Steve D. Posted January 21, 2019 Share Posted January 21, 2019 Hey all! Well, if you've read some of my previous posts you'll see that throughout 2018 I've been working in Maryland and Virginia. While here I've been visiting some of the local haunts along the Atlantic to find.... really anything, and I have! HOWEVER, I have yet to find a single shark tooth!!! The rub now is timing. I am about to accept a new position with a company and my time on the Bay is coming to an end. I'm here this week and plan on visiting Matoaka Beach for the first time tomorrow. I am going to leave my hotel in Columbia, MD at 8am. Any suggestions, tricks, hints.... scooby snacks????? I've been talking about finding my son a Meg tooth for a year now and I'm coming up with squat! hahaha Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SailingAlongToo Posted January 21, 2019 Share Posted January 21, 2019 You can find lots of small shark teeth at Purse State Park in MD, along the Potomac River. No megs there though as its Paleocene in age. 4 Don't know much about history Don't know much biology Don't know much about science books......... Sam Cooke - (What A) Wonderful World Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Darktooth Posted January 21, 2019 Share Posted January 21, 2019 Have you tried Brownies/ Bayfront Park? I like Trilo-butts and I cannot lie. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve D. Posted January 21, 2019 Author Share Posted January 21, 2019 4 minutes ago, Darktooth said: Have you tried Brownies/ Bayfront Park? I've been there a few times and always leave with a frown lol I hate leaving empty handed. I may stop by there tomorrow if Matoaka is a bust Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve D. Posted January 21, 2019 Author Share Posted January 21, 2019 I'm about to spend some $$$ just to have a meg in my collection ..... which is only Ordovician fossils lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Darktooth Posted January 21, 2019 Share Posted January 21, 2019 35 minutes ago, Steve D. said: I've been there a few times and always leave with a frown lol I hate leaving empty handed. I may stop by there tomorrow if Matoaka is a bust What methods are you using? I have never left empty handed. How far are you walking? 1 I like Trilo-butts and I cannot lie. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HoppeHunting Posted January 21, 2019 Share Posted January 21, 2019 1 hour ago, SailingAlongToo said: You can find lots of small shark teeth at Purse State Park +1 for Purse. “Lots” is an understatement. I’ve found as many as 600 shark teeth in a single day. Just walk along the tide line and look for anything black. Almost all the teeth at Purse are either black or very dark gray. So if you want to guarantee that you’ll find something, Purse is certainly a safe bet. Nothing beats the site in terms of quantity. Just make sure you go at low tide, because the beach is narrow and becomes completely submerged at high tide. As SA2 stated, the majority of teeth you find here will be small, but you can sometimes manage to find one or two inch sand tigers, or maybe even a large Otodus. Feel free to PM me or check out my detailed trip reports on Purse for more information. If you want a shot at a Meg, Bayfront Park/Brownies Beach is probably your best option (although technically the majority of megateeth here are actually chubs...). Good luck! 2 The Hunt for the Hemipristine continues! ~Hoppe hunting!~ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve D. Posted January 21, 2019 Author Share Posted January 21, 2019 1 hour ago, Darktooth said: What methods are you using? I have never left empty handed. How far are you walking? I've walked the entire beach at Brownie till it was clearly not safe. I normally look for the clay blocks and I comb the beach pretty closely. I just haven't seen the roots first hand in the environment yet... I think once I get an eye for it, I'd be gtg. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fossil-Hound Posted January 21, 2019 Share Posted January 21, 2019 1 hour ago, Steve D. said: I've walked the entire beach at Brownie till it was clearly not safe. I normally look for the clay blocks and I comb the beach pretty closely. I just haven't seen the roots first hand in the environment yet... I think once I get an eye for it, I'd be gtg. Like @SailingAlongToo said you may have better luck at Purse. Occasionally a large Otodus obliquus is found there. I've found partial Megs at Brownies along with some large H. serra and Makos. I watched an older guy once step on a large, gorgeous snaggletooth and I picked it up after he left. It's fair game if you don't spot it. Just keep looking around. What I would do is carefully watch the shoreline. That's a great place to start as the waves will stir up the sand conglomerate and you'll be able to spot them. Some guys like sifters but I never used one. It's mainly surface collecting. I would usually recover at least fifty good teeth per trip. 2 Do or do not. There is no try. - Yoda Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Darktooth Posted January 21, 2019 Share Posted January 21, 2019 You have a few options and I wish you luck wherever you chose to go. Sometimes the tide is such that the teeth don't show themselves within the shell line at the waters edge. They are there though. Having something to stir it up, usually will help. A small plastic garden rake, shovel or even a small strainer attached to a broom handle will work. I prefer a shovel. Scoop up the shell line, throw it up a little ways on the beach and let the waves sift it for you. 1 I like Trilo-butts and I cannot lie. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ClearLake Posted January 21, 2019 Share Posted January 21, 2019 I one time I have been to Matoaka, I only found a couple small shark teeth (although I have seen plenty of others post their excellent findings from there), but I did leave with lots of nice inverts (which was OK with me)! Enjoy!! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hokiehunter Posted January 22, 2019 Share Posted January 22, 2019 What others have said. If you can't find a tooth at Brownies you almost 100% won't find one at Matoaka so don't let that big meg that was found there recently fool you. For every 10 teeth at Brownies you might find 1 at Matoaka and that goes probably double or triple that rate for megs. The cliffs at Matoaka aren't eroding nearly as fast as Brownies and in my experience not nearly as productive (still a great place just not where I'd go if my life depending on finding a tooth). If you want a tooth (any tooth) and have to hunt public go to Brownies or Purse. At Purse it is almost entirely smaller teeth but most bang for buck followed closely by Brownies. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve D. Posted January 22, 2019 Author Share Posted January 22, 2019 Well, if anyone wants to join me, I'm leaving Columbia, MD around 8am and heading to Brownies. I'll be the dumbass in a black jacket and a green backpack :)- Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Darktooth Posted January 22, 2019 Share Posted January 22, 2019 7 minutes ago, Steve D. said: Well, if anyone wants to join me, I'm leaving Columbia, MD around 8am and heading to Brownies. I'll be the dumbass in a black jacket and a green backpack :)- Good luck Bro! 1 I like Trilo-butts and I cannot lie. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Darktooth Posted January 22, 2019 Share Posted January 22, 2019 I can feel it, today will be your day! I like Trilo-butts and I cannot lie. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Littlefoot Posted January 22, 2019 Share Posted January 22, 2019 Best of luck to you! I've seen people find megs at all the locations you've listed except Purse! A fellow fossil hunter I bumped into at Brownie's told me regarding finding a meg, "You just need to wait your turn, and when it's your turn, there will be a meg for you." I hope today is your turn! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tidgy's Dad Posted January 22, 2019 Share Posted January 22, 2019 23 hours ago, Steve D. said: I'm about to spend some $$$ just to have a meg in my collection ..... which is only Ordovician fossils lol Ordovician fossils are my favourite! Much better than megs in my opinion. Very good luck in your hunt today though. 1 Life's Good! Tortoise Friend. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SailingAlongToo Posted January 22, 2019 Share Posted January 22, 2019 1 hour ago, Tidgy's Dad said: Ordovician fossils are my favourite! Much better than megs in my opinion. Very good luck in your hunt today though. . 1 Don't know much about history Don't know much biology Don't know much about science books......... Sam Cooke - (What A) Wonderful World Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tidgy's Dad Posted January 22, 2019 Share Posted January 22, 2019 15 minutes ago, SailingAlongToo said: . 1 Life's Good! Tortoise Friend. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve D. Posted January 22, 2019 Author Share Posted January 22, 2019 Whelp! I just got back to my hotel. I spent from 9am - 2pmish and no megs #Megalodont! #MegaloMiss! #MegaloWhere! I really dug in deep this time at Brownies. There were a few different slide offs since I was there last. Carefully, I explored what I could. The ground and dirt was solid most of the time. BUT it was an extremely beautiful day. I have never seen the ocean frozen. I even walked 200 yards out with my water proof boots and I was able to access parts of the beach I had not been to before. On a happier note, I broke my shark tooth cherry! I found one hole tooth and part of another. I'll post later (not a fossil but I'm proud). Towards the end of my visit, I start rooting around on the ground like a savage dog and boom, there she was. I'll take the fun and adventurous experience over anything... it's why we do what we do! Btw, if you are not accustomed to frigged January cold water... I'd wait till spring to look for shark teeth! hahaha I ruined my gloves, jacket, and pants 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Max-fossils Posted January 22, 2019 Share Posted January 22, 2019 Can't wait to see what you found! Max Derème "I feel an echo of the lightning each time I find a fossil. [...] That is why I am a hunter: to feel that bolt of lightning every day." - Mary Anning >< Remarkable Creatures, Tracy Chevalier Instagram: @world_of_fossils Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve D. Posted January 22, 2019 Author Share Posted January 22, 2019 I found... from what I can tell is a sand tiger BUT the site won't let me upload another pic... hmmm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve D. Posted January 22, 2019 Author Share Posted January 22, 2019 2 minutes ago, Steve D. said: I found... from what I can tell is a sand tiger BUT the site won't let me upload another pic... hmmm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
-AnThOnY- Posted January 22, 2019 Share Posted January 22, 2019 Looks like a Hemipristis (on the left) 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve D. Posted January 22, 2019 Author Share Posted January 22, 2019 52 minutes ago, -AnThOnY- said: Looks like a Hemipristis (on the left) I thought that as well. There was another gent on the beach as I left who had a big Hemp... his had the ridges on the sides. Mine is beveled off. Not sure if that is from ware or if it is a Sand Tiger Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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