Phoenixflood Posted August 18, 2008 Share Posted August 18, 2008 If we every do have a funniest fossil hunting contest I want this to be my entry: This was about twelve years ago when I was 14. My mother and I were fossil hunting at Purse State Park in MD. Well you know how kids are, I wasn’t finding too much and I was starting to get bored. Well, I had to do something to entertain myself so I found floating near the water this huge piece of Styrofoam. It must have been from the inside of a boat that had sunk, I’m guessing. So I made a makeshift gondola. Anyway I decided that I was going to go and paddle down the Potomac next to the shoreline. Well, I broke my stick that I was using to dig into the bottom and drag myself along. So I needed to paddle with my hands to shore to find another stick. The water was very cold. So I found this big pile of debris that had fallen against the side of the cliff and most of it happened to be sticks and wood. Well, I found a stick long enough that would work. As soon as I picked it up I heard this shaking coming from inside the debris. All of a sudden this ball of teeth and fur shot out and was coming straight towards me. I screamed so loud I’m sure I sounded like a girl. I had my hip boots on and I remember tripping over my feet and falling into the water as this thing is chasing me. My arms were swinging like pinwheels trying to swim away from this thing. Oh, did I tell you it was December when this happened So my Mom is calling out are you alright, are you alright. I’m like “yeah”, she’s like “what are you yelling about it sounds like your dying.” So I pointed to the thing that was chasing me and my Mom cracked up laughing. It was a beaver. She laughed so hard. I started laughing too because I had been freaked out of my mind by a fuzz ball. Well I didn’t know what it was at the time all I knew was something as coming after me. I must have disturbed its lodge and didn’t know it was one. It must have been trying to escape and I just got in the way. I was soaked to the bone and my hip waders were full of water. It was December and it was a very cold and it was a VEEEEERRRY long way back to the car. So this is the wisdom I pass on: Never get bored of fossil hunting or beavers will come after you The soul of a Fossil Hunter is one that is seeking, always. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Auspex Posted August 18, 2008 Share Posted August 18, 2008 OMG, my sides! They hurt! Make it stop... "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...
Phoenixflood Posted August 19, 2008 Share Posted August 19, 2008 I'm glad you got a kick out of that Yeah, I guess the real lesson is be prepared for anything. The soul of a Fossil Hunter is one that is seeking, always. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest solius symbiosus Posted August 20, 2008 Share Posted August 20, 2008 A couple of critters we encountered in New York: This is a ring snake. It has a ring around it's head just below it's head, and a bright yellow underside. We saw 3 of them at the outcrop. A big ol' momma Wolf(?) spider that had a huge egg sack under her abdomen. This thing was probably 3.5 inches long. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gatorman Posted August 20, 2008 Share Posted August 20, 2008 Wolf spiders get huge down here larger than your hand. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dr heckle Posted August 20, 2008 Share Posted August 20, 2008 at one of my favorite spots every rock ypu pick up has these little green crabs under them theyre about the size of an australian dollar coin, now not that im terribly scared of spiders but here in australia we have some pretty dangerous ones and somtimes when you pick up a rock and one of those little fellas comes running out at ya and your not expecting it, its more then enough to make you jump depending on the weater ill try and gets some photos tommorow a heckle a day keeps the doctor away Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest solius symbiosus Posted August 24, 2008 Share Posted August 24, 2008 I forgot about this one. It is a toad we encountered while in NY. It joined me while I was sitting on the rock bar the day of my accident. I don't know what kind it is, but the toads around here are more green, and without the "bumps". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnJ Posted August 24, 2008 Share Posted August 24, 2008 I headed out this morning on an exploratory trip and ran into several "critters". First these monsters were going hog wild beside the road... ...sorry, I couldn't resist. Then, scouting a remote put-in for my canoe, I looked down at my shoes (nothing unusual with that - it's an outdoorsman's old habit) and the dry ragweed stalks I was standing on. It took about 1.5 seconds for me to realize I was standing on a medium sized cottonmouth. It's circular coils were arced between my feet and pinned under a few of the dead stalks. Well, my escape required a two footed hop and high steps. It's the closest call I've had in years. No pictures because he took off one way and I another. I finally got in the water, paddled 9 miles upstream, then turned around to head back and got dumped on by a heavy rainstorm for about 3 miles (not easy when you wear glasses for distance vision). I had to pull over and empty water out of the canoe. Made it back home safe and sound with an good adventure, but not any fossils in my backpack. The human mind has the ability to believe anything is true. - JJ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest solius symbiosus Posted August 24, 2008 Share Posted August 24, 2008 Mmmmm ... bacon!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Auspex Posted August 24, 2008 Share Posted August 24, 2008 I forgot about this one. It is a toad we encountered while in NY. It joined me while I was sitting on the rock bar the day of my accident. American Toad, Bufo americanus. "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...
Eleutherocrinus Posted August 24, 2008 Share Posted August 24, 2008 I love this thread. Especially the photos of the badgers, tiger swallowtail, and king snake. Great photos! There sure are a lot of snake encounters. I've seen several snakes too, but haven't been able to photograph most. Seeing critters - and sometimes getting decent photographs of them - is definitely one of the joys of collecting fossils, in my opinion. Below are some of my finds. The best ones, though, always seem to be too quick for me to capture with my camera. http://www.emilydamstra.com/ http://www.cafepress.com/emilydamstra Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gatorman Posted August 24, 2008 Share Posted August 24, 2008 Great pictures! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest solius symbiosus Posted September 8, 2008 Share Posted September 8, 2008 I headed out to the outcrop where I have been pulling the Iocrinus bright and early this morning(found 5 more crinoids). After searching for a couple of hours, I lifted a rock, and found the nice Black Widow. The thing is about an inch long. On my way home, I stopped by my brothers house for a cookout where he has a feeder, and saw a couple Ruby Throated Hummingbirds while sitting out back. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MB Posted September 14, 2008 Share Posted September 14, 2008 I found this one among the crabs yesterday... will se what is his name. http://www.mbfossilcrabs.com/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gatorman Posted September 14, 2008 Share Posted September 14, 2008 looks like a type of orb weaver Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MB Posted September 14, 2008 Share Posted September 14, 2008 looks like a type of orb weaver hahahahahahah I took a book and it seems to be a spider Argiope lobata http://www.mbfossilcrabs.com/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Auspex Posted September 14, 2008 Share Posted September 14, 2008 There you have it: the genus Argiope includes the "orb weavers". "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...
Gatorman Posted September 14, 2008 Share Posted September 14, 2008 Ha so i was right Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pool Man Posted September 15, 2008 Share Posted September 15, 2008 Hello all, I finally got a pic of a neat critter at my creek in North Port. Ironicly its another Orb weaver. I think its a Golden orb. Not the luckiest girl though. Dan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gatorman Posted September 15, 2008 Share Posted September 15, 2008 Yep we call those banana spiders get pretty big around here i have one on my porch that does pretty well because of the porch light. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Auspex Posted September 15, 2008 Share Posted September 15, 2008 Hello all, I finally got a pic of a neat critter at my creek in North Port. Ironicly its another Orb weaver. I think its a Golden orb. Not the luckiest girl though. That's old Large Marge, the five-legged Banana Spider "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...
CreekCrawler Posted September 15, 2008 Share Posted September 15, 2008 Grabbed this today In Texas!Name that serpent?She was a real beauty and only musked me with not an attempt to bite! B Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MOROPUS Posted September 15, 2008 Share Posted September 15, 2008 In the middle of August, while hunting, in the Mediterranean coasts , you will heard some strange sound in the air.Normally you won`t see the bird who is doing them, because they flight very fast and high; they are called in Spain "bee eaters", because they use to eat fliying insects, including wasps and bees.Here you can see two in a wire (Merops Apiaster). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fred Posted September 15, 2008 Share Posted September 15, 2008 Encountered in Morocco during trilobite-hunting: In a Belgian quarry, again hunting for trilobites. Had to walk to the car (roughly 1 km) to get the camera. Lukily, the fox was still around when I got back. Had to stalk him for more than an hour to finally get close enough to take this picture (only had a 150mm lens). The fox was curious, not scared. Brave little guy (or girl). This one was found by a fellow collector, same quarry: Paleo database, information and community Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Auspex Posted September 15, 2008 Share Posted September 15, 2008 In the middle of August, while hunting, in the Mediterranean coasts , you will heard some strange sound in the air.Normally you won`t see the bird who is doing them, because they flight very fast and high; they are called in Spain "bee eaters", because they use to eat fliying insects, including wasps and bees.Here you can see two in a wire (Merops Apiaster). That bird winters in South Africa; probably there by now. "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...
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