How Best To Search For Larger Shark Teeth

[Spooky1]

As a rookie I haven't had much luck finding any larger shark teeth yet in the Calvert Cliffs areas. I use a sifter (in shallow water) and stroll the edge of high tide and find lots of interesting stuff but no big teeth (Mako or Meg).

So do you find them more often in the water, at the high tide mark or is it just being at the right place at the right time?

[Uncle Siphuncle]

No matter where you collect shark teeth I can give you one piece of advice that will outperform all others: GET THERE FIRST. There is an obvious collecting bias for the biggest teeth so the first set of eyes often gets the biggest and the best. You could couple this with hunting night low tides with a flashlight or snorkeling/scuba diving during the day if the viz is good enough. Beyond that just put in your time and make a special point of being first after a big noreaster.

[Auspex]

Be the first one on the beach after a good storm, especially late winter (when the collecting pressure is lighter). Walk the water's edge at a new or full moon low tide, and turn stuff over.

[Serack]

what they said.

That's the case for just about anywhere you can find Megs.

Be the first there after a nice storm. That's how all the megs in my avatar were found. (+ 2 more since then) But I search in streams

[Guest bmorefossil]

No matter where you collect shark teeth I can give you one piece of advice that will outperform all others: GET THERE FIRST.

well for the cliffs i wouldnt say you must get there first unless you are going to somewhere like brownies beach. i have gone on 3 trips this year starting at arount 1pm and have come away with my biggest complete meg from the cliffs. with me its just luck i guess

[Guest bmorefossil]

As a rookie I haven't had much luck finding any larger shark teeth yet in the Calvert Cliffs areas. I use a sifter (in shallow water) and stroll the edge of high tide and find lots of interesting stuff but no big teeth (Mako or Meg).

So do you find them more often in the water, at the high tide mark or is it just being at the right place at the right time?

well i just try everything until i find something that work, i usually just walk the high tide line and the waters edge. i find my teeth all over, in rock, under rocks, way up the beach in the sand and sometimes in the water, i can think of a few teeth from this year that i found in the water.

[Spooky1]

Thanks for the tips. Anyone ever use a glass bottom bucket when looking in shallow water. I've been contemplating making one (gives me an excuse to use my power tools )

[Auspex]

Thanks for the tips. Anyone ever use a glass bottom bucket when looking in shallow water. I've been contemplating making one (gives me an excuse to use my power tools )

I tried it for a while and abandoned it; didn't have the patience, I guess. I prefer to be moving more.

[MikeD]

Thanks for the tips. Anyone ever use a glass bottom bucket when looking in shallow water. I've been contemplating making one (gives me an excuse to use my power tools )

That is an interesting idea. I can think of a few places it could be useful.

[jax]

I would say that the some of the "bigger" teeth are not always 100% visible. I have never hunted the Cliffs, but I have hunted other beachs and seen many trip reports of people pulling megs and other large teeth out of the sand with only a piece of the root or blade showing. Keep your eyes peeled and im sure you will get some keepers.

I have the same problem with the big teeth. They seem to want to avoid me. Sad to say that my largest tooth is only 1.5 in GW from SC.

[Guest N.AL.hunter]

As for the glass bottomed "bucket" thing... When we were at Point-A Dam a couple of months ago, some people with PVC pipes that had glass/plastic bottoms showed up. They were a commercially made product. Even had a cushioned face area so that you could hold it right up to your face. Not a badly designed object, but from seeing their results for the day, the devices did not appear to give them any advantage over our collecting techniques; however, I still wouldn't mind trying the idea myself.

Has anyone used this technique besides Auspex (where, how used... salt water or fresh...?)

[Ordovician]

I am not expert on shark teeth but don't waste time to look for it in from Cambrian until early Devonian periods.

What about quarries? I know few shark teeth found in Alone Star Quarry near LaSalle in Illinois. Its Pennsylvania period! I agreed about be there first in well known quarries or beaches but most place that you don't have to be there first because there's not many fossil hunters out there. Be there is good idea for safe sake!

One time my big mistake that my parents live on a private lake and the dam need to be reapair. The water level down to about 3 feet. I went look for indian arrowheads in the early afternoon but I met a guy who found many nice indian arrowheads in the morning at the same area where I look for it! My big mistake to go there in the early afternoon!

[Auspex]

Has anyone used this technique besides Auspex (where, how used... salt water or fresh...?)

The key is to keep light from entering the top, so it needs to fit your face like a dive mask, comfortably. Because you have to keep your face pressed against it, it needs to be long enough to do so without being hunched over all the time. You're now toting something 8"-10" in diameter and 3'-5' long. Plus, stuff on the bottom will be covered in all manner of camoflage, and you'll have no way to poke, turn and fan what you're looking at. A short viewer will allow you to be a little closer so you can maybe reach what you're looking at, but the toll in back pain is very high. A face mask and snorkle is a better way to go. I just try to be the first one to walk the beach on a falling tide.

[Guest bmorefossil]

we have a glass bottom bucket, its v 3.0, lol, what was wrong with the others you ask? the first one the glass part would always pop out and the other one would leak around the seal. it did work, we found a broken 4.5" meg and some other small megs, the most common thing is bone. When i use it i look for larger rocks out in the water and look for anything fossil.

[Maryland Mike]

I'm still looking for my first meg myself. What I have noticed is that for the folks who find the most and best teeth on the beaches in Maryland, is that their eyeballs are their best tools. Most of the folks I've seen pulling out bigger teeth, don't haul a lot of gear on the beaches. They use either one of those four tined rakes with 1/4 mesh attached with cable ties, or a strainer attached to a long handled pole. Either will let you reach for something in an active surf. If you are less concerned with larger teeth, some people have had success with a sieve, but in locations where there are not a lot of teeth, you'll do a lot of work for not much return.

Places with easier public access like Brownies Beach or Flag Ponds tend to have more folks looking, so if you have access to a boat, kayak, canoe or jet ski and can get to some of the areas along the cliffs that you can't just park and walk to, you may find more of the larger teeth.

I got a chance to hunt with bmorefossil, and I've got to say he has a great eye for spotting nice teeth and has spent some time learning where and how to look.

If you own waders and can get out in late fall, winter or early spring after there have been storms and some wave action and there are fewer people out looking you may find more. Even in the more public areas, if you can get out on a weekday, instead of a weekend, you may have better luck.

Since you live just up the road from me, I'm just north of the Airpark, we'll have to try hunting together some time. I'm waiting until we've had some really rough windy weather before I head back to Brownies Beach, where I had some success with Makos and Hemis earlier in the year when the water was colder.

[Guest bmorefossil]

thx mike!!! your idea of not going to brownies untill a big storm is all you can really, do i think im going tomorrow so if i find myself not finding anything i will be trying out fairhaven or somewhere else.

[Fat Boy]

Everyone here has given good advice. I always thought being there first was most important and going at a low tide after a storm was a close second. However, along the cliffs each wave brings something new. (low, clear, calm water is of course best but sometimes you just get lucky). The biggest tooth I have...shown on my introduction thread was actually found at high tide with footprints around it. I really thought somebody was playing a trick on me, it was just laying on the beach with the waves washing it fully exposed.

Having a sharp eye and a lot of luck is what has served me well. I don't carry a lot with me, just a screw driver a couple grocery bags and cargo shorts to carry things.

Yep, I agree with everyone, and especially this last post. My best meg was during a low tide and it was in someone's foot print. That said, it was almost white and there were some white shells along with it, so it was tougher to see than you would think.

It's weird though when I'm the first one there, I tend to rush through the spots faster than I normally would, and risk missing something, perhaps even looking over my shoulder to see if anyone's coming. It's weird. I always have to remind myself to slow down and simply focus.

When I'm not the first one there, I'm much more thorough. Having a keen eye is a must. Sometimes I feel like I am in a zone and spot every single thing that can be spotted, whether it's the tip or root of a tooth half buried in sand, or a tooth amongst the gravel and shells, or a tiny rare tooth amongst the mix. And then there are other times that I wonder why I'm not spotting what I think that I should.

And like atropicallondon states, any given wave can wash away some sand and expose something for you.

Where are the teeth? They can be anywhere, high or low tide lines, in between, under rocks, in rocks, in dirt piles, on top of dirt piles, amongst gravel, or all by their lonesome in the sand begging to be picked up. I found a very cool sperm whale tooth lying on top on the side of a heavily traveled path that went over a huge fall. So, even look for stuff when you're trying to get somewhere else.

There are lookers, sifters, diggers, divers...you name it and there's a technique that someone does.

This is a good thread by the way. I always enjoy the approaches people take to accomplish the same thing.

[Auspex]

Go early, go slow, and go often.

[obsessed1]

Go early, go slow, and go often.

I couldn't agree more with all of the above posts. All I can add is don't give up! The skull you see in my avatar was found after more than 4 hours of hunting the same stretch of beach. Myself and several others walked past it many times that day. I had to have walked past it at least 5 or 6 times, but when I found it I was looking at just a little different angle than before.

[jonnyquest]

Thanks for the tips. Anyone ever use a glass bottom bucket when looking in shallow water. I've been contemplating making one (gives me an excuse to use my power tools )

I made one with a black 5gal. bucket which helps to keep out light. The bucket really helped to see bottom but, only as deep as the bucket. It's a real workout holding it down in the water and then trying to pick up a shark tooth when a wave comes. I would recommend at least trying it for a change of pace. unfortunately I only found small teeth and crab claws with it. -Good luck

[Phoenixflood]

I made one with a black 5gal. bucket which helps to keep out light. The bucket really helped to see bottom but, only as deep as the bucket. It's a real workout holding it down in the water and then trying to pick up a shark tooth when a wave comes. I would recommend at least trying it for a change of pace. unfortunately I only found small teeth and crab claws with it. -Good luck

When I would hunt with my mom, when I was a kid, she would carry a minnow net to catch the teeth or to pick them up out of the water. It might work for you. I always, and still use my fingers

[Phoenixflood]

When I would hunt with my mom, when I was a kid, she would carry a minnow net to catch the teeth or to pick them up out of the water. It might work for you. I always, and still use my fingers

It depends if it's a dry hunt or a wet hunt If it's dry look for those big chesapecten shells baby!

[Ronbo]

As for the glass bottomed "bucket" thing... When we were at Point-A Dam a couple of months ago, some people with PVC pipes that had glass/plastic bottoms showed up. They were a commercially made product. Even had a cushioned face area so that you could hold it right up to your face. Not a badly designed object, but from seeing their results for the day, the devices did not appear to give them any advantage over our collecting techniques; however, I still wouldn't mind trying the idea myself.

Has anyone used this technique besides Auspex (where, how used... salt water or fresh...?)

I made one out of a piece of pvc pipe and a 4 inch magnifying glass, It didnt improve my finds much,but then again I dont use it very much, its easier for me to surface collect,others may have used them more but for me its the poker and shovel and sifter..

You could actually do better with a scuba mask and snorkel same concept i reckon,

And the best way to fiind artufacts/fossils is to get out when others dont want to brave the elements,The best things I have found were in 20 degree weather with the wind blowing and froze toes and fingers LOL

Ron