Bayfront Park 03/02/19: First YouTube Video

[HoppeHunting]

Hey all,

 

The Calvert Cliffs have been falling left and right recently. Countless cliff slides have led to plenty of new material becoming accessible on the beaches, but the unstable cliffs also call for extra caution. I decided to return to my favorite winter hunting location, Bayfront Park, to try and take advantage of the cliff falls. I thought it would be a good opportunity to film my first YouTube video, which I have been wanting to do for a while, so I brought my new handheld camera mount. Peak low tide was exactly at sunrise, so I woke up at 4 a.m. in order to arrive at the beach before then. Early mornings can be rough, but if you're getting up to do something you love it's a whole lot easier.

 

When I got to the parking lot, it was still very dark and I actually had to use my phone's flashlight to hunt for the first few minutes before the sun began its ascent into the horizon. It was a very cloudy day, so unfortunately I wasn't treated with one of the gorgeous Brownies sunrises. Within 10 or 15 minutes or searching, I found one of the biggest teeth I've ever found at Brownies, a huge 2 inch mako in perfect condition. That's when I knew it was going to be a good day. Not too long after that, I stumbled across a circular object slightly covered by sand. It looked like it could be some kind of vertebra or possible a "cookie" (dolphin epiphysis), but there was only one way to find out. When I tried pulling it out, it didn't budge. I pulled harder. As it still wouldn't come out, I realized it must be much larger than it appeared on the surface. Throwing aside the rock next to it, I finally pulled out a beautiful cetacean vertebra! I've always wanted to find one, especially after running into a guy who found a dozen of them on my last Brownies trip, so I was ecstatic.

 

I continued finding some very nice teeth. I also found another cetacean vertebra, this time a very different shape but in very good condition. Despite the harsh temperature and dangerous cliffs, there were quite a few other hunters out on the beach. At one point I ran into a man who had found two perfects Megs, each one about 2 inches. I hoped to find one for myself, but had no such luck. Regardless, I was extremely content with everything I found and began to make my way back to the car.

 

This trip was one to remember, not only because of the awesome finds, but also the fun experience of filming the video. I kept this trip report rather short, because the video covers the detail I usually go into, and then some. Anyway, I've wanted to become a fossil hunting YouTuber pretty much ever since I began hunting, but I just never really got around to it until now. I love watching YouTubers like @addicted2fossils, and I hope others will find my videos to be entertaining and educational as well. I've posted the link to my video below, and I would really appreciate it if you would take a second to like the video, leave a comment, and subscribe to my channel. I'll be putting out many videos like this in the future. I have some very exciting trips coming up, including hunting at a private creek site and going to the annual Aurora Fossil Festival in NC! Stay tuned.

 

 

Hoppe hunting!

[PaleoNoel]

Nice finds!

[Adam86cucv]

Looks like a great trip.  I have been wanting to get back down to the cliffs.  Hopefully soon my son and I can make the trip again for the summer fees kick in.

[Andy B]

Very nice stuff.

[ClearLake]

Wow, nice haul!  Those vertebrae are really nice. Enjoyed the video. 

[Figleaves21]

I'm planning to go Saturday any tips??

[HoppeHunting]

1 hour ago, Figleaves21 said:

I'm planning to go Saturday any tips??

Sure! Stay away from the base of the cliffs, as they’ve been remarkably unstable lately and therefore more dangerous than ever. Besides, pretty much all the good finds lately have been made near the water anyway. As always, walk very slowly and scan thoroughly. I’d say to spend a lot of time along the first parts of the cliffs (once you round the corner, that is). People tend to get excited and walk too quickly past it, and they often miss some great teeth. The big mako I found on this trip was missed by at least three or four hunters who had walked ahead of me. Brownies has been extremely productive lately, just make sure to be cautious of cliffslides and smart about how you hunt. Hope this helps a bit!

[Wanderer]

Great finds and video!

[rebu]

Very nice finds  thanks for sharing