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Hi everyone - I'm a relatively new member here. I live in the MD area and frequently visit the Calvert Cliffs and Potomac for fossil hunting excursions with my two daughters. We even ventured down to Aurora, NC for the Fossil Festival this year and had a blast. My oldest daughter will be attending the week-long Space Camp in Huntsville at the end of August and thusly I will be in town while she is there. I've poked around in the forums and found this question asked before, but without a lot of specifics outlined. I'm looking for specifics on hunting for fossils solo in the area. I have no delusions of finding something remarkable simply laying on the ground, but I'd prefer not to have to spend a week chiseling at bedrock Any suggestions or simply pointing me to better resources would be appreciated. Note: I found the Alabama Paleontological Society's page but there doesn't seem to be any contact form there.

It has become a yearly tradition of mine to visit the upper part of Michigan's lower peninsula, around the Gaylord and Traverse Bay areas, for vacation with my family, and I often spend time looking for fossil in the area, mainly Hexagonaria/Petoskey stones, but for some reason they are far and few between. During my time in the area, I have also found a chunk of limestone containing what appears to be the glabella of a trilobite surrounded by what appears to be large, crystalized corals, possibly a Heliophyllum or similar rugose coral, a smaller piece of the same coral, and what seems to be the calyx and arms of a crinoid. Should I be looking anywhere in particular along the shores of Lake Michigan that aren't as well known as some of the popular tourist destinations? Also, are there any areas more inland that are accessible? (i.e. old quarries, roadcuts, etc.) Any and all advice would be greatly appreciated!

Hello, So, I'm going to be going on a fossil hunting trip with my dad to Kemmerer Wyoming in August. It's basically a fossil Safari. We found it on the website fishdig.com. my dad has a co-worker who went, and he had a great time and found many fish fossils! So, me and my dad are going to be going in August! I will keep you all updated on what happens on the Safari when the time comes. I will post pictures when the time comes also. Jared

Hey fossil forum! Yes, I'm still alive :> I am moving into South Carolina (to the Clemson area) in a few months, and I am extremely interested in fossil hunting in (or nearby) Summerville. I've found lots (and I mean lots) of fossils in Ohio for the five years I've lived here, and the fossils here are nice, but I really want to get whale verts/mammal bones into my collection! I'm also hoping to pick up some nice teeth, even though I don't need many more of them. I will be camping with my family in Summerville at the end of July for a full week (solely to find fossils in the area), and I am really hoping on picking up some great stuff during the limited time I can spend there. I don't know any locals, so if someone could please give me advice as to where I should start hunting for fruitful results, that would be awesome!! I literally haven't a clue as to where to begin hunting down in SC. I'd be glad to exchange my personal fossil hunting locations for some down there. (I'm aware of the fossil permit required for fossil hunting in SC; my family and I have already begun the process) -Fossilsniper PS-- I will be away (fossil hunting at St. Leon) for the next few hours, and I'm crossing my fingers for replies when I get back

I am looking to buy replicas for some fossils. I want them to look great but I am unsure of who sales high quality replicas? Are these guys considered good? https://www.dinosaurcorporation.com/hoskre.html I know bone clones is great for animal skulls, etc but is there a similar seller of fossils? Ideally I would want to buy a sabertooth cat skull that was real but I am not sure how to spot the real thing anyway... (unless it was real bone). Thank you

Hello from Dallas! I just joined today, I cannot say how often I will be checking in; but I have often referred to the group for help with identification and hunting tips. I am very happy to be here and look forward to seeing everyones fossils!

Hello everyone! I’m so excited to be part of this amazing forum! I can’t wait to learn! I’m a rock hound whose happened upon many fossils and a few effigies possibly relics without having a clue that they were more than rocks till recently and by dumb luck! So any advice or schooling is very welcome! And please tell me when I’m just seeing things differently as with clouds! Because that’s what my hubby and all his buddies say, it’s just clouds tiff. I’m hoping I can prove them WRONG on a few! Thanks for welcoming me in people!

Any suggestions on where to go fossil hunting over by seaside heights, nj area?

Here are my finds from todays shark tooth hunt. I found a lot of teeth today but nothing amazing. I did find a nice dolphin tooth. Sorry for the bad quality photo.

Hi a I am a fossil collector from South Carolina. I have been collecting fossils for around 2 years now. I got Interested in collecting fossils after I moved down to South Carolina. I like collecting sharks teeth and other fossils. I would say that i'm not a fossil expert but I am good at identifying them. I joined because I thought it would be nice to see what others find and I like to talk about fossils with others.

Hi everyone! I need help! I Will have this specimens in a few weeks.The biggest one is Machairodus horibilis lower jaw, i hope so. I got these stuff from my friend from China. Also, as u can see there is a lower canine from a Cave Hyena. But it's somehow long and tick for a Hyena canine. I don't know what to think about the lower jaw, it's more similar to canids and Hyenas then to felids. And yes, at the end phalanx of ferret? If someone can help somehow to determine this, that Will help me a lot to know what's the real truth. Thanks guys again! Darko

I was wondering, especially being new to hunting and collecting fossils. Can you legally collect fossils, such as shark teeth on state and public land? My Geology profession told me that it is legal to go and collect fossils from state and public property without a permit. I just want to make absolute certain that what he said is true, before I go out and start collecting. There are a few rivers and creeks that I have passed that have really nice sedimentary layers, which scream fossils. I do live in Bedford, Texas, so I am not aware of the laws about legally collecting.

Good afternoon all. My name is Emily, I'm 25 and from Bedford, TX. I am currently a returning college student, trying to finish up my AS degree, I am also a lifeguard in a neighboring city. I am brand new to fossil hunting and collecting, I did my first fossil collecting trip at Venice Beach in Venice, Florida and loved it. I am primarily interested in finding marine fossils such as shark teeth and the like. I got my interest from watching videos on YouTube done by PaleoCris and WildKyle, both of which are extremely entertaining and educational. I'm hoping to further my knowledge in finding and collecting fossils, and how to do so legally. I am open to any and all advice. I do enjoy being outside, playing sports such as swimming and horseback riding, and enjoying life to the fullest. I look forward to meeting everyone. Happy hunting!

Good eveing all! I am getting ready to spend about a week up toward Bellingham WA and was wondering if any of you guys knew of good fossil hunting spots close by. I am willing to drive a little ways, just want to find some fossils with my boy. Thanks in advance!

I wanted to let everyone know about our upcoming Mineral and fossil show held in Syracuse New York. If you have not already seen it posted on the forum's calendar of events, our show is Gemworld 2019. It is hosted by the Syracuse Gem & Mineral Society. It will be held at the New York State Fairgrounds Center of Progress Building Saturday July 13 from 10am- 6pm and Sunday July 14 from 10am- 4pm. If you will be in the area that weekend please come buy and check it out. I believe we do put on a great show. This year I will be helping out in the youth area making beaded bracelets for the kids. The lady who usually does this cant make it and needed someone to fill in. I will be there for most of both days. I will also have a display of my sharkteeth. There is plenty to see, and plenty to buy. Presentations will be given and there are other activities for kids. So fun for the whole family. Hope to see you there! Dave

Hello everyone! I am new to the forum, I just joined today! I have a growing interest in fossils, and I have a small collection of petrified wood and fossils. Its mostly petrified wood, though. I look forward to being here and learning more about fossils! Jared

What's become of our great Wild Kyle and Paleo Chris hunting in the Floridian jungle videos? I know the rivers are probably swollen, but that has never stopped our boys from finding great things roadside. Alright, I don't really care where they are, I just miss the duck!

Hello, so i was thinking about buying this tooth, what do you think of it? is it real? Thanks.

Hi, Are seahorse fossils considered rare and what is the smallest seahorse ever discovered??? Thanks

FYI @DevonianDigger @JamesAndTheFossilPeach @Kane @Malcolmt @caldigger @RJB @Ptychodus04 @Fossildude19 @FossilSloth @FossilDudeCO I need your guy's input as I go along! I'm a green horn! Thank you in advance. Well since some of you who I know have started your own fossil preparation threads I thought I'd do the same. A lot has transpired since, well Saturday morning. I went all chips in and bought a really nice two stage, 60 gallon Kobalt air compressor. You don't want to know the cost. My jaw dropped when the cashier rang up the total but I had no other choice. I was all in at this point. Went home and my neighbors helped me lift this monster out of my cousins pickup and I spent the rest of the day setting everything up then realized that I didn't have the connector for the 3/4 output on the tank so went back today and figured it out. The Lowes guy and I had fun figuring this puzzle out together. So I have a moisture trap, emergency shutoff (isolator) valve, regulator, 25 foot air hose, CP-9361, some fossils to prepare, and 240 volt connection (yes I wired up the plug and cabling). Wiring up this 240 volt electrical housing was probably the scariest thing I've ever done in my life. Definitely not a lot of room for error. Really was nervous about doing this. Also nervous about this. Had to punch a hole through 11 inch dry wall and plywood to get to the washer/dryer room to access the 240 volt dryer outlet. Thankfully we weren't using that outlet as our drier runs on natural gas. Here's the big 250 lb air compressor. This thing pumps out a ton of air. I was able to run the scribe continuously for three hours. No stopping! Moisture trap, shut off valve, and the regulator all hooked up to a large 3/4 elbow. One of the reasons why I had to get the elbow was because I knew with all the extra valves and connections it would put strain on the line so I wanted gravity to compliment the setup (as punishing as gravity can be at times). So now for the good part. The fossils. Recently acquired a massive Tumidocarcinus giganteus crab concretion from New Zealand. Within a few hours the carapace is well exposed. I'm not exactly sure what to look for here. There's either an exoskeleton that's flaking off or that's some sort of chemical process on the outside. I'm really not sure as I've seen these crabs in both that light pinkish hue and then in the black color. Where the black is was where the concretion was exposed to the elements. You can see the non-dominant left claw being teased out. That's also delicate so I've really been taking my time. Worked on it for about 3 hours total. So far so good. Here's a couple pictures to illustrate the process. Unlike @RJB I may not have a beer by my side but I'm ready to go crabbing. Definitely needed the safety goggles. Will need to pickup an air mask tomorrow along with some noise cancelling headphones (have some Beats at work). Roughly 10 minutes in and am really taking my time (don't want to do anything that I might regret later). About 40 minutes in. Slowly inching my way towards the left claw. About two hours into the process. The carapace is starting to show. Decided to leave at this point with nearly three hours invested. I hear crabs can have leg parts in virtually any arrangement depending on their displacement and preservation but I'm anticipating legs going from the carapace region out towards the edges (you can see points where legs should be). Really decided to slow down and take my time. I think this is going to be a very special fossil especially since it's the first crab I'm preparing and the first fossil prepared by my first owned air scribe the tried and true CP-9361. I'm sure I'll make mistakes along the way and I'm not doing this the way other more experienced prepares would but it's a start. The CP-9361. I'm in love. Then for kicks I decided to do some work on this little Knightia from the split fish layers. The Museum of Ancient Life curator that I've been volunteering with has been teaching me the ways of prep. Some secrets I won't be able to divulge here as I've sworn an oath of secrecy but he's really good at preparing Green River fish. He actually uses a CP-9361 so I figured why couldn't I right? Well I went in really slowly on this fish and exposed it in about five minutes flat. There's a few punch holes on the far end of the tail from where I was a tad bit to aggressive with the scribe but with time and practice I'll get a better feel for how to work with this soft matrix. I'm sure the 18 inch layer is a bit harder. Still I think it came out for a common fish and it looks pretty good. I forgot to take a before picture but here's an after picture. Little Knightia required only 5 minutes of preparation work with the CP9361 when it would have taken at least an hour with dental picks, which I'm never going back to again.

Any public locations in central Illinois? Or near Bloomington Illinois

I recently came across the young earth theory (the theory that earth is 10.000 years old and dinosaurs coexisted with humans and traveled with Noah and his ark) and of course i thought it was unfeasible but one common argument they keep having is why are we finding soft tissues, proteins and other biochemicals in fossils like triceratops, t-rex and other dinosaur bones of course that doesn't mean DNA BUT they shouldn't have been preserved because such biochemicals don't get preserved after so much time. Another one is that some old fossils are still close to the surface when they should be buried really deep. So what are your thoughts on these arguments, in my opinion this theory is ridiculous but i'd love to learn the answers. Thanks (PS sorry for asking that many questions these days its just that im new to the forum and have lots of questions)

I found this in a creek on the top of a mountain in northern Virginia

Hello so could someone please explain the situation with sigilmassasaurus and spinosaurus was it the same dinosaur? was sigilmassasaurus bigger? Thanks

First time fossil hunter, and we had a blast! If anyone needs a guide, or just advice, I HIGHLY recommend Barry Segura of Fossil Madness (his company). He was able to point us in the right direction, as well as hook us up with some great equipment. Thank you for everyone on TFF that encouraged and gave me advice!!!