What surprised you when you started fossil hunting?

[aplomado]

What surprised you when you started fossil hunting?

 

For me, I was surprised at how well some delicate things survived for so long... like Cretaceous worm burrows, easily visible.  Shark teeth that look almost new.  Fossil driftwood that is still soft and "woody."

 

 

[indominus rex]

What surprised me is the fact of how abundant some of these fossils are. Like in Holzmaden you are up to your feet in Ammonites.

[Ptychodus04]

My first surprise was when my dad said I couldn't bring home the 3 ton boulder that had a beautiful palm frond on it. He claimed it wouldn't fit in the back of our 1975 Mustang hatchback. I'm still not sure I agree with his assessment.

[Fossildude19]

I was surprised that there was so much going on down by our feet, and no one else was excited about that.  

I was also surprised that with some hard work and effort, I was able to find fossils on my own, without having to resort to buying alone.   

[jpc]

I have been surprised that some landowners let me on their ranches to collect.  Thanks to all of them.  

[PFOOLEY]

I was surprised at what a terrible fossil hunter I was.

[Auspex]

Started? I don't remember starting, I just always have.

I was surprised that not everyone did!

[Fruitbat]

I remember going out on my first dedicated 'fossil hunt' in Turkey when I was ten.  I found my first decent fossil and encountered my first live scorpion at the same time!  I kept the fossil after my father smashed the scorpion with it.

 

-Joe

[Ramo]

 I was most surprised to find that most fossils of vertebrates were not found all perfect and together like you see in museums.  I had no idea that stuff is most often found broken, scattered, missing parts, and needs put back together!

All the shows and cartoons I watched growing up showed complete fossils just laying there in the ground waiting to be found.

[Cam28]

Can get a feeling of what you're more likely to find, but never know what exactly you'll ever get (least in FL) + great fossil sites can almost never be 100% "dug over" (least by traditional means)

[Ptychodus04]

Once I was surprised by a large cottonmouth that I met face to face as I climbed the rocks out of a river. Thankfully, he must have been confused by the sudden appearance of a human head a mere 12 inches from his own.

 

Another time, I was surprised to find a western diamondback rattlesnake a mere 8 inches from my outstretched leg where I had been lying on the ground for 20 minutes. He also was not bothered by my presence... thankfully.

[Tidgy's Dad]

I went out into the garden to hunt for dinosaurs. 

I didn't find any but lots of invertebrates and roots and things. 

I was surprised how tasty many of them were. 

 

[Ptychodus04]

15 minutes ago, Tidgy's Dad said:

I went out into the garden to hunt for dinosaurs. 

I didn't find any but lots of invertebrates and roots and things. 

I was surprised how tasty many of them were. 

 

 

That's awesome! I discovered wild onions, dewberries, and prickly pear fruit on a few collecting trips. All are delicious.

 

On a separate time outdoors (not fossil related) I discovered that large black ants are rather tasty as well but termites living in a pine tree are rather pungent!

[jpc]

38 minutes ago, Ptychodus04 said:

 

That's awesome! I discovered wild onions, dewberries, and prickly pear fruit on a few collecting trips. All are delicious.

 

On a separate time outdoors (not fossil related) I discovered that large black ants are rather tasty as well but termites living in a pine tree are rather pungent!

The red and black ants here in Wyoming are delicious.  The pure black ones are not.  The most amazing ants are puny little yellow ones that seem to live completely underground.  I have never seen them on the surface but once we found a colony while expanding a quarry.  Eating one was not a taste but a full body explosion of citronella.  That's right, I did not taste it, I felt it all over.  THAT was amazing but it came well after I began fossil hunting.  

[Ptychodus04]

5 minutes ago, jpc said:

The red and black ants here in Wyoming are delicious.  The pure black ones are not.  The most amazing ants are puny little yellow ones that seem to live completely underground.  I have never seen them on the surface but once we found a colony while expanding a quarry.  Eating one was not a taste but a full body explosion of citronella.  That's right, I did not taste it, I felt it all over.  THAT was amazing but it came well after I began fossil hunting.  

I thought about eating some fire ants once just so they know what it feels like but decided that probably wasn't the best choice. Full body citronella, that doesn't sound like a pleasurable experience!! The pine tree termites were bad enough, like a mouthful of turpentine.

[sixgill pete]

I think what surprised me more than anything else was the huge variety of fossils and different geologic ages within a 25 mile diameter of my house. heck, it still amazes me.

 

As far as natures morsels, I indulge often. Have not tried the ants as it seems most places I hunt are full of fire ants and I do try to avoid them.

[LiamL]

That the area i live in (west Yorkshire) has no fossils sites, where as other places (North Yorkshire) has so many. 

It sucks but that's why i gotta buy most of mine and look forward to the yearly trip collecting. 

[ynot]

When I found My first brachiopod at 12,000 ft above sea level.

My lifelong desire for fossils began when My Dad could not tell Me how it got there.

 

Then there was the time a bat came flying out of a small eye level cave while I was examining a cliff face.

That was definitely an eye opening surprise! 

Also surprised Me that I did not get hurt jumping backwards on a real steep hill.

[jpc]

49 minutes ago, Ptychodus04 said:

I thought about eating some fire ants once just so they know what it feels like but decided that probably wasn't the best choice. Full body citronella, that doesn't sound like a pleasurable experience!! The pine tree termites were bad enough, like a mouthful of turpentine.

Full body citronella was incredible.  I have only seen those ants twice.  

P.S. you gotta eat ants alive, or at least  uncrushed for the full effect.  

[aplomado]

13 minutes ago, jpc said:

Full body citronella was incredible.  I have only seen those ants twice.  

P.S. you gotta eat ants alive, or at least  uncrushed for the full effect.  

This thread has gone in a completely unexpected direction....

"SURPRISE!"

[Pagurus]

I was surprised how many people just step right over the fossils, and crystals and teeny tiny flowers and even, amazingly enough, ants! Without even looking at them! Inconceivable for a five-year old. However, I'd have to be mighty hungry before I'd eat an ant. Ants are for aiming the hot spot from your magnifying glass at. Sizzle. I was such a nice kid.

[ynot]

4 minutes ago, Pagurus said:

mighty hungry before I'd eat an ant

I ate some chocolate covered ants once, but it was just for the novelty of it.

[Ptychodus04]

51 minutes ago, jpc said:

Full body citronella was incredible.  I have only seen those ants twice.  

P.S. you gotta eat ants alive, or at least  uncrushed for the full effect.  

Agreed, alive is the only way to eat them. Yum.

 

26 minutes ago, Pagurus said:

I was surprised how many people just step right over the fossils, and crystals and teeny tiny flowers and even, amazingly enough, ants! Without even looking at them! Inconceivable for a five-year old. However, I'd have to be mighty hungry before I'd eat an ant. Ants are for aiming the hot spot from your magnifying glass at. Sizzle. I was such a nice kid.

Ants are tasty, low fat, and full of nutrients. Meal worms are good also, but you want to roast them. They taste kind of like popcorn.

[Haravex]

7 hours ago, jpc said:

I have been surprised that some landowners let me on their ranches to collect.  Thanks to all of them.  

Collecting from ranches in Wyoming that is the dream 

[Uncle Siphuncle]

I was surprised to find a perfect enrolled Isotelus at Caesar Creek, OH just when I started collecting at age 10.  At the time, my Dad said he had been looking unsuccessfully for a trilobite for 20 years.  Site info was harder to access all those years ago.