Fossilian Posted May 6, 2017 Share Posted May 6, 2017 Hey guys, I am really new to fossil hunting. I am going to plan a trip for my family next week to Big Brook Park in Monmouth County which is around a 2 hour drive. What should I bring there? What should we look for? Thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fossildude19 Posted May 6, 2017 Share Posted May 6, 2017 Welcome to the Forum. When I go to Big Brook, I park on Hillsdale Road, at the parking area located there. Some people park at Boundary Road. But there is no parking lot there. I enter the stream and head west towards Boundary road. I usually bring a sifter (1/4 inch hardware cloth, and wooden frame - self made. You can use a pasta strainer if necessary. ) Also a small folding type shovel or large garden trowel. I also bring something to put my finds in - pill bottle on a string, or nail apron. Old film canisters work as well. I bring rubber boots, if the stream is cold. If warm - I just wear sandals. Watch out for glass - don't dig in the banks, and be aware of flash floods if thunderstorms crop up. Check these websites to get an idea of what you are looking for. LINK 1 LINK 2 LINK 3 Good Luck. Regards, 4 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...
Fossilian Posted May 7, 2017 Author Share Posted May 7, 2017 Ugg, ticks. Thanks anyways. 9 hours ago, Fossildude19 said: Welcome to the Forum. When I go to Big Brook, I park on Hillsdale Road, at the parking area located there. Some people park at Boundary Road. But there is no parking lot there. I enter the stream and head west towards Boundary road. I usually bring a sifter (1/4 inch hardware cloth, and wooden frame - self made. You can use a pasta strainer if necessary. ) Also a small folding type shovel or large garden trowel. I also bring something to put my finds in - pill bottle on a string, or nail apron. Old film canisters work as well. I bring rubber boots, if the stream is cold. If warm - I just wear sandals. Watch out for glass - don't dig in the banks, and be aware of flash floods if thunderstorms crop up. Check these websites to get an idea of what you are looking for. LINK 1 LINK 2 LINK 3 Good Luck. Regards, Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aplomado Posted May 9, 2017 Share Posted May 9, 2017 Spray your clothes with tick spray first. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bguild Posted May 9, 2017 Share Posted May 9, 2017 On 5/6/2017 at 10:28 PM, Fossilian said: Ugg, ticks. Thanks anyways. Whenever I get bit by either a nymph or a deer tick I call up my doctor and they prescribe me a 1 time pill that takes care of any bacteria that leads to Lyme's disease. Just as a precaution. A 1 time pill precautionary pill is certainly easier than going through a full course of antibiotics. I frequently can be found in the woods and very rarely find an attached tick. It's the annoying nymphs you've got to watch out for though. They're almost impossible to see. Last summer I found a white colored nymph attached to my inner leg. It was about half the size of a pin head. Sneaky sneaky. Anyway, just take precautions if you're concerned. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fossilian Posted May 9, 2017 Author Share Posted May 9, 2017 1 minute ago, Bguild said: Whenever I get bit by either a nymph or a deer tick I call up my doctor and they prescribe me a 1 time pill that takes care of any bacteria that leads to Lyme's disease. Just as a precaution. A 1 time pill precautionary pill is certainly easier than going through a full course of antibiotics. I frequently can be found in the woods and very rarely find an attached tick. It's the snarge nymphs you've got to watch out for though. They're almost impossible to see. Last summer I found a white colored nymph attached to my inner leg. It was about half the size of a pin head. Sneaky sneaky. Anyway, just take precautions if you're concerned. Ugg, that just scares me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bguild Posted May 9, 2017 Share Posted May 9, 2017 Luckily it takes 24 hours of a deer tick being attached to fully transmit the bacteria that could make you sick and typically if they are carrying the lyme's disease bacteria you'll get a big o'l obvious bulls-eye mark around the bite. Extremely easy to treat if caught early. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fossilian Posted May 9, 2017 Author Share Posted May 9, 2017 2 minutes ago, Bguild said: Luckily it takes 24 hours of a deer tick being attached to fully transmit the bacteria that could make you sick and typically if they are carrying the lyme's disease bacteria you'll get a big o'l obvious bulls-eye mark around the bite. Extremely easy to treat if caught early. Man, I heard that sometimes, ticks can just cling on without the red mark. The longer it's in there the more likely it is to transmit disease. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bguild Posted May 9, 2017 Share Posted May 9, 2017 1 minute ago, Fossilian said: Man, I heard that sometimes, ticks can just cling on without the red mark. The longer it's in there the more likely it is to transmit disease. Yeah, not every case has the obvious red mark. But hey, you'll be searching in a stream anyway! Tick's aren't very good swimmers . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnBrewer Posted May 9, 2017 Share Posted May 9, 2017 Another thing to bring is enthusiasm! Dont get despondant if you if you don't find anything/much either. I've been out on trips for hours and not found much but I look at it as enjoying nature John Map of UK fossil sites Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fossilian Posted May 9, 2017 Author Share Posted May 9, 2017 Hopefully that's the case. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fossilian Posted May 9, 2017 Author Share Posted May 9, 2017 3 hours ago, Bguild said: Whenever I get bit by either a nymph or a deer tick I call up my doctor and they prescribe me a 1 time pill that takes care of any bacteria that leads to Lyme's disease. Just as a precaution. A 1 time pill precautionary pill is certainly easier than going through a full course of antibiotics. I frequently can be found in the woods and very rarely find an attached tick. It's the annoying nymphs you've got to watch out for though. They're almost impossible to see. Last summer I found a white colored nymph attached to my inner leg. It was about half the size of a pin head. Sneaky sneaky. Anyway, just take precautions if you're concerned. Also, how did you find the nymph. Was this at big brook? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bguild Posted May 9, 2017 Share Posted May 9, 2017 No no, I've never been to Big Brook. I just happened to feel it on my skin. This was back in Massachusetts. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EMP Posted May 10, 2017 Share Posted May 10, 2017 On 5/6/2017 at 0:27 PM, Fossilian said: Hey guys, I am really new to fossil hunting. I am going to plan a trip for my family next week to Big Brook Park in Monmouth County which is around a 2 hour drive. What should I bring there? What should we look for? Thanks Haven't seen water and sunscreen and a hat. I find those to be necessities in the summer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wt080262 Posted June 27, 2017 Share Posted June 27, 2017 Game warden and park rangers told me I could not use a folding shovel only hand trowels and make sure your sifter fits their parameters. Otherwise bug spray some water and a towel come in handy. P.S. read the rules. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fossilian Posted June 28, 2017 Author Share Posted June 28, 2017 On 5/6/2017 at 0:59 PM, Fossildude19 said: Welcome to the Forum. When I go to Big Brook, I park on Hillsdale Road, at the parking area located there. Some people park at Boundary Road. But there is no parking lot there. I enter the stream and head west towards Boundary road. I usually bring a sifter (1/4 inch hardware cloth, and wooden frame - self made. You can use a pasta strainer if necessary. ) Also a small folding type shovel or large garden trowel. I also bring something to put my finds in - pill bottle on a string, or nail apron. Old film canisters work as well. I bring rubber boots, if the stream is cold. If warm - I just wear sandals. Watch out for glass - don't dig in the banks, and be aware of flash floods if thunderstorms crop up. Check these websites to get an idea of what you are looking for. LINK 1 LINK 2 LINK 3 Good Luck. Regards, How deep are the deepest waters? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fossildude19 Posted June 28, 2017 Share Posted June 28, 2017 It really depends on the recent rains. When I've been there in the past, it has never been deeper than thigh high. When I go there, I tend to stick to areas that are knee high. Any deeper than that, and it gets problematic to sift. You have to watch out for deep mud/quicksand. 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...
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