Heading to Venice and Peace River :) Any Tips For A Newbie?

[gabyslittlegarden]

Hi fellow fossil lovers!  I'm new to this forum and very grateful to have found such a wealth of knowledge here! I'm preparing for my trip to Venice Beach and Peace River in late January, with the primary goal of fossil hunting/shark tooth hunting. I've been reading all the threads related to these locations to find general tips to prepare and would highly appreciate any input more experienced hunters would care to share! 

 

So far here's what I've got:

- We're leaning towards renting kayaks for the day (early in the morning) and going around freely. Looking at slightly north of Zolfo Springs at the moment, but if anyone knows of any spots you'd recommend, I'd be super grateful for any input!

 

- I've designed and am building 2 double-decker custom sifters for me and my boyfriend who is my adventure partner, top layer with 1/4" gap mesh and bottom with 1/8" for smaller shark teeth. Excited to test 'em out

 

- From reading these forums, I've discovered the need for a probe, an apron/belt with pockets for finds, a tether for the sifters, water shoes, fossil permits and our wetsuits potentially. Also maybe a gator stick? not sure if that's overkill, lol. Is a PVC pipe usable as a probe? Does it need to be something specific?

 

Do you guys see any gaps in the plan? Anything I'm missing or may not know? Any tips on how to stay warm/if kayaking is better than bringing a bigger boat like a gheenoe?

 

We're also going to the Manasota Key/Englewood area on the beach for some shark teeth, so if anyone's got tips for finding some there, I'd love to know!! 

 

Thanks so much and I'm excited to learn more

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited November 8 by gabyslittlegarden
Posted accidentally without finishing somehow

[Shellseeker]

Welcome to TFF... I go out in the morning,  so time is  precious.  High level comments.

 

1)  In late January,  It can be cold.  I wear a 5mm shorty wetsuit.  (Long sleaves down  to top of knees because any body part under the water is warmed by blood flow).  I also wear scuba boots because there is glass, nails, sharp stuff in the river bottom. Any warmer, I have a 3 mm jacket...to with sleaves. 

2) cut the head off an old golf club for a probe

3) Kayak upstream in morning and downstream in afternoon when you are tired. 

Unless you have access to two cars !!! Leave one at a Downstream bridge or park Rt 17 Zolfo,  and drive the other with Kayaks to Griffiths Bridge Wauchula. Paddle downstream the whole way one way.

4) You are searching for gravel !!!! either on the banks discarded by other hunters or under your kayaks.. If shallow, walk the river... your feet will recognize gravel.. slightly deeper , keep trying to touch the bottom with your paddles.  If you find gravel often enough,  you WILL find fossils.

5) pay attention in the "S" curves.. the water going thru curves has a "cut side" and a "drop side".. Fortunately you have 2 people, to find which is which.

6) there is lots of threads on TFF for sifters.. Make sure they have pool noodles and a length of string/rope so you can hold the sifter in a current x feet from your body going downstream.  You throw test single shovel full of gravel into the sifter to check if the gravel has fossils. 

7) Find these on the Internet,,, 

Collection bag... 

 

 

All for now.. I leave others to add suggestions....

[jcor246]

13 hours ago, gabyslittlegarden said:

We're also going to the Manasota Key/Englewood area on the beach for some shark teeth, so if anyone's got tips for finding some there, I'd love to know!! 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We've been going to Manasota while the Peace recovers from Milton and Helene, and there is no shortage of shark teeth, ray plates, coral, bone fragments, and more. Not sure how it will look in January, obviously, but there is a lot of beach restoration happening right now, so parking is limited, and you need to be careful of the construction crews. I imagine much of the same will still be happening--that area was hit particularly hard by Milton. 

 

I like to sift just off the shoreline in the shallow surf (mostly because I like being in the water), but it's been more "productive" to sift through the shell beds 2-3 ft above the water line. We are new to the area, so we are not sure if the abundance is due to the storms or if they are that stocked full all the time! I'm sure someone on here will know more than me. 

 

Good luck! 

[automech]

I'm not a native. But, when we visit family down there, it's around mid-March to mid-April. If, for some reason, conditions aren't good for the river, there are a couple outfits that allow "dry" digs. They have mounds of matrix piled up for you to dig through and not get wet, cold, harassed by gators.... I believe one is in Bowling Green. Is that correct @Shellseeker?

[Shellseeker]

6 hours ago, automech said:

I'm not a native. But, when we visit family down there, it's around mid-March to mid-April. If, for some reason, conditions aren't good for the river, there are a couple outfits that allow "dry" digs. They have mounds of matrix piled up for you to dig through and not get wet, cold, harassed by gators.... I believe one is in Bowling Green. Is that correct @Shellseeker?

I have not checked them in a while.  The two leaders in SW Florida were Bone Valley Fossil Farm and Bone Valley Experience for hunting fossils on dry land.

[gabyslittlegarden]

On 11/7/2024 at 8:23 PM, Shellseeker said:

Welcome to TFF... I go out in the morning,  so time is  precious.  High level comments.

 

1)  In late January,  It can be cold.  I wear a 5mm shorty wetsuit.  (Long sleaves down  to top of knees because any body part under the water is warmed by blood flow).  I also wear scuba boots because there is glass, nails, sharp stuff in the river bottom. Any warmer, I have a 3 mm jacket...to with sleaves. 

2) cut the head off an old golf club for a probe

3) Kayak upstream in morning and downstream in afternoon when you are tired. 

Unless you have access to two cars !!! Leave one at a Downstream bridge or park Rt 17 Zolfo,  and drive the other with Kayaks to Griffiths Bridge Wauchula. Paddle downstream the whole way one way.

4) You are searching for gravel !!!! either on the banks discarded by other hunters or under your kayaks.. If shallow, walk the river... your feet will recognize gravel.. slightly deeper , keep trying to touch the bottom with your paddles.  If you find gravel often enough,  you WILL find fossils.

5) pay attention in the "S" curves.. the water going thru curves has a "cut side" and a "drop side".. Fortunately you have 2 people, to find which is which.

6) there is lots of threads on TFF for sifters.. Make sure they have pool noodles and a length of string/rope so you can hold the sifter in a current x feet from your body going downstream.  You throw test single shovel full of gravel into the sifter to check if the gravel has fossils. 

7) Find these on the Internet,,, 

Collection bag... 

 

 

All for now.. I leave others to add suggestions....

Hi Shellseeker!  Thank you so much for all this valuable info, I feel like I'm completely prepared at this point! Searching for collection bags online now! Tested out my sifter design yesterday and it worked beautifully.

 

One follow-up questions, if I may: I gather there's a difference between the cut side and drop side; is one of them better for fossils vs the other?

[gabyslittlegarden]

On 11/8/2024 at 8:24 AM, jcor246 said:

 

We've been going to Manasota while the Peace recovers from Milton and Helene, and there is no shortage of shark teeth, ray plates, coral, bone fragments, and more. Not sure how it will look in January, obviously, but there is a lot of beach restoration happening right now, so parking is limited, and you need to be careful of the construction crews. I imagine much of the same will still be happening--that area was hit particularly hard by Milton. 

 

I like to sift just off the shoreline in the shallow surf (mostly because I like being in the water), but it's been more "productive" to sift through the shell beds 2-3 ft above the water line. We are new to the area, so we are not sure if the abundance is due to the storms or if they are that stocked full all the time! I'm sure someone on here will know more than me. 

 

Good luck! 

Hi jcor! Thanks so much, this is super helpful!! Great to know about the shell beds; I'll try both the shell bed and in the water just for fun, might as well since I'll be there anyway 😂 Figured the storms would churn up some interesting finds! Have you found anything especially different lately?

[gabyslittlegarden]

On 11/8/2024 at 4:02 PM, automech said:

I'm not a native. But, when we visit family down there, it's around mid-March to mid-April. If, for some reason, conditions aren't good for the river, there are a couple outfits that allow "dry" digs. They have mounds of matrix piled up for you to dig through and not get wet, cold, harassed by gators.... I believe one is in Bowling Green. Is that correct @Shellseeker?

 

Hi automech! This is really good to know, thanks!! I'll keep this option in my pocket if conditions go sideways! 😇 And double-thanks Shellseeker for some extra names to put on my list! Idk how the conditions are on the west coast, but here by Miami we usually have gorgeous weather in late January - Sunny, 75ish, not too humid... Would be super nice if that extends out west!

[Shellseeker]

5 hours ago, gabyslittlegarden said:

One follow-up questions, if I may: I gather there's a difference between the cut side and drop side; is one of them better for fossils vs the other?

Just think about Hurricane level currents  (water about 25 feet deep) which are moving down the Peace River,  Let's say that the River takes a curve... from the left to the right... It smashes into the bank on the left and "cuts" large amounts out of the left bank... that slows it down as the water careens toward the right bank and "drops" some of what it picked up... The "cut" side is a gorged out cliff...The "drop" side is much flatter and gets more gravel with the fossils gravel contains. Just Mother Nature

[gabyslittlegarden]

On 11/10/2024 at 9:46 PM, Shellseeker said:

Just think about Hurricane level currents  (water about 25 feet deep) which are moving down the Peace River,  Let's say that the River takes a curve... from the left to the right... It smashes into the bank on the left and "cuts" large amounts out of the left bank... that slows it down as the water careens toward the right bank and "drops" some of what it picked up... The "cut" side is a gorged out cliff...The "drop" side is much flatter and gets more gravel with the fossils gravel contains. Just Mother Nature

Ohhh that makes a ton of sense, thank you!! Fantastic callout, I will keep an eye out for that for sure! 🙌🏼 Mega thanks again for the advice, I’ll report back with my findings 😇

[jcor246]

On 11/10/2024 at 4:31 PM, gabyslittlegarden said:

Hi jcor! Thanks so much, this is super helpful!! Great to know about the shell beds; I'll try both the shell bed and in the water just for fun, might as well since I'll be there anyway 😂 Figured the storms would churn up some interesting finds! Have you found anything especially different lately?

We've found a number of nice pufferfish jaws, which we don't find often. Coincidentally, we went back to Manasota the next weekend, and the massive shell beds we saw were almost completely covered with sand! Here's a pic from Oct. 26. It was a major bummer that all these shell beds were completely covered when we went back, but we felt lucky to hit it at the "right" time.  

[DurableGrandma]

Hey I actually was going to end up asking something similar on here as I plan to go around peace river and Venice at some point. I appreciate all the advice from Shellseeker and would like to add the question if there is a "better season" for collecting in these areas or if it's mostly based on personal comfort with temperature.