fossilizedcorgi Posted April 23, 2018 Share Posted April 23, 2018 I have been searching around the different pay-to-dig sites and it seems to me that if they could dig enough valuable items out themselves, they wouldn't rent it out to visitors. Are there any areas in the U.S where you can fossil hunt commercially without the huge cost associated with the pay to play sites? For example one place in Maryland says they average around 10-20 trilobites for a 4 hour dig. Since each (small) one goes for around 5$ that wouldn't be the best opportunity. Any ideas for a fossil hunting adventure that has enough volume to support the adventure? Not going into the ethics of commercial fossils and what not. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brett Breakin' Rocks Posted April 23, 2018 Share Posted April 23, 2018 9 minutes ago, fossilizedcorgi said: I have been searching around the different pay-to-dig sites and it seems to me that if they could dig enough valuable items out themselves, they wouldn't rent it out to visitors. Are there any areas in the U.S where you can fossil hunt commercially without the huge cost associated with the pay to play sites? For example one place in Maryland says they average around 10-20 trilobites for a 4 hour dig. Since each (small) one goes for around 5$ that wouldn't be the best opportunity. Any ideas for a fossil hunting adventure that has enough volume to support the adventure? Not going into the ethics of commercial fossils and what not. Haha .. I would like to post the first snarky comment suggesting it would then not be called fossil 'hunting. Anything beyond that would involve extended man hours or heavy equipment and man hours to move large amounts of material. At that point you might as well just lease a parcel of land and charge people to dig?? I'd say normally it's not 'worth' it in that sense. But that's not why most of us are knee deep in the muck. Good luck ! Happy hunting. Gold mining I hear is lucrative as well ? Haha.. ok. Just kidding I'll I'll stop. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ynot Posted April 23, 2018 Share Posted April 23, 2018 U-dig fossils in Utah, Rainbow ridge mine (Virgin valley) Nevada and Ernst quarries (sharktooth hill) in California. Edit: Miss read the question, sorry. If it is public land, no it is against the rules to dig for commercial purposes, if digging is allowed there. Digging is not allowed in national monuments and other "protected" public lands. If on private lands permission from the landowner is required. (Not easy to get.) Also, finding an area that will produce abundant rare fossils is not an easy task. 1 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...
ynot Posted April 23, 2018 Share Posted April 23, 2018 15 minutes ago, Brett Breakin' Rocks said: Gold mining I hear is lucrative as well ? Haha.. ok. Just kidding Why do You think there are so many international mining corporations stripping the world. The real hard part is finding a place that is worth the effort to dig, that has not been dug before. 2 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...
Brett Breakin' Rocks Posted April 23, 2018 Share Posted April 23, 2018 2 minutes ago, ynot said: Why do You think there are so many international mining corporations stripping the world. The real hard part is finding a place that is worth the effort to dig, that has not been dug before. Oh yes sure. But you need loads of capital and plenty of financial resources to support a profitable operation. Not to mention the heavy equipment and specialized sorting tools. Not for the faint of heart or usually an individual endeavor. As an individual leasing a parcel of land and scouting it for fossil exposures ... or exposing some yourself might be the best bet. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Uncle Siphuncle Posted April 23, 2018 Share Posted April 23, 2018 Most of us do something else for a living that has steadier demand and better remuneration, and reserve fossiling as a fun hobby/escape, realizing that anything fun and worth doing usually costs money, rather than serving as a "profit center". There are some really cool and knowledgable guys on this forum who dig commercially full time, but I get the feeling that market saturation became a major concern with the advent of internet based sales and internet based info for do-it-yourself collectors. 3 Grüße, Daniel A. Wöhr aus Südtexas "To the motivated go the spoils." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Auspex Posted April 23, 2018 Share Posted April 23, 2018 2 hours ago, fossilizedcorgi said: ...it seems to me that if they could dig enough valuable items out themselves, they wouldn't rent it out to visitors. At the fish quarries in the Green River Formation, they get a bunch of laborers paying, and do better financially than if they tried do do it all themselves. Remember too that extraordinary fossils remain the property of the quarry, so you don't get to keep the bird you find. 1 "There has been an alarming increase in the number of things I know nothing about." - Ashleigh Ellwood Brilliant “Try to learn something about everything and everything about something.” - Thomas Henry Huxley >Paleontology is an evolving science. >May your wonders never cease! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
minnbuckeye Posted April 23, 2018 Share Posted April 23, 2018 36 minutes ago, Auspex said: At the fish quarries in the Green River Formation, they get a bunch of laborers paying, and do better financially than if they tried do do it all themselves. Remember too that extraordinary fossils remain the property of the quarry, so you don't get to keep the bird you find. @Auspex, at Sseth's quarry anything you find can go home with you. It was a GREAT experience visiting the quarry last summer. While I was there, some very significant finds occurred. You will more than make up the cost of the trip with the fossil finds. I highly recommend this to anyone remotely in the Kemmerer area. American Fossil - Real Fossil Dig in Kemmerer Wyoming Buy Your Gift Certificates or schedule a dig for our 2018 Season Today! Click Here! Our Quarry IS currently closed for the Season. Please visit us May of 2018! Season runs May 15-September 30 RECOMMENDED ON American Fossil American Fossil is giving you the opportunity of a lifetime. We have the only quarry in the world where you have the opportunity to dig fossils and keep every fossil you find. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Auspex Posted April 23, 2018 Share Posted April 23, 2018 I did not know that there was no high-value-reserve clause at Seth's quarry... Now I really wish I'd found that horse!!! "There has been an alarming increase in the number of things I know nothing about." - Ashleigh Ellwood Brilliant “Try to learn something about everything and everything about something.” - Thomas Henry Huxley >Paleontology is an evolving science. >May your wonders never cease! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ynot Posted April 24, 2018 Share Posted April 24, 2018 2 hours ago, Auspex said: I did not know that there was no high-value-reserve clause at Seth's quarry... Now I really wish I'd found that horse!!! I think He has a "buy at half value" for the real treasures. (At least that was the terms laid out in His auction last year.) 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...
fossilizedcorgi Posted April 24, 2018 Author Share Posted April 24, 2018 Ill check out seths quarry! Thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
minnbuckeye Posted April 24, 2018 Share Posted April 24, 2018 @fossilizedcorgi, this is such a professionally run operation geared towards making a success out of your trip. Sseth's family and friends are so knowledgeable and more importantly eager to assist you. They have rock saws right there allowing you to trim pieces to reasonable size for travel. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts