Maryland fossil hunting Calvert Cliffs, Flag Ponds

[Woopaul5]

Brownies is your best bet (look up bay front park).

 

If low tide is at 0620 I’d try to get there as early as possible. You’ll have your best luck as the tide is going out. You can surface find and yield good results if you beat the crowd. Also if you have something to sift with you’ll have better results. I usually walk a little over a mile down the cliffs and turn back before the naval station. 

 

Tides ans winds will make or break the trip though. Waders are recommended but you can always go to Lowe’s or homedepot and pick up rubber boots. Located in the paint section. Bring plenty of water and a snack cause you’ll spend some time there because it’s fun. Also be mindful when near the Cliffs. They do fall so limit your time in close proximity.

 

As for a place to stay don’t know what near. Usually drive down and back to Jersey the same day. I hear people recommended Air BnB’s. 

 

Hopefully this helps and good luck!

 

My avatar pic is actually a brownie beach find from a few yrs ago. So there are plenty still to be found!

[Darktooth]

Sometimes I just bring a shovel and scoop the shell lineat the edge of the sand and water. Toss the scoops up on the sand far enough that the waves just touch the pile. This acts as a natural sifter.  If you drop your pile to close to the waves it will all get pulled back in the water. With a little practice you will have it down. This works even at high tide and could provide you with some good finds that you otherwise would not have found.

[Adam86cucv]

A plastic dollar store colander is also be a cheap and easy way to sift through the sand. 

[digit]

Bought one of those when I was young and naive and first went to sift for shark teeth at Caspersen Beach in Venice, FL. The few water-worn rock-tumbled teeth we found were nothing compared to what we'd later find in the Peace River (and other locations in Florida). Still have the plastic strainer but it is used for pasta these days.

 

Cheers.

 

-Ken

[KimTexan]

On 10/4/2018 at 10:54 PM, RCW3D said:

As the others above said, you won't be bothered at Brownie's.

 

Good luck and post what you find!

So much for not being bothered at Brownie’s. I must be a creep magnet.

 

I went to Brownies yesterday. I will try Calvert today. I have problem with men way too often. Yesterday was no exception. Shortly after I got there a local male came down the beach and started talking to me. I tried to be polite, but not too friendly or engaging. He was asking way too many questions of the wrong type. Are you alone? Are you married? Where are you staying? Which car is yours. He just wouldn’t leave. Finally he left saying he had to go make dinner before his wife came home from work. He must have shadowed me for over 2 hrs. Unfortunately he came back maybe 30-45 min later saying his wife went to get her nails done. He was trying to convince me to come to his house. He was also trying to get me to go somewhere else with him to fossil hunt the next day or he said he’d take me out in his boat. Thank goodness other people were about most of the time. He creeped me out! I almost didn’t go around the bend to the cliffs because I was afraid he’d come back and I’d be there in that remote place alone. When I did round the bend I never saw another person. 

 

I will post my finds later. I’m headed out to hunt again today.

 

[KimTexan]

There is no rain in the forecast, but my weather app just popped up for a coastal flood advisory for my area. I assume there must be wind driving the water inland. So I may not get much if any hunting in at Calvert Cliffs or Flag Ponds.

 

Is there any beach exposed at high tides in those places to hunt on? If not are there alternative places to hunt? It would be a big bummer if I came all the way out here and I can’t even hunt Calvert Cliffs.

[Walt]

16 minutes ago, KimTexan said:

So much for not being bothered at Brownie’s. I must be a creep magnet.

Northern fellas are suckers for a girl with a southern drawl 

[KimTexan]

I don’t have a southern drawl though. I sound midwestern. Actually I sound a lot like the locals.

[Darktooth]

Flag ponds would be the place to go when the tides are higher then normal. This is due to the fact that there is no cliffs on the park property. The beach is very wide and long so there is plenty room to search. The cliffs are just a short distance from the edge of flag ponds, maybe 1/4 mile on the nuclear power plant property.  There is a fence that seperates both properties. It is a decent hike to get to the beach from the parking area maybe 1 mile. It is a beautiful place to hunt. Though teeth are not as abundant here I found my biggest mako ever there and a few nice cowshark teeth in the past. Some people that I have talked with claim to do very well there on certain days. Soory to hear about your bad experience at brownies. It is a shame. But don't let one bad experience ruin it for you. I have met a lot of good people there over the years. There is even a police officer I met that hunts there.

[Darktooth]

Maybe you should carry some pepper spray on you.

[Littlefoot]

I am so sorry you ended up getting creeped out. I always hunt with a buddy, though the times when we're separated, I've never been bothered by anyone. I really hope no one else bothered you!. 

 

I've had good days and not-so-good days at all the usual Maryland hunting sites -- Brownie's, Flags, Matoaka, Purse -- but I've never walked out empty handed. My last trip to Brownie's, I walked out with just a few small teeth. My last trip to Matoaka, I walked out with a megalodon. Luck plays a big role, I think! Here's hoping the luck was with you!

[Searcher78]

Matoaka

[Darktooth]

Nice Hemi's

[KimTexan]

On 10/7/2018 at 6:54 PM, Searcher78 said:

Matoaka

Those are sweet. Did you find them Sunday?

[Searcher78]

A nice lady found them that Saturday. She gave my 6 year old daughter a handful of teeth while I was looking for teeth.

[hokiehunter]

Cool.  I wonder if it is the same lady that got me really going.  10 or so years ago when I was first starting a woman (residents from up to the north on the beach) and her husband were walking down the beach and she showed me a handful of hemis and gave me one.  I had been struggling with a sifter for hours to find anything at the time.  I was amazed because she said all she did to find them was walk the edge of the waves and pick up the teeth when one washed in front of her.  No sifting needed.  Totally changed my style of hunting.  Haven't touched a sifter since for the most part and have a collection 10 years later that I could have only dreamed about when I first started.  To the newbies I say ditch those sifters especially at Matoaka or save them only for after you walk the beach tide lines.  You will do much better at least in my experience.

[FossilsAnonymous]

I haven't found Hemi's of that quality recently at Matoaka, but one day sifting through avalanche debris i found a 3 inch Hemi there

[hokiehunter]

Let's see a picture of that 3" hemi.  If it is really 3" forget your meg search.  You've already found something WAY less common and WAY cooler than just about any meg you can find.  I doubt more the 4 or 5 members posting on this entire board have one over 3" vs. the dozens and dozens of us with 5" + megs.

[KimTexan]

On 10/25/2018 at 5:09 PM, FossilsAnonymous said:

I haven't found Hemi's of that quality recently at Matoaka, but one day sifting through avalanche debris i found a 3 inch Hemi there

I’d like to see that too.

[digit]

Would love to see a hemi that big (with scale, of course). That would be impressive.

 

Cheers.

 

-Ken