Benjaminpb Posted January 22, 2019 Share Posted January 22, 2019 Hello all! Soooo I’m taking my family to Disney World for Christmas this year. My wife is being very cool about it and she’s letting me spend most of my time looking for fossils. I’d like to make the most of my trip being that Florida is quite far Texas. I know about Peace River, Shell Creek and Venice Beach. I’ve been reading that Peace River isn’t productive anymore....is this true? I’d really like any advice on where to go, what to do, what not to do etc. If you have any secret spots and would like to pm me that would be much appreciated. I promise to keep it to myself. Oh, I do understand that I need a permit to collect in Florida btw. Any advice helps. Thank you! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
digit Posted January 22, 2019 Share Posted January 22, 2019 The Peace River is still productive. Those who had the opportunity to hunt it in the 1960s-80s will probably tell you there is nothing left as they had access to an incredible build-up of fossil material before most people knew about fossil hunting in the Peace. The trick (as with most places) is to try to go where there is lower hunting pressure. I don't have my own watercraft and so I usually rent a canoe from Canoe Outpost and prospect in the section of the river that gets more traffic (and more hunting pressure). I still manage to pull some nice things out now and then and common items like smaller shark teeth (and dugong rib bones) are still quite common in most of the areas of the river where you can find some gravel deposits. You've got some 12 months to prepare (unless you are making a belated Christmas trip to Disney). It doesn't take much effort to get your Florida fossil permit, you can find the information here: https://www.floridamuseum.ufl.edu/vertpaleo/amateur-collector/fossil-permit The Peace River had a large pulse of rainwater just before Christmas and it has been taking some time for the water table to process that deluge. The Peace River is just now getting back close to a level where you can get into the areas where the gravel beds are found. Attempting to fossil hunt when the river is too high ranges from annoying to downright dangerous. It's not only the level but the flow rate that you have to contend with. I've tried in years past when the level was just barely enough to get to some of the shallower gravel beds but strong currents tend to strip the sand/gravel from your shovel before you can get it up into your sifting screen. If you are coming in a few weeks, the river may be a bit lower. I always check this website first (looking for a level a foot or two below their "normal" level before considering going out). http://www.canoeoutpost.com/peace/showpage.asp?page=waterlevel Depending on the day(s) you might be looking at going out you could try dropping a PM to Jeff @jcbshark John @Sacha Jack @Shellseeker or myself @digit to see if we are free to take you out and show you how it is done. Alternatively, if you are looking for a novel fossil hunting experience, I'd suggest checking in with the Florida Museum of Natural History (FLMNH) as you might be able to sign up to volunteer at the Montbrook fossil dig site. You don't get to keep any of the fossils (they all go into the museum's collection) but you can take all of the photos you like and you get to dig in a land-based site rich with diverse fossil material. I've volunteered several times and it is great fun (and quite informative as well). It's up in the Gainesville/Ocala area which is actually a closer trip from the Orlando area. https://www.floridamuseum.ufl.edu/montbrook/ Cheers. -Ken 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Benjaminpb Posted January 22, 2019 Author Share Posted January 22, 2019 Thank you so much! I should have specified that I’ll be there for the Christmas of 2019. I will be there for a week so I’ll be able to hit a few spots. I’m hoping I luck out and the water level is low. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
digit Posted January 22, 2019 Share Posted January 22, 2019 Then you have plenty of time to plan. With luck, it will be an early end to the rainy season later this year and the Peace will be accessible in December. Check back in with the Florida TFF members toward the end of the year and we'll see what's going on. Consider building in some time for Montbrook as well as I think you'll find that to be very interesting. Cheers. -Ken Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Benjaminpb Posted January 22, 2019 Author Share Posted January 22, 2019 I will check that out. Thank you! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shellseeker Posted January 22, 2019 Share Posted January 22, 2019 4 hours ago, Benjaminpb said: I know about Peace River, Shell Creek and Venice Beach. I’ve been reading that Peace River isn’t productive anymore....is this true? Sort of depends. Who are you, how often do you go out, how much do you know, what kind of equipment do you have, how lucky are you and what are your expectations? I have been hunting the Peace for 10 years, starting soon after I retired. Much of that time, I hunted 8 hours a day, 4 times a week, 8 months a year. Most of those days I found 100-300 fossils per day, a LOT of small shark teeth. I found fantastic stuff ALL the time. Deep water, cold weather, nothing matters because I was in for the long haul. So, to answer your question: The Peace River is NOT as productive for me (or anyone else) as it was 5-10 years ago. You can help yourself a lot by learning what is being found. Once a day or once a week search this forum for the word "Peace". Read what people are telling you they are finding. I have some issues that are keeping me out of the Peace for months. The water has been unusually deep and fast. I hope to get back in very soon.. I think it is still productive. In my last full week, these were my best finds: 2 The White Queen ".... in her youth she could believe "six impossible things before breakfast" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sacha Posted January 22, 2019 Share Posted January 22, 2019 Those set the bar pretty high Jack! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
digit Posted January 22, 2019 Share Posted January 22, 2019 Yup. You're right, Jack--totally fished out. Cheers. -Ken Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Herb Posted January 22, 2019 Share Posted January 22, 2019 you do not need a permit to hunt invertebrate fossils, and teeth and the random found vertebrate pieces. "Absence of evidence is not evidence of absence"_ Carl Sagen No trees were killed in this posting......however, many innocent electrons were diverted from where they originally intended to go. " I think, therefore I collect fossils." _ Me "When you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth."__S. Holmes "can't we all just get along?" Jack Nicholson from Mars Attacks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
digit Posted January 22, 2019 Share Posted January 22, 2019 Quite true. Invertebrates (mostly fossil shells and possibly echinoderms) as well as shark teeth (because they are so numerous) do not require a permit (and the museum doesn't want your dugong rib bones ). If you were in the Peace River and pulled some nice Equus molars or a Holmesina osteoderm (or something exotic like a whale tooth or sloth molar) you'd not want to be tossing them back to be following the law. Going on guided hunts with professional guides is an exception in that you are covered under their permit as an umbrella. The reason for the permit is mainly to collect data on what is being found where and to alert the FLMNH to any exceptional fossils that might be of interest to the museum. Guides would recognize a very rare find that would be desired by the museum. I asked Dr. Hulbert how many times exceptional vertebrate fossils were requested from their discoverers (their right under the terms of the permit). He says they've had to ask for just a handful of specimens in a couple of decades. Many times the permit holders will offer up specimens if they are of interest to the museum. I've donated quite a variety of specimens that Dr. Hulbert said they'd like to have for the collection. I've always offered when he expressed interest and he's never had to explicitly request a specimen. Cheers. -Ken 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Benjaminpb Posted January 23, 2019 Author Share Posted January 23, 2019 Would you like to be my personal guide Shellseeker? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shellseeker Posted January 23, 2019 Share Posted January 23, 2019 4 hours ago, Benjaminpb said: Would you like to be my personal guide Shellseeker? Benjamin, I do not know if "like" is the correct word to use. As you can imagine, once fossil hunters figure out that I have locations where I am finding many fossils, a few with great quality, there are lots of them who would "like" to go with me. Like many others on TFF, I take visitors from other States and countries hunting with me occasionally, but it is impossible to keep up with the demands. There is no secret to my success.. I go to locations very far from easy access points on a frequent basis and dig for long hours. Unfortunately, your plans line up directly with my worst availability. Starting on the 15th of December, I was in Miami for a wedding, north to Connecticut for a week, back in Florida for 2 days, north to South Carolina for 5 days. returning to Florida on New Years day. Most of my Decembers are spent outside of Florida. You should consider hiring a guide , at least for the 1st day out. The White Queen ".... in her youth she could believe "six impossible things before breakfast" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Benjaminpb Posted January 23, 2019 Author Share Posted January 23, 2019 Haha, I was mostly joking. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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