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Heading to Charleston


Kurt Komoda

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Hi, everyone! I’m headed over to Charleston tonight, will be in the area a couple days. Never did any hunting around there but I’ve always wanted to go. I read that there’s a good starting location behind a YMCA in Summerville, and with a bit of hiking you can find other locations, so maybe I’ll start there. I saw posts from a number of people that started there and had good results, so it’s not someone’s secret location. I read that no tools are allowed when in Summerville?

 

Even if I don’t find anything, it’s worth a shot and I’ll be heading up to the Calvert Cliffs on my drive back up to Jersey. I think I’ll check out some of the more southern spots this time- I’ve only searched off of Brownie’s Pt. 

 

Still, if anyone has any tips (i.e. don’t bother with that silly ditch behind the Y) of course I’d love to hear them.

 

Of course, I’ll post anything I find.

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Can't help with locations, but wanted to wish you good luck, Kurt. :)   :fingerscrossed:

 

    Tim    VETERAN SHALE SPLITTER

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"In every walk with nature one receives far more than he seeks."
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Edisto Beach is a few miles south of there and supposed to be pretty good for sharks teeth.  We were there about two years ago and unfortunately arrived a little late for the low tides so only had modest luck, but we talked to a couple who were finishing up for the morning and they showed us several nice, good sized teeth that they had found.  A nice state park you can park at and has restrooms and was cheap or free this time of year.  Have fun!

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Thanks, @Fossildude19! Even if I don’t find anything, I’ll enjoy trying. Who am I kidding? I want to find giant teeth and I will shout at the heavens if I don’t. 

@jpc I’ll see if I can drop by the museum! Wait...are you hinting that I should check it out before going out on a hunt?

@ClearLake I was just reading about Edisto Beach. I will certainly check it out. 

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23 minutes ago, Kurt Komoda said:

 

@jpc I’ll see if I can drop by the museum! Wait...are you hinting that I should check it out before going out on a hunt?

 

As my Danish fossil friend likes to say... It is good to go to the local museum before you go fossiling to see what you will not find.  : )

 

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Walking the creek by the YMCA. Nothing so far. Bone fragments, I think- but I’m not good at id’ing those. Some shallow creeks branch off from the main one so I’ll try those. Maybe I’m doing this wrong. Maybe I should have just gone to the beach. Tomorrow.

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I remember going that branch and only finding a small (albeit decent) lower hemi. I suggest looking into a fossil guide if one's available. If not, you could PM me 

Every single fossil you see is a miracle set in stone, and should be treated as such.

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I’m finding a lot of knee high mud and there are marked trails in these woods. Nothing that looks like a viable site., but some nice critters to take macro photos of, so all is not lost.

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7 minutes ago, Kurt Komoda said:

Would a guide be available on such short notice?

After I stomped around in that branch for a little bit, we called up a guide and went to a spot the next day. Low country Fossil Excursions was the name.

Every single fossil you see is a miracle set in stone, and should be treated as such.

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2 minutes ago, MeargleSchmeargl said:

After I stomped around in that branch for a little bit, we called up a guide and went to a spot the next day. Low country Fossil Excursions was the name.

Okay I’ll look them up! Thanks!

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OK, I now have a three hour excursion scheduled for tomorrow morning at 10. They say I can take as long as I want but it set up for three hours. Thanks so much for the info!

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3 minutes ago, Kurt Komoda said:

OK, I now have a three hour excursion scheduled for tomorrow morning at 10. They say I can take as long as I want but it set up for three hours. Thanks so much for the info!

No problem! If you find some megs like I have, be sure to share! :D

Every single fossil you see is a miracle set in stone, and should be treated as such.

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Okay, I paid for a 3 hour guided dig with Low Country Fossil Excursions. They were able to book me with less than a day's notice. Our guide, after showing us the amazing collection they had, took me and 3 others out to a creek just outside of Summerville (so we were allowed to use tools). We were out there for closer to 4 hours and no one found anything giant- except for Dennis, who found about a 2.5" tooth just from throwing gravel up onto the bank and looking through it with his shovel. Another member of the forum, who I'm not sure I should name, found some nice things. There was a father and son team- I think they had some decent finds, but very few overall. 

I think I was the only one collecting small teeth- the father/son team weren't finding any and the other forum member weren't interested in them at all.

 

Found pieces of bigger things, but the day's catch was almost all tinier teeth. I did, however, find a nice arrowhead- first one I've ever found. Everyone else seemed pretty excited about it. Dennis said it was a "woodland bird tip."

I'm not sure what the black tooth (3rd photo) is. I should have just asked one of the veteran hunters when I was there.

Overall, I'm pretty happy with what I could find in just 4 hours and only 3 5x5' spots in the creek. I don't know: does etiquette dictate that I NOT ever go back to the same spot that the guide showed us- since it's their spot? On the phone, Dennis told me we could dig as long as we want, but when time was up, everyone left so I did, too.

Can't wait to go back!

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That arrowhead is awesome! I love the color! Congratulations!

Dipleurawhisperer5.jpg

I like Trilo-butts and I cannot lie.

 

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Compare that with the rather dismal results of a day out at the Calvert Cliffs. Drove straight up from SC and got to Brownie's Point just before sunrise. Low tide was at around 5am and then again around 5pm, so I knew I'd running into the high tide, but I figured I'd see what I could see and check out the new fall areas I was told about. Almost nothing. The sun was just rising and I actually ran into a kid alongside the cliffs on his way back to the beach- so he must have been hunting in the near dark! Aside from a few small hemis, he said he found nothing. I decided to stick around, so I went and had a bite and came back around 3pm. Again, not much of anything. Two other people there said they also came up with nothing. Oh well, I got a few teeth and a vertebra. 

3M8A8558.jpg

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Just now, Darktooth said:

That arrowhead is awesome! I love the color! Congratulations!

Yeah, it was sticking straight up in the sifter and I said to Dennis, "What is THAT?" I knew it was an arrowhead when I first saw it, but it just wasn't something I was expecting- even though Dennis had told us earlier that his neighbor found one while checking her mail.

 

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7 minutes ago, Kurt Komoda said:

Compare that with the rather dismal results of a day out at the Calvert Cliffs. Drove straight up from SC and got to Brownie's Point just before sunrise. Low tide was at around 5am and then again around 5pm, so I knew I'd running into the high tide, but I figured I'd see what I could see and check out the new fall areas I was told about. Almost nothing. The sun was just rising and I actually ran into a kid alongside the cliffs on his way back to the beach- so he must have been hunting in the near dark! Aside from a few small hemis, he said he found nothing. I decided to stick around, so I went and had a bite and came back around 3pm. Again, not much of anything. Two other people there said they also came up with nothing. Oh well, I got a few teeth and a vertebra. 

3M8A8558.jpg

Were you only surface scanning?

Dipleurawhisperer5.jpg

I like Trilo-butts and I cannot lie.

 

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Just now, Darktooth said:

Were you only surface scanning?

Yes, for the most part. I got down for some sifting earlier in the day, but only came up with the tiny beads. I was warm enough in my dry suit (yeah, a bit overdressed, but it's because I kayak) but I had forgotten my diving gloves. I know I could have found more as the tide went out late in the day, but I was pretty warn out from being on the road (drove down to New Orleans, then over to SC, then up to MD) and the thought of repeatedly sticking my bare hands into very cold water wasn't appealing. I'll go back in a little bit. Only a 3.5 hour drive from here.

As I was leaving, saw someone all geared up with one of those big, metal sifting shovels (not sure if you push it or drag it). Maybe I need to invest in one of those.

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4 hours ago, Kurt Komoda said:

Yes, for the most part. I got down for some sifting earlier in the day, but only came up with the tiny beads. I was warm enough in my dry suit (yeah, a bit overdressed, but it's because I kayak) but I had forgotten my diving gloves. I know I could have found more as the tide went out late in the day, but I was pretty warn out from being on the road (drove down to New Orleans, then over to SC, then up to MD) and the thought of repeatedly sticking my bare hands into very cold water wasn't appealing. I'll go back in a little bit. Only a 3.5 hour drive from here.

As I was leaving, saw someone all geared up with one of those big, metal sifting shovels (not sure if you push it or drag it). Maybe I need to invest in one of those.

I know a lot of people only surface scan at Brownies, and that is fine, when the tides are cooperating. But from experience, I know there are many fossils buried under all the sand, gravel and debris.

Dipleurawhisperer5.jpg

I like Trilo-butts and I cannot lie.

 

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