Hawkeye Posted March 11, 2010 Share Posted March 11, 2010 First off, let me thank all of the Fossil Forum members who offered us advice about this trip, it was much appreciated! My fossil hunting buddy Dave from Iowa finally decided to make the trip down to Atlanta from where we would head for the Peace River. We had been planning this trip for 4 years. I could not leave Atlanta until Thursday morning so we planned to do a day trip to the Cretaceous in Alabama and the Eocene in Georgia. An all day rain storm sent the Alabama creek from 2 feet deep to nine feet deep so the first day was a bust. On the second day, we found the Eocene site in Georgia but could not find a legal way to get in, a place to park, or anyone to ask permission. Day two was a bust. On day three we got up early and headed to Gainesville to hunt some of the creeks there. We met Cris and Edd in the creek, saw some of their gorgeous teeth, and learned from them how to hunt for the bigger teeth. (Thanks to both of you for letting us dig in your spot!) We got a few hours of hunting in and Dave had a gorgeous mako, a small meg, and a mystery fossil I hope he posts, to show for it. Around dark we headed off to Brownville and the Brownville Park Campground on the Peace River. We spent the first night freezing in the tent as it got down to 30 degrees. I thought Florida was supposed to be warm! Around 11 AM on Day 4 we put the canoe in at Gardner and started paddling upstream. After about three miles we came to some riffles that looked pretty good. There was a local sifting there and he said we were welcome to join him. We paddled another 50 yards upstream and jumped in. I had rented a wet suit but Dave chose to just sift in his clothes. He said the water was very cold but bearable, but I felt very comfortable in the wetsuit. The water was about 3 feet deep at our site and despite having a 5 lb weight at the end, my sifter would slowly drift downstream as I dug. For those of you who have never done this, let me just give a brief description. The site we found has obviously been worked hard in the past. There were small holes everywhere and plenty of gravel. The trick was to find the gravel that was hard packed so that you were not in somebody else’s spoil pile. It was very easy to tell the difference. We tried a few test holes before I found one that was productive. It was about 20 inches from the top of the gravel down to the riverbed. We worked the hole upstream about 8 feet and then it tapered out. I’m not sure if we hit somebody else’s hole or if that is the way the gravel was naturally laid down. At any rate, this was a prime(!!!) Pleistocene spot and that is exactly what I had wanted. I didn’t find the two things at the top of my list (a glyptodont scute and a jaw fragment with teeth of any species) but as you’ll see below, we found some great stuff. Before nightfall we just drifted back downstream in the canoe to Gardner and spent another night freezing in Brownville Park. We were so sore we could barely move. Six hours of paddling and shoveling had taken its toll. We woke up feeling a little tired and sore on Day 5. We decided to hit a different place on the Peace and paddled upstream from Crews Park in Wachula. We hit some riffles about 2 miles upstream and got out to dig. We found 40-50 pieces of dugong rib and a single horse tooth but almost nothing else in two hours of sifting. We drifted back downstream to a site recommended by a Forum member and spent the rest of the day there. We found hundreds of broken and river-worn teeth but nothing big with the exception of a couple of nice Hemipristis found by Dave. By 3 PM we were ready to call it a day and we left the river. We decided to head back to Gainesville that evening to be closer to home for the drive on Sunday and to try to find some big colorful teeth. We also decided to get a hotel and finally take a shower. On Day 6 we woke up refreshed, had a great buffet breakfast and hit the creek early. We walked the length of Rattlesnake Creek and part of the way up Hogtown Creek but found nothing but small teeth. We went back to the original creek, spent a few hours sifting and searching for new spots and then decided to call it a trip. After a 5 ½ hour drive the adventure was over. All I can think about is getting back into the Pleistocene again. The Peace is fantastic!! Camp site at Brownville Park Views of the Peace River Our dig destination You can see here that the water was not too deep A few of my favorite bits of Turtle shell, they were plentiful Some deer antler bases A few deer antler tips and a large piece of antler Small unsorted teeth from the Peace A few bigger pieces of meg teeth A friend who joined us on the river If you believe everything you read, perhaps it's time for you to stop reading... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hawkeye Posted March 11, 2010 Author Share Posted March 11, 2010 I believe both of these are tapir teeth I think these two are bison teeth but I am not sure Some Alligator scutes Two alligator teeth and a croc tooth A nice vert of some sort Two nice horse teeth A couple nice small megs Miscellaneous small bones Unknown Unknown Unknown If you believe everything you read, perhaps it's time for you to stop reading... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Owens Posted March 11, 2010 Share Posted March 11, 2010 Sounds like a great trip! Love the photos. Thanks for sharing. -----"Your Texas Connection!"------ Fossils: Windows to the past Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hawkeye Posted March 11, 2010 Author Share Posted March 11, 2010 Here's some of the Gainesville stuff: This is why Gainesville is so awesome, look at this color variety! The Gainesville tooth Haul Don't laugh at the size, this is my first Gainesville meg A coule barracuda teeth and some ray dermal scutes A couple of echinoids I love this matrix piece even though the tooth is only 1/4 inch long Even the dugong ribs are colorful in Gainesville! If you believe everything you read, perhaps it's time for you to stop reading... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Owens Posted March 11, 2010 Share Posted March 11, 2010 I hope you appreciate what y'all have in Flordia. You find in one month that takes years to find in Texas & the quality of our fossils doesn't come close to y'all's! My youngest son lives in Jacksonville. Now, I gotta figure out how I can make the trip to Fossil Heaven! Thanks for sharing! -----"Your Texas Connection!"------ Fossils: Windows to the past Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Serack Posted March 11, 2010 Share Posted March 11, 2010 I think that tooth above the that cream colored "grey shark" tooth on the right is a posterior meg. I have a couple that size or smaller. I think I see it again in the center of that hodgepodge on the paper towel. I like your matrix tooth. Can't I.D. it which makes me like it even more. There isn't much from G'ville that I can't ID almost instantly. Oh, and I like the dermal denticals too. I have only found half a dozen or so myself. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hawkeye Posted March 11, 2010 Author Share Posted March 11, 2010 I think that tooth above the that cream colored "grey shark" tooth on the right is a posterior meg. I have a couple that size or smaller. I think I see it again in the center of that hodgepodge on the paper towel. Yes, there was a small broken posterior meg from Gainesville. I think I hit it with the shovel and broke it myself. I was a little annoyed about that! If you believe everything you read, perhaps it's time for you to stop reading... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Uncle Siphuncle Posted March 11, 2010 Share Posted March 11, 2010 I agree with Mike. FL is a spectacular fossil state. I found a juvie 3 humper mastodon tooth on my first day in the Peace River a couple years ago. In Texas I've found 1 1/2 mastodon teeth in 6 or 7 years of constant exploring. Hey Mike you can find small shark teeth at Ponte Vedra Beach if interested next time you are in JAX. My finds from there aren't spectacular but its fun to find stuff when traveling nonetheless. Grüße, Daniel A. Wöhr aus Südtexas "To the motivated go the spoils." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Auspex Posted March 11, 2010 Share Posted March 11, 2010 A trip 4 years in the making; man, that must have been fun! "There has been an alarming increase in the number of things I know nothing about." - Ashleigh Ellwood Brilliant “Try to learn something about everything and everything about something.” - Thomas Henry Huxley >Paleontology is an evolving science. >May your wonders never cease! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnJ Posted March 11, 2010 Share Posted March 11, 2010 Great report, Hawkeye! Sounds like you came away from there with more than fossils...nice boat, too. The human mind has the ability to believe anything is true. - JJ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mango Posted March 11, 2010 Share Posted March 11, 2010 That is a great bunch of goodies. Glad your trip was rewarding. Are you planning your next trip to get your two wish for items? Pentax Optio W60 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shellseeker Posted March 11, 2010 Share Posted March 11, 2010 Fantastic Hawkeye, I love it when a plan comes together. On your first unknown on the right, What do you think about bison? The White Queen ".... in her youth she could believe "six impossible things before breakfast" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeD Posted March 11, 2010 Share Posted March 11, 2010 Great report and pictures. I got to get out that way one of these days. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
patrick hendriks Posted March 11, 2010 Share Posted March 11, 2010 Thanks for sharing this trip with us. It always wants me to go out and dig for fossils. But over here it's still freezing and the ground is to hard to get even a shovel in. But reading your trip gives me a good fealing for the warm period to come. Greetings Patrick Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hawkeye Posted March 11, 2010 Author Share Posted March 11, 2010 (edited) That is a great bunch of goodies. Glad your trip was rewarding. Are you planning your next trip to get your two wish for items? I haven't started planning the trip yet but I would like to get back there with my 9 year old son. I'd have to do all of the paddling myself, though! Fantastic Hawkeye, I love it when a plan comes together. On your first unknown on the right, What do you think about bison? I put it on the ID forum and most people think it is half of a horse tooth. Patrick, glad you like the report. I try to convey how much fun I have when I'm out digging. Edited March 11, 2010 by Hawkeye If you believe everything you read, perhaps it's time for you to stop reading... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pharoh Posted March 11, 2010 Share Posted March 11, 2010 Im glad the Peace river was so hospitable to you guys.Sounds like you had a blast ! In the 30 years I've lived here,this winter has had the most 30 degree days I can remember.Try using a metel golf club with the head cut off for an anchor,it works great for that and as a gravel probe.Hope you guys come back Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
worthy 55 Posted March 11, 2010 Share Posted March 11, 2010 Well guys, looks like you had a fun trip . Sorry I missed you guys maybe next time. The water looked nice and clear on the Peace river. The last pix in your first post looks like a Giant tortoise foot pad. It's my bone!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hawkeye Posted March 12, 2010 Author Share Posted March 12, 2010 Well guys, looks like you had a fun trip . Sorry I missed you guys maybe next time. The water looked nice and clear on the Peace river. The last pix in your first post looks like a Giant tortoise foot pad. Thanks Worthy, I googled it and I think you got it right. If you believe everything you read, perhaps it's time for you to stop reading... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beachbum Posted March 12, 2010 Share Posted March 12, 2010 Great report and an amazing amount of fossils. I agree,the colors on the Gainesville teeth are astounding. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peacefossil Posted March 13, 2010 Share Posted March 13, 2010 My favorite places to hunt. You've got some great finds there! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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