RJB Posted May 31, 2017 Share Posted May 31, 2017 My youngest son and I left for a fossil hunting trip this last thursday and hit many a fossil site in South Dakota. Because there will be lots and lots of prep from this trip I have decided to put all this on this one thread. This is gunna take quite awhile!!! We drove the first day 12 and 1/2 hours. Had some serious road buzz. Only way to take care of that is some 'road buzz liquid'. The next morning we met up with my buddy that ive been working on for 18 months. Didnt find a whole lot, but did come away with some crab concretions of the rare Dakota cancer. 3 of these for certain has crabs in them, the rest? What kind of preservation they have? Complete? But whatever happens with these, I most certainly have none so far, so this is quite exciting for me. Ive only ever seen one that was in a concretion and the poor guy absolutely butchard it!!!! Gunna be very interesting to say the least. Our second camp site. The next day was another 5 hour drive to a freind of mine where we went last year and decided to do that again for some more Fox Hills ammonites. We went to a certain river and picked up some rocks that look promising. Then the next day went to a different river and picked up some more rather nice rocks. Very private land, but nice to have a freind with permission. More to come. RB 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fossisle Posted May 31, 2017 Share Posted May 31, 2017 Looks like a successful trip!!! Cephalopods rule!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Darktooth Posted May 31, 2017 Share Posted May 31, 2017 I like Trilo-butts and I cannot lie. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RJB Posted May 31, 2017 Author Share Posted May 31, 2017 Yep, already forgettin stuff. When we went to this guys house before our hunt, we talked with him for an hour or so in his kitchen. He brought up those tortoise's from the White River Formation discussion,,,,, and before we left to go hunting I got two of those turtles from him. Still sittin in the truck. Too heavy for me to lift. Those will be prepped out at a later date. Simply gots too much to do at the moment. RB 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RJB Posted May 31, 2017 Author Share Posted May 31, 2017 I really want to prep out some rare crab material, but i decided to get some ammos that I didnt want sittin outside and get some of them stablilezed. Here is one that almost 'fell' out of the rock. RB 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fossil-Hound Posted May 31, 2017 Share Posted May 31, 2017 @RJB congratulations on your success. Do or do not. There is no try. - Yoda Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RJB Posted May 31, 2017 Author Share Posted May 31, 2017 Thanks guys. Here is what I believe is a Hoploscaphites spedini. Its got a ways to go in order to finish it up the way I want to finish it, but lookin REAL good so far! This thing was in a HUGE rock. You can tell by the way that the 'cube' had to do some climbing! RB 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RJB Posted May 31, 2017 Author Share Posted May 31, 2017 This double specimen, I think will be quite nice?! These were in a very strange shaped concretion and they both have problems, but lots of color and once I get this one done it should look purty darn good? I will remove the ammo in the middle and put it back onto the bigger piece and then pedistal it. Im liking this one but it will take some serious prep work. RB 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RJB Posted May 31, 2017 Author Share Posted May 31, 2017 Ok, ive already got things wrong. This is Discoscaphites gulosum and not Hoploscaphites spedini. and not only that, but a very large specimen indeed. I just happen to know an ammonite guy whos been doing this for about 26 years. Nice to know guys who know their stuff. RB 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RandyB Posted June 1, 2017 Share Posted June 1, 2017 Thanks for sharing @RJB looks like you have a nice haul, can't wait to see them fully prepped. Would love to go on an ammonite hunt one day and the crab concretions look interesting albeit daunting. I attempted a couple of crabs this past year just to see what they were like to try and prep and lets just say I have a lot of respect for those willing to tackle them and do it right. The remaining concretions just sit on the back of my prep table mocking me and staring in horror at the 2 I mangled. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ynot Posted June 1, 2017 Share Posted June 1, 2017 Oh, here is the trip report I was looking for! Nice start! Darwin said: " Man sprang from monkeys." Will Rogers said: " Some of them didn't spring far enough." My Fossil collection - My Mineral collection My favorite thread on TFF. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RJB Posted June 1, 2017 Author Share Posted June 1, 2017 Thanks @ynot Hey @RandyB: May I ask what kind of crabs you were prepping? Youve got my interest. RB Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ptychodus04 Posted June 1, 2017 Share Posted June 1, 2017 Very cool @RJB. I'm excited to see the tortoises! The ammonites are beautiful. Regards, Kris Global Paleo Services, LLC https://globalpaleoservices.com http://instagram.com/globalpaleoservices http://instagram.com/kris.howe Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shellseeker Posted June 1, 2017 Share Posted June 1, 2017 Ron, Tantalizing clues, Great photos -- Thanks for the trip report.. How much did you enjoy it -- 7th heaven quality? A rose by any other name would...... Anticipation of crabs and tortoise, and ammos -- looks like you have some work to do.. 15 hours ago, RJB said: Ok, ive already got things wrong. This is Discoscaphites gulosum and not Hoploscaphites spedini. and not only that, but a very large specimen indeed. I just happen to know an ammonite guy whos been doing this for about 26 years. Nice to know guys who know their stuff. RB The White Queen ".... in her youth she could believe "six impossible things before breakfast" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crabfossilsteve Posted June 1, 2017 Share Posted June 1, 2017 The heck with those wonderful ammonites, I want to see those crabbies. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnBrewer Posted June 1, 2017 Share Posted June 1, 2017 Looking forward to the continuation of this thread! John Map of UK fossil sites Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RJB Posted June 2, 2017 Author Share Posted June 2, 2017 I cannot begin to tell you how nervous i was this morning. But I did get one little crab glued up and I got the other one started. I could tell by the way the elbow was sticking out which way was dorsal, so that helped greatly. Not used to fossil crabs being soooooo small and was second guessing myself all the way and slowly, finally hit carapace. I immediatly began to think this was not Dakota cancer and am now almost 100% positive it is something different!!! I had to put it aside cause my concentration was leaving me. this is 4 hours of work and it has a long ways to go. Little itty bitty tiny legs! Scary stuff for sure!!! RB Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ludwigia Posted June 2, 2017 Share Posted June 2, 2017 Geez, how could I miss out on this for 3 days? Great stuff, Ron! Thanks for the report and good luck on the little bitty crab Greetings from the Lake of Constance. Roger http://www.steinkern.de/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RJB Posted June 2, 2017 Author Share Posted June 2, 2017 Thanks @Ludwigia, this thread may take a year or so? Got lots of stuff. RB Ok, I put that crab aside and started on a little piece of rock that I figured had some potential? Wow!! Came out Fantastic!!! I call this one my Triple Dipple Spheno rock. Little tiny critters, but as cute as they can be! I still have to cut the bottom so it sits nice, but that will be next week sometime when I go on the rock cutting attack. Gots lots to cut. RB 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wrangellian Posted June 2, 2017 Share Posted June 2, 2017 See, I don't think I'd have the patience and steadiness, you're struggling with it yourself... glad it's you and not me.. What type of ammo are those? Is the outer shell intact or have you exposed the sutures? Can you show larger/closer pics? All of your pics tend to be only about 6.5" on my screen, hard to see any detail. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RJB Posted June 2, 2017 Author Share Posted June 2, 2017 Hey @Wrangellian, the flat ones are small Sphenodiscus. The others im not sure. RB Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fossisle Posted June 2, 2017 Share Posted June 2, 2017 1 hour ago, RJB said: I cannot begin to tell you how nervous i was this morning. But I did get one little crab glued up and I got the other one started. I could tell by the way the elbow was sticking out which way was dorsal, so that helped greatly. Not used to fossil crabs being soooooo small and was second guessing myself all the way and slowly, finally hit carapace. I immediatly began to think this was not Dakota cancer and am now almost 100% positive it is something different!!! I had to put it aside cause my concentration was leaving me. this is 4 hours of work and it has a long ways to go. Little itty bitty tiny legs! Scary stuff for sure!!! RB Could possibly be a Homolid crab, likely Zygastrocarcinus tricki 1 Cephalopods rule!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ptychodus04 Posted June 2, 2017 Share Posted June 2, 2017 1 hour ago, RJB said: Thanks @Ludwigia, this thread may take a year or so? Got lots of stuff. RB Ok, I put that crab aside and started on a little piece of rock that I figured had some potential? Wow!! Came out Fantastic!!! I call this one my Triple Dipple Spheno rock. Little tiny critters, but as cute as they can be! I still have to cut the bottom so it sits nice, but that will be next week sometime when I go on the rock cutting attack. Gots lots to cut. RB Yay! Off boring crabs and back onto the beautiful ammonites!! Man, that was a successful trip. Regards, Kris Global Paleo Services, LLC https://globalpaleoservices.com http://instagram.com/globalpaleoservices http://instagram.com/kris.howe Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crabfossilsteve Posted June 3, 2017 Share Posted June 3, 2017 Wow Ron. Very Cool specimens both the ammonites and that crab. You can send that crab to me and I'll prep it out for you under a microscope. Do take care with that one whatever it is. I think you got a specimen that could very well be a fossil of the month...ha ha. May not be what you thought, but either way its a rare crabbie from that site...right? . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RJB Posted June 3, 2017 Author Share Posted June 3, 2017 Hey @crabfossilsteve, I found out that crab is known as Homolopsis punctata, late Cretaceous. Very rare. RB 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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