coled18 Posted November 27, 2017 Share Posted November 27, 2017 This past weekend, my dad, brother and I were able to go out to Western Kansas to search in the Niobrara Chalk formation. We live in Manhattan, KS, so we had to drive about 4 hours to get to a suitable spot. A lot of Western Kansas is private property, so we had to look up GIS maps for Lane and Gove counties, which is where we wanted to search. Sadly, when we got there, one of the roads seemed to not exist; our map led us through the middle of some farmer's cornfield. It wasn't blocked off, but we decided not to take our chances. We started to look around in the area, and about an hour later, we finally found a spot that was not fenced off on the southern border of Gove County. CD Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coled18 Posted November 27, 2017 Author Share Posted November 27, 2017 The ground was covered in Inoceramids such as this Volviceramus grandis. If only I had brought some actual equipment, I would have put one in a mold and taken it home to prep! We also found (and left) what I think is a heavily eroded crinoid. We only could stay for a little bit, but we found some cool stuff. A few fish verts and what I think is a pharyngeal tooth and a chunk of petrified wood. CD Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coled18 Posted November 27, 2017 Author Share Posted November 27, 2017 I think this to be a Ptychodus Mortoni tooth, but some say it could be a large ray denticle. I included a comparison pic of several teeth found in the same county. Oystera on a Inoceramid A bit of Inoceramid with Cirriped damage CD Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nimravis Posted November 27, 2017 Share Posted November 27, 2017 @coled18 Wow- Some really nice fossils. I really want to get out there some time to collect. I did purchase a number of items from the Chalk when I was at the M.A.P.S. Fossil show last year and really like it- I also just bought the book The Oceans of Kansas. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Miocene_Mason Posted November 27, 2017 Share Posted November 27, 2017 Nice finds! “...whilst this planet has gone cycling on according to the fixed law of gravity, from so simple a beginning endless forms most beautiful and most wonderful have been and are being evolved.” ~ Charles Darwin Happy hunting, Mason Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Macrophyseter Posted November 27, 2017 Share Posted November 27, 2017 Now I really will sneak into your car now! Those finds are amazing! If you're a fossil nut from Palos Verdes, San Pedro, Redondo Beach, or Torrance, feel free to shoot me a PM! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coled18 Posted November 27, 2017 Author Share Posted November 27, 2017 Thanks you all @Macrophyseter @Nimravis @WhodamanHD!! Here is the sunset on the way back. CD Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ynot Posted November 27, 2017 Share Posted November 27, 2017 Sounds like a good day with family and some nice finds as well. 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...
Castle Rock Posted November 27, 2017 Share Posted November 27, 2017 NEXT TIME you really should go to Castle Rock! There is a wonderful drone video on YouTube featuring the canyons around Castle Rock. Look up DJi Phantom 3 Pro and you will find it. BTW, I was actually BORN in Manhattan myself! It's kinda fun to tell the story that the building I was born in is NOW A FRAT HOUSE! I would also mention that my favorite domestic beer is Buffalo Sweat from TallGrass Brewing in Manhattan! Dave Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nimravis Posted November 27, 2017 Share Posted November 27, 2017 36 minutes ago, Castle Rock said: NEXT TIME you really should go to Castle Rock! There is a wonderful drone video on YouTube featuring the canyons around Castle Rock. Look up DJi Phantom 3 Pro and you will find it. BTW, I was actually BORN in Manhattan myself! It's kinda fun to tell the story that the building I was born in is NOW A FRAT HOUSE! I would also mention that my favorite domestic beer is Buffalo Sweat from TallGrass Brewing in Manhattan! Dave I have seen that video,I believe on a recommendation that you gave before- it is outstanding. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coled18 Posted November 27, 2017 Author Share Posted November 27, 2017 Wow, I will make note of that for next time! Thanks @Castle Rock and @Nimravis !! CD Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CarlosSchwindt Posted November 27, 2017 Share Posted November 27, 2017 @coled18 Hey I live in Rush/Ellis County and I've been looking for a site like this. The place where I'm at its simply Greenhorn Limestone and Pierre Shale, if you ever would like to check it out give me a heads up and I can show you some good places, as well as a couple private. This looks like an amazing site! How did you find this location? Is there anyway I could get the coordinates or directions to it? I would kill to check this place out! Great find Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KansasFossilHunter Posted November 28, 2017 Share Posted November 28, 2017 When you say "we finally found a spot that was not fenced off" raises some questions. Just to be clear, even if an area of land is not fenced off that does not mean you can freely access the property. Keep in mind this is private land and without proper permission, you would be trespassing. Just something to keep in mind. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fossildude19 Posted November 28, 2017 Share Posted November 28, 2017 20 hours ago, CarlosSchwindt said: Hey I live in Rush/Ellis County and I've been looking for a site like this. The place where I'm at its simply Greenhorn Limestone and Pierre Shale, if you ever would like to check it out give me a heads up and I can show you some good places, as well as a couple private. This looks like an amazing site! How did you find this location? Is there anyway I could get the coordinates or directions to it? I would kill to check this place out! Great find @coled18 This is better done via Private Message, rather than on the open forum, for thousands of people to view. Especially considering the question of legality to hunt the location. Regards, 1 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...
Xiphactinus Posted November 28, 2017 Share Posted November 28, 2017 The "ptychodus tooth" or "large ray denticle" is a piece of an iron concretion. Many times they are perfect balls called "pop rocks". I've picked up bunches of those thinking they were something else. Rats! And to Kansas Fossilhunter's point....yes, even though it wasn't fenced you were 99% trespassing. There's not much chalk exposure that isn't in private hands. Finding land where you have permission to hunt is the single hardest part of hunting in the chalk beds. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Castle Rock Posted November 28, 2017 Share Posted November 28, 2017 ON the matter of public access, as has been pointed out before, Castle Rock, although being on private land...IS OPEN to public access...UNLIKE MOST other outcrops in the Chalk trend. I would mention my own good fortune in having access to land held by family members who reserve their land for family hunting only. As my family members in that area continue to grow older, I live in perpetual DREAD of the possibility that I might lose access...probably just a matter of time. I consider myself SO FORTUNATE to have been able (so far) to have had collecting access my entire life! Dave 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Castle Rock Posted November 28, 2017 Share Posted November 28, 2017 Here is just one example of the material I collected a few years ago: a medium-sized Xiphactinus skull. Needless to say, I DREAM of the next trip to Kansas! Dave 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xiphactinus Posted November 29, 2017 Share Posted November 29, 2017 8 hours ago, Castle Rock said: Here is just one example of the material I collected a few years ago: a medium-sized Xiphactinus skull. Needless to say, I DREAM of the next trip to Kansas! Dave Beautiful skull! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coled18 Posted November 29, 2017 Author Share Posted November 29, 2017 10 hours ago, KansasFossilHunter said: When you say "we finally found a spot that was not fenced off" raises some questions. Just to be clear, even if an area of land is not fenced off that does not mean you can freely access the property. Keep in mind this is private land and without proper permission, you would be trespassing. Just something to keep in mind. Don’t worry, the area was not private property according to Gove county’s GIS map. CD Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coled18 Posted November 29, 2017 Author Share Posted November 29, 2017 9 hours ago, Xiphactinus said: The "ptychodus tooth" or "large ray denticle" is a piece of an iron concretion. Many times they are perfect balls called "pop rocks". I've picked up bunches of those thinking they were something else. Rats! And to Kansas Fossilhunter's point....yes, even though it wasn't fenced you were 99% trespassing. There's not much chalk exposure that isn't in private hands. Finding land where you have permission to hunt is the single hardest part of hunting in the chalk beds. I should have phrased that better. We were looking at a GIS map of Gove county and that area was listed as “not a property”. @Castle Rock beautiful find!! CD Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coled18 Posted November 29, 2017 Author Share Posted November 29, 2017 For all those who are concerned about the legality: I am sorry, I have a weird way of phrasing things sometimes. I am not to be taken literally all the time, which I do not blame you for doing. I am confident that where we went was NOT private property, according to the county GIS maps. CD Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
doushantuo Posted November 29, 2017 Share Posted November 29, 2017 I'm not sure knowledge of the indications on a GIS map exonerate one from an accusation of trespassing Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coled18 Posted November 29, 2017 Author Share Posted November 29, 2017 1 hour ago, doushantuo said: I'm not sure knowledge of the indications on a GIS map exonerate one from an accusation of trespassing The GIS maps I viewed showed all owned land in Lane and Gove counties. I plotted a specific area that was not listed as being owned by anyone. I would not have been trespassing if the land was not owned by anyone. CD Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jpc Posted November 29, 2017 Share Posted November 29, 2017 All land in the US is owned by Someone. If it is listed as "not a property" that just sounds weird. If it is not privately owned, it is publicly owned in which case you have the County or the State or the feds as landowner. Whoever owns the land, you NEED their permission to trespass legally. I don't want to be giving you a hard time, but I just want to make sure folks know the rules, nay, the laws. There are many landowners here in Wyoming who will not allow fossil hunters on their land because they have found too many folks just out there walking about with no idea whose land they are on and never even thought to ask for permission. I hate for the owner of this land to join that camp because they found you guys out there without permission. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coled18 Posted November 30, 2017 Author Share Posted November 30, 2017 I understand your guys' concerns, and thank you for trying to reach out. We are aware of the laws around here; happy hunting and good luck to you all! CD Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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