mrieder79 Posted December 11, 2013 Share Posted December 11, 2013 I have recently learned that a quarry near my house may produce fossils so naturally I want to take a look. Does anyone have any tips on how to successfully gain access? I know that I will probably only have one shot at asking and if it's a no then the door is closed so I want to put my best foot forward. Luck is the most important skill of a fossil diver. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jcbshark Posted December 11, 2013 Share Posted December 11, 2013 If you find something that works please share lol.I actually thought of going to a pit here at quiting time and offer workers money(like 50 bucks or something) to get me in.I just didn't want them to think I was any nuttier than I really am lol.It's so crazy to me that most of the folks that work in these places that some of us would give our first born to hunt for a day couldn't care less about the treasures they drive over all day long. Every once in a great while it's not just a big rock down there! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
caldigger Posted December 11, 2013 Share Posted December 11, 2013 Maybe if you were to have a printed out liability waiver in hand that releases the owner of any fault ( they don't tend to like being sued for injury), it might help to open the door a bit further. And of course there is the whole thing of somebody having to be there to open and close a gate? I don't know what the setup is at your location but there are a couple of things to ponder. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DE&i Posted December 11, 2013 Share Posted December 11, 2013 The quarries I've worked at have always tried to actively invite the general public to have a look around . Local geological societies are given permission 6 times a year for a whole day each time to forage in designated areas. The benefits to the company are to help deter trespassing and surprisingly enough , if you was to find something of importance to inform them immediately so the correct procedures can be taken for experts in the field to get involved. Perhaps societies frequent this quarry all ready if so maby join one. Regards, Darren Regards.....D&E&i The only certainty with fossil hunting is the uncertainty. https://lnk.bio/Darren.Withers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sward Posted December 11, 2013 Share Posted December 11, 2013 Might I recommend Dan W's pinned topic "Site Prospecting 102 - Closing the Deal" in the "General Fossil Discussion" section... http://www.thefossilforum.com/index.php?/topic/1426-site-prospecting-102-closing-the-deal/ SWardSoutheast Missouri (formerly Dallas/Ft. Worth, TX) USA Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Uncle Siphuncle Posted December 11, 2013 Share Posted December 11, 2013 ...what sward said. in summary, i've had best success of access with courtesy, respect, getting straight to the point, low head count, offering a liability waiver, and never showing up empty handed. Grüße, Daniel A. Wöhr aus Südtexas "To the motivated go the spoils." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrieder79 Posted December 11, 2013 Author Share Posted December 11, 2013 Thanks for the replies. I followed the link and found the thread very helpful. Hopefully I'll be successful in my palentological overtures. Luck is the most important skill of a fossil diver. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jpc Posted December 11, 2013 Share Posted December 11, 2013 Are you a member of the Tampa Bay Fossil Club?... they might already have an in with said mine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrieder79 Posted December 11, 2013 Author Share Posted December 11, 2013 I am not a member of any fossil clubs currently, but I have been considering. Luck is the most important skill of a fossil diver. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DE&i Posted December 12, 2013 Share Posted December 12, 2013 I am not a member of any fossil clubs currently, but I have been considering. That's the spirit...once you take the plunge you'll never look . It can open up so many doors for you and to meet like minded people is like a breath of fresh air. Regards, Darren. Regards.....D&E&i The only certainty with fossil hunting is the uncertainty. https://lnk.bio/Darren.Withers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
siteseer Posted December 12, 2013 Share Posted December 12, 2013 If you're going to join a club, you should join the Tampa Bay Fossil Club. Nice people and it has a great relationship with the Florida Museum of Natural History - more nice people there. I'm not much into joining clubs but I was a member of that club and I live in California. I am not a member of any fossil clubs currently, but I have been considering. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
erose Posted December 13, 2013 Share Posted December 13, 2013 If you're going to join a club, you should join the Tampa Bay Fossil Club. Nice people and it has a great relationship with the Florida Museum of Natural History - more nice people there. I'm not much into joining clubs but I was a member of that club and I live in California. Fossil clubs are not everyone's cup of tea. You may want to attend a meeting and meet them before joining. I am NOT trying to discourage you from joining, just pointing out that almost every club has open meetings and it is really the best way to see if you fit. But I am a big proponent of paleo clubs. You will get hooked into a great network of knowledgable people, hopefully get access to more sites through club field trips, and maybe do some volunteer outreach work which is very fulfilling and an important part of every clubs charter. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Uncle Siphuncle Posted December 13, 2013 Share Posted December 13, 2013 there are benefits and drawbacks to the club experience, but in my opinion if you are a new collector or wanting to join group hunts at locales you can't arrange alone, club membership will be overwhelmingly positive for you on many levels. i used to belong to 4 clubs at once, but later found that i get a huge kick out of "rolling my own" when it comes to field trips. still, many of my longest standing paleo friendships resulted from club associations. Grüße, Daniel A. Wöhr aus Südtexas "To the motivated go the spoils." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Herb Posted December 15, 2013 Share Posted December 15, 2013 Remember to follow ANY rules they might have. If they tell you to stay out of certain areas or away from the high wall, do it. If they say to be ready to leave at a specific time be prompt. There are many quarries in my area who will not allow collecting anymore due to some collectors abusing their hospitality. "Absence of evidence is not evidence of absence"_ Carl Sagen No trees were killed in this posting......however, many innocent electrons were diverted from where they originally intended to go. " I think, therefore I collect fossils." _ Me "When you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth."__S. Holmes "can't we all just get along?" Jack Nicholson from Mars Attacks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Uncle Siphuncle Posted December 15, 2013 Share Posted December 15, 2013 i echo herb. the smaller the group, the less chance of dummies climbing walls etc, getting everyone kicked out. i've been on a trip where that happened. Grüße, Daniel A. Wöhr aus Südtexas "To the motivated go the spoils." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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