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Here are two links to posts dealing with how to post pictures on Black River Fossils forums.
1. How to Post Pictures on Black River Fossils Forums by ditchweezil
2. How to Post Pictures on Black River Fossils Forums by Daryl
I am going to Carmel Church on April 12th with the VMNH and it'll be my first time hunting there. I was wondering if anyone else is planning on going and if they have any advice.
I've been there once, last fall. Basically, you'll be digging into a sloped hillside to expose the fossil bearing matrix. You will need a shovel to remove the overburden covering these layers, and I recommend a long-handled one, because you may have to dig out quite a lot . The main fossil layer is Calvert Formation, but it is only about 6 inches to 1 foot thick. It is easy to recognise, as it is very hard and full of rock, similar to decayed concrete. I used a hammer and screwdriver to knock chunks of matrix loose, and then crumbled the chunks by hand to search for the teeth. Any teeth from the Calvert will be covered in a yellow-white crust, again similar to cement, which is very difficult to remove. There are a few teeth in the layers directly above and below the Calvert, and while scarce, they are usually in better condition and not covered with the cement crust.
I must say that this quarry is not one of my favorite places to hunt. For $25 I expected more than a three hour hunt. The teeth are not that abundant, most of the teeth I found (only about a dozen in all!) were heavily damaged, and the museum will keep anything of interest to them. I did find two Meg teeth in my hole, a complete 1 5/8 incher and a 2 1/4 incher that was about two-thirds complete, and I was told by the museum rep that if I found a third in the same hole, the museum was going to take all three from me, because they just might be associated. Plus, the soil is highly acidic, and my hands were screwed up for about a week afterwards.
I do feel that this is one of those places that everyone should try once, simply because it will make you appreciate your regular hunting grounds that much more.
Good hunting!
Tom
I agree with Tom that you should at least try it once. There is decent potential for find a wide variety of stuff. There are multiple layers/formations laying on top of one another and it's not uncommon to see someone find an Eocene tooth, and then pull out a Miocene tooth. There are some rules to follow as Tom points out, and the museum has the right to keep anything of interest to them, especially whale material. If you come upon any whale material, for example a whale vert, you must tell them right away so they can mark it, and then you'll be asked to move away from that area so they can later dig there in hopes that there is more of the whale. For the most part you can keep all the shark teeth you want, unless you find something of real scientific importance perhaps (like associated teeth?). Anyhow, it's worth a try, and better than sitting inside watching tv or something. You will definitely appreciate your usual collecting spot after this trip.
Daryl.
I didn't mean to rain on anyone's parade. I do think that it is worthwhile to try a new location, even if the new spot might not be as good as your usual hunting grounds. I am going on a trip sponsored by the MGS to a Cretaceous site in Bowie, MD this Saturday, even though I've been told that the best fossil-bearing material was dug out years ago. I would probably do better, in terms of size, number, and quality of teeth, if I went to the Bay instead, but I've never hunted this location before and want to give it a try. There is a chance of finding nice Squalicorax teeth at the Bowie site, and since almost all of my hunting has been in Miocene and Paleocene deposits, I'm hoping to add a new species to my collection.
By the way, Mason, I didn't get a chance to talk to you after the PCS hunt. Did you find lots of goodies there? I hope you did better that I did!