch around Bartow does not have as many fossils as other stretches do.

 

The further south you go, you generally find more fossils, but you also run into areas that are heavily hunted out. Generally, after you pass Arcadia and Brownville to the south, the water starts to become brackish (Shell Creek and points south) and tidal influenced. 

The key is getting away from boat ramps and public access points. There are a few stretches of the river that are more isolated and those are the areas you want to hit (ideally). 

 

Having said that, spots like Zolfo Springs continue to produce good fossils despite the heavy volume of hunting that happens there. We found a mammoth tusk and a lower jaw within an hour's paddle of the main ramp in Zolfo, so don't be discouraged if you hear that an area is "hunted out" - a little luck always comes into play.

 

Fossil tours are a good way to go in cases like your's since they take care of the permits, provide gear, and transportation to and from the hunting spot. But, just bear in mind, these tours will generally take you to areas that have been extensively hunted. Few tour operators are going to take strangers (paying or not) to their most productive honey holes or remote locations. 

 

A couple of notes to consider :

 

1) wear clothing that dries out quickly.

2) bring some shoes that you don't mind getting wet and muddy. The so-called "water shoes" are cheap and disposable, and you can get them at Walmart for $5 a pair.

3) fossil hunting negates fashion rules, so feel free to sport a fanny pack - a fanny pack comes in handy.

4) put your cellphone in a ziploc bag (just in case).

5) it may sound silly, but bring a small pocket knife. It's another one of those things that comes in handy,  like a fanny pack.

 

Have fun and don't forget to come back here and post photos of your finds.