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Mazonia-Braidwood State Fish and Wildlife Area


minnbuckeye

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On my holiday trip from Ohio back to Minnesota, I thought of taking some time and searching the Braidwood area for  fossils. I overnighted in the area, jumped out of bed at the crack of dawn with anticipation and headed to the Mazonia-Braidwood State Fish and Wildlife Area. Unfortunately, the park was gated off and access was only allowed for hunting (animal) purposes. On top of this, light snow began to fall making it hard to see anything on the ground. I did manage to look under some trees outside of the gated area and found what looked like a few nodules. It is common knowledge to open these up with a freeze thaw technique, but my hammer kept calling. So after a few whacks, this is what I saw inside. Can anyone identify anything in these pictures?? I have extreme difficulty seeing what many do when looking at open nodules. So an expert eye is needed.

 

MikeDSC_0054-001.thumb.JPG.d3b0d0075d995cf08863e5972f25501e.JPGDSC_0053-001.thumb.JPG.9131de4416c7b110ced04ef8e7a1f323.JPGDSC_0051-001.thumb.JPG.974a20426d8c7117f8e1091ec709cc62.JPG

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Bottom one is carbonized wood. The top one looks like a coprolite, but could also be just calcium carbonate.

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...I'm back.

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Yup. The managers of the Mazonia-Braidwood area keep fossil hunters from scrummaging around in the underbrush during hunting season. That's hunting with guns and not for nodules. I, for one, appreciate them having separate seasons so that the two interests won't intersect with less than optimal results.

 

Glad you were able to score a couple of quick nodules without getting back into the normal areas which are decidedly less safe during this season.

 

 

Cheers.

 

-Ken

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Mazonia Braidwood is the only area I am aware of with an official fossil collecting season.

It appears that the first concretion may be a spoon worm Coprinoscolex.

often referred to by collectors as a leech.

Nice find considering the time of year.

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Took the liberty to find the leech aka spoon worm. It definitely does look similar to your specimen. I've found several coprolites that also look similar to your find as well. 

 

Dn_POC5X0AEgbYA.thumb.jpeg.4e805430f46eb72b4335ea97e7d00191.jpeg

...I'm back.

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@RCFossils and @Raggedy Man Thanks for all of the help. As I said, I do not have the imagination needed for IDing these nodules. When spoonworm/leech was suggested, I had doubts. But after seeing that nodule of Coprinoscolex, I am convinced!!! Now I just need to try to return when hunting season is over.

 

 Mike

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