Peace River Hunting

[Shellseeker]

Trying to get out hunting more often just for the exercise and good feeling of being on the river in the sunshine. If you are not familiar with the Peace River,  there are many/most locations shallow enough to hunt.  I went out Tuesday to a number of locations that had proved productive in the past.

 

This was a location that would have been over my head a month ago. We hope to find that heavy rains and currents have moved the gravel and sand around opening new opportunities.

Today was mostly small shark teeth and unidentifiable bones..  I did not keep the bones.

 

Note the colors of the shark teeth on the left. Darker colors typical of the Peace River with tannic acid.   We hunted at this location for a couple of hours. It had a number of artifact "flakes" and I kept one. The rest of the lighter  finds came from a 2nd location, mostly marine based... 

This Dolphin jaw segment is less worn and longer than the vast majority of similar jaw segments I have found in the Peace River..

 

Here is a sponge, once again higher quality , less worn and more complete than most others that I (very) occasionally find.

 

These last two fossils do not show typical wear from water erosion.  I will likely return to see if I can find more similar fossils.   

[Fin Lover]

Nice colors and nice jaw!

[Fossildude19]

Nice jaunt to a beautiful area.
Something to definitely be thankful for.

Thanks for the report, Jack!

[minnbuckeye]

Nice finds Jack! Is that blue duct tape on the side of your kayak??? Maybe a new Kayak should be added to your list for Santa.

[trilobites_are_awesome]

Jack great finds!

[Shellseeker]

 

 

2 hours ago, minnbuckeye said:

Nice finds Jack! Is that blue duct tape on the side of your kayak??? Maybe a new Kayak should be added to your list for Santa.

Little Red Riding Hood: "..but Grandma. what sharp eyes you have..."

 

I am conflicted ,  Mike.  This is a 2014 Kestrel, 35 pounds made of Kevlar.  These days,  that's about the maximum I can lift and carry 100 feet.  It has a leak and I should develop the skills to re_seal but for the time being blue duct tape seems to work...

I have my eye on a new Kevlar SoT,  but I just can not stomach the price... It weighs 33 pounds

 

[Balance]

Thanks for the report!! 
 

Im with you on the “newness” of some of this year’s finds. I’m finding color on teeth that I normally don’t find unless I’m in one of the creeks.
 

The dolphin jaw is beautiful! 
 

Balance doesn’t have any actual leaks, but the nose is getting worn too thin for me from dragging it around. I need to take a weekend and not go hunting so I can redo some fiberglass and gelcoat repair but that means I have to not go hunting lol

 

Jp

[Bjohn170]

Love the jaw segment! Always love your reports!

[Cris]

Great finds Jack! Fantastic colors on a lot of those teeth. On a few of those jaws I've found, I've been able to clean the tooth sockets out enough for them to serve as a "stand" for displaying the small dolphin teeth from that same species. 

[Shellseeker]

1 hour ago, Cris said:

Great finds Jack! Fantastic colors on a lot of those teeth. On a few of those jaws I've found, I've been able to clean the tooth sockets out enough for them to serve as a "stand" for displaying the small dolphin teeth from that same species. 

Cris,  I am really interested !!!!

It is hard but in a very few cases ,  I have been able to identify and associate a dolphin jaw to a dolphin tooth both found in Florida.... 

Delphinodon_dividum

 

 

 

Goniodelphis hudsoni

 

 

Have you Identified the jaw and teeth that fit into the jaw... ?  I would like to add to my list.  

[Harry Pristis]

 

Jack, has someone at the FSM identified this as a sponge?  Some of these seem to be casts in fine-grain sand, but some seem to be skeletal.  I couldn't get a satisfactory ID from the invert person at the Museum.  I think they are bryozoan colonies.

 

 

For comparison:

[shark57]

Can you show more angles of the tooth that is in the second row and is second from the right next to some Hemipristis. It is laying on its side. From the angle shown, it looks a lot like the incredibly rare megamouth shark tooth.

[Shellseeker]

22 hours ago, Harry Pristis said:

Jack, has someone at the FSM identified this as a sponge?  Some of these seem to be casts in fine-grain sand, but some seem to be skeletal.  I couldn't get a satisfactory ID from the invert person at the Museum.  I think they are bryozoan colonies

Sorry for delay on response. Out hunting today, 

To answer your question, No.. I have been seeing variations on this shape/texture in multiple Peace River locations that I associated with coral reefs without know what they were. About 18 months,  I asked someone who I though had expertise, and he tentatively suggested they might be Sponge. Lacking any other indications, I started referring to them as sponges with the hope that someone like you would come along who has expertise on Florida fossils, and correct me.  I shall now begin to label similar fossils from the Peace River as "Bryozoan".  Thank you..

[Shellseeker]

23 hours ago, shark57 said:

Can you show more angles of the tooth that is in the second row and is second from the right next to some Hemipristis. It is laying on its side. From the angle shown, it looks a lot like the incredibly rare megamouth shark tooth.

I believe it to be a Hemipristis serra symphyseal,  uncommon but not rare in the Peace River...

More photos.

 

 

and an internet comparison..

[automech]

Nice hunt! That's a super sized sifter you got there. How big is it? 3ft square?

[Shellseeker]

1 hour ago, automech said:

Nice hunt! That's a super sized sifter you got there. How big is it? 3ft square?

Exactly 3 feet x 2 feet -- exactly because I ordered trimmed (nothing to cut your fingers) Stainless Steel mesh 6 mm holes, then cut the 1x4s to match. Max size pool noodles to give it impressive buoyancy under load... You are looking at it upside down, sort of a fish eye view. I want the gravel to be on the screen above the water level when floating. 

 

It is a great tool, catches many tiny shark (like nurse) teeth. and hard to overload... However,  it is a tool for a river like the Peace when you have a kayak to carry it. Has a Lead weight anchor and leash for attachment to a kayak.

 

While hunting for 15 years, we discuss how to improve every aspect...

[automech]

I like it! I've made 8 that are anywhere from 18" to 24" square. Is stainless stronger than galvanized? I like how you ziptied the noodles through the wood. Mine are wrapped around the wood. I'll make that change soon.

[Shellseeker]

1 hour ago, automech said:

I like it! I've made 8 that are anywhere from 18" to 24" square. Is stainless stronger than galvanized? I like how you ziptied the noodles through the wood. Mine are versionswrapped around the wood. I'll make that change soon.

Sharing the insider secrets... Most of this was imagined , designed, engineered, and manufactured by my hunting partner Steve.  I provide financing.

 

I have only tried Stainless Mesh,  It worked well the 1st time... I think that they have a precut 18"x24"

The one I show above is heavy... I use it infrequently (when I kayak on the Peace River)... We have other smaller lighter versions...

Build it out of Plastic Bread trays (amazon), zipties and pool noodles

 

[automech]

We'll just keep it between us. SHHH!

I'll keep those examples in mind. Especially the smaller openings. I've never tried to sift micros in my area. I've seen people use the crate as a sifter, too. Scrap wood is always cheaper.