Florida Shovel Regulations

[mrieder79]

I seem to remember reading somewhere that you have to use a shovel that is less than four feet long when you dig for fossils in florida. Is this correct or am I making things up?

[digit]

From what I know there are no limits on shovel size here in Florida for amateur fossil hunters. There is certainly no list of limitations on the Florida Fossil Permit application (which all Florida fossil collectors should have):

http://www.flmnh.ufl.edu/vertpaleo/vppermit.htm

Though no legal restrictions seem to have been set the Florida Program of Vertebrate Paleontology suggests that when digging fossils from the matrix only trowels, screwdrivers, small knives and small shovels be used (mainly to avoid destroying in situ fossils and their orientation). I'd suspect that most people hunting fossils in Florida will not get the opportunity to dig a site with the fossils still in their original orientation and most end up extracting their prizes by sifting or surface collecting along the shores or in rivers and creeks (or the occasional quarry trip with a fossil club). If you are using a sifter to sort through gravel dug from a river/creek then I don't think it much matters the length of the shove you use to place the sand/gravel mix into your sifting screen. I usually bring along two spades one with a shorter handle (with a squared-off handle) and a longer straight handle garden spade. Depending on the depth of the river one shovel will be more convenient than the other. Here's a hint to those who have not thought of this before: I plant my shovel firmly in the area I'm digging in the river and use the handle to support the back edge of my sifting screen so that I don't have to hold it up myself (or bend over and sift with the screen floating on the water's surface). I've seen people do both of these things but it makes my back spasm just watching them do that--I'd last 10 minutes their way.

Florida's Department of Environmental Protection does not allow any device powered by a motor or mechanical excavating devices without a permit. I don't think any of us 'weekend warriors" sifting our way through a gravel bed in a river are going to be tempted to bring in a barge, bucket dredges and pumps so we should be well within the letter and spirit of the law. One thing to watch out for is that I've been told that it is illegal to excavate into the banks of the rivers. If there was a big old mammoth or meg tooth eroding out of the sediments along the river I'd certainly pluck it free before it got swept away into the river. On rare occasions I've seen evidence of people digging sand out of the river banks to sift for fossils. I guess the lure of getting fossils before the river (or other fossil hunters) can get to them is the impetus for this action. For me it is a colossal waste of time--I'd rather have the river concentrate the gravel in a nice bed before I'd bother excavating an entire hillside.

Be sensible, be respectful, and don't make a mess of the site your are hunting. The rivers have a way of erasing all our little digging holes and spoil piles every summer when the rivers run high and fast--like nature's own Etch A Sketch.

That's the regulations for fossil hunting in Florida but others are welcome to chime-in or correct me where I have erred.

Cheers.

-Ken

[PrehistoricFlorida]

It seems you can get away with most anything in the Peace River. However, if you are caught using any type of excavation tool (shovel, rake, etc) on state property (ie. rivers) in North Florida, you stand a good chance of being searched and possibly arrested for digging for artifacts.

[digit]

Good information to know!

All of my Florida fossil hunting has been south of Tampa and I haven't yet figured out the logistics of hunting in North Florida (though I hope to one day). Interesting that no mention of this is made on the Florida fossil hunting permit. I'm guessing there must be a lot more Indian artifacts in northern Florida to make enforcement so much more strict. There must be similar prohibitions in places like North & South Carolina as I seem to see more trip reports and YouTube videos showing surface collecting rather than the digging and screen sifting that is more prevalent in the Peace River.

Cheers.

-Ken

[Cris]

I've specifically asked a few FWC officers. One of the main investigators that handles when they believe people are digging for artifacts or digging with tools illegally on public land told me that they're usually okay with digging tools that can be reasonably used with one hand. If you need two hands to operate it, they're not going to be okay with it..although the Peace River is probably an exception for some reason.

I've also talked with the Florida Museum of Natural History folks that issue permits about it and they said the same thing. They argue that small hand tools should be able to be used for the collection of fossils.

It's very much a grey area with the laws. I don't think there's a specific law that says you can use hand tools, you just have the folks at the museum pushing for permit holders to have the rights to use them. Without the FL fossil permit, digging in Sovereign Submerged Lands in FL is illegal. Unfortunately, that technically includes at the beach under the high tide line, although nobody is ever going to say a word to those kids making sand castles.

-Cris

[caldigger]

Digit, I am an avid gold prospector and frequent another forum that is geared for gold recovery. One of the visitors to the gold forum asked a question regarding instruction on building a suction dredge to search for fossils in Florida rivers. He wanted a "silent" running pump (supposedly to not disturb locals). I and everyone else that replied to the discussion had a feeling that his need was not for the comfort of others, but to silently sneak around and dredge up deeper into the deposits for untouched fossils. Reading your comments obviously points out that he had no intention to follow the state guidelines of not using powered equipment.

Needless to say, he was never heard from again.

[digit]

It always takes a few bad apples to spoil things for the rest of us. Hope his dreams of stealth dredging went unfulfilled.

-Ken

[Shellseeker]

It seems you can get away with most anything in the Peace River. However, if you are caught using any type of excavation tool (shovel, rake, etc) on state property (ie. rivers) in North Florida, you stand a good chance of being searched and possibly arrested for digging for artifacts.

I have stood in the Peace River with a long handled shovel in one hand, while Florida Fish & Wildlife Officers ask 1) If I have found any artifacts (against a specific state law), 2) have a lifevest (required to have , not required to wear) or 3) ask if I know who is digging in the river bank a couple of hundred yards down the river. If I knew I would tell the officers immediately. If there is a Florida state law relative to shovel length, they do not enforce on most the Peace River. However, if you attempt to fossil within the boundaries of Paynes Creek State Park, you can and will be cited.

My thought is that the shovel restriction will be enforced within the boundaries of a Florida State Park, but river bottoms outside of State Parks are freely open to fossil hunters who have a vertebrate fossil license.

I would be interested in any forum members encounters with Fish & Wildlife officers outside of State or Federal Parks. SS

[Scylla]

That reminds me of the guy dredging for gold in the Santa Ana river.

[Blu]

Hello My name is Blu I will be in Key West the end of January I am new to fossil hunting having just moved to North Charleston SC from Mn I would love to know any info on spots to check in the Keys also rules and regulations for FL I mostly have been sifting in creeks so far and would love any ideas and input Thanks