Sulphur River After The Rain?

[MFowler]

I'm new to fossil hunting but have heard that after a good rain is the best time to go t o the NSR. We were there last weekend for our first hunt and had a GREAT time and got some good stuff...I think anyway. Was thinking about driving up tomorrow to check it out and bring back some buckets of full to let the kids sift through at the house. Thoughts? Ideas? Tips?

Thanks...only been on one trip and I'm hooked :-) Already been planning trips to other locals around DFW. I think my wife's a little concerned :-)

[Foshunter]

The Sulphur River is a great place to hunt, I would suggest going to the 19/24 bridge, the road from Greenville to Paris. There is a pull off on the east side to the road headed north that will bring you right up to the channel, please stop where the road ends as the drop off is quite high and will ruin your trip, LOL. There is a path along the bank headed east where you will find a walk down to the river bottom, it is steep and if it has rained, slick. There is good gravel, look for arrowpoints, shark teeth , etc. This area is also noted for it's grey mudball that sometimes contain fossils but always calcite crystals so a hammer is suggested if this interests you. Have fun----Tom

[MFowler]

That's great advice...exactly what I was looking for! Thanks Tom, I really appreciate it. A shark tooth is my "White Whale" and I think I found everything but last weekend...even a great arrowhead.

[Foshunter]

Thanks, you might think this is a strange comment, but at some point after many hunts you will develope an eye for noticing arrow points or fossils that are partially covered with gravel, after all you are hunting a rock hidden in rocks. To be an effective hunter it helps to learn shapes of fossils and points, I have found a less percentage of points or fossils that were laying completely exposed, most especially points are on there side with a portion of the blade showing or just a tip or base. Hunt slow and look for things that are different than the material you are searching through, shallow non flowing water magnifies an object so dont't reject hunting there. I hunted the river for some 25 years and still do when I return for vacation, it's a great place but there has been a lot of hunting pressure but fossils are still being washed out ----Tom

[MFowler]

Thanks Tom. Great advice that I will definately use.

[MFowler]

I posted some pics from our first hunt last weekend and could use some expert advice on what exactly we found. If you get bored please check them out and let me know what you think. I really want to learn this stuff so I know what I'm looking for or what I've found. Thanks - Mark

[Foshunter]

Mark--I looked for your posted pix and for some reason unable to find them. The Forum has many folks that hunt your part of Texas and will always be glad to help with an ID. A good starter book for you is "A Field Guide To Texas Fossils" by Charles Finsley. You might be able to find it at some of the larger book stores or they can order, not an expensive book, also informative. I took my son hunting when he was 8, now he is 36 and we still hunt every chance we get----Tom

[MFowler]

I thought it would show up under my profile? Thanks for the tip on the book...been thinking about that. Thats great! Hope to do the same with my 7 yr old...and 5 yr old daughter.

Thanks

[sward]

I'm new to fossil hunting but have heard that after a good rain is the best time to go t o the NSR. We were there last weekend for our first hunt and had a GREAT time and got some good stuff...I think anyway. Was thinking about driving up tomorrow to check it out and bring back some buckets of full to let the kids sift through at the house. Thoughts? Ideas? Tips?

Thanks...only been on one trip and I'm hooked :-) Already been planning trips to other locals around DFW. I think my wife's a little concerned :-)

Here is a website that posts the water level of the North Sulphur River near Cooper. It can be handy to check it from time-to-time to see when there's been alot of water flowing, therefore possibly exposing new fossils. This would be at the same area Tom suggested at the 19/24 bridge.

http://water.weather.gov/ahps2/hydrograph.php?wfo=fwd&gage=cppt2&view=1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1

Good luck and keep us posted on your exploits.

Edited March 24, 2013 by sward

[MFowler]

I'm gonna need a filing cabinet for all the great advice I get on this forum...ya'll are great! Thank you, I'm soaking this all up like a sponge.

[vertman]

Mark--I looked for your posted pix and for some reason unable to find them. The Forum has many folks that hunt your part of Texas and will always be glad to help with an ID. A good starter book for you is "A Field Guide To Texas Fossils" by Charles Finsley. You might be able to find it at some of the larger book stores or they can order, not an expensive book, also informative. I took my son hunting when he was 8, now he is 36 and we still hunt every chance we get----Tom

The Dallas Paleontological Society also has produced a field guide to the North Sulphur River. It is loaded with great information and color images of many great specimens. You can probably still get one from their website at www.dallaspaleo.org.

[MFowler]

Great...I would love to get one because I'm thinking about going back next weekend. Thanks for the tip and the link.