Peace
River Fossil Hunting
Peace
River Fossil Hunting 
you'll
see fossil hunters. The best way to find fossils though is to rent a canoe
and work your way down
the river. In a canoe or kayak, you can get to fossil spots most can't
get
to. You can find all types of
fossils including shark teeth, mammoth teeth, camel teeth, dolphin
teeth, mastodon teeth, you name it. If it once roamed or swam over Florida,
you might find a fossilized piece of history. The only thing you
won't find are dinosaur fossils. When: The best time to fossil hunt is springtime usually. March, April, May are usually the low times of year. The water needs to be a least 12" below normal for the best fossil hunting to be getting good. Keep an eye on http://www.canoeoutpost.com/Peace/prwaterlevel.htm for the latest water levels. Anytime the river drops it is time to fossil hunt.
.Sunny days are preferred because you can see the bottom better but sunny is not necessary if you are sifting. Sunny days are best for snorkeling and diving though and the water clarity needs to be good. The higher the water, the less clarity there is.
Where: Fossils can be found anywhere on the upper Peace River. The favorite stretches are Gardner south to Arcadia with the Brownville and Oak Hill Runs being the most popular because they are shorter and you have more time to look.
You are looking for eroded banks and gravelly areas at the river's edge and on the bottom. Do not dig into the bank, that is private property!. Most fossils are found on the bottom and at the edge of the water because they have washed and rolled down out of the bank.
How: To find the fossils, you have to get in the water and get those feet wet! You need a shovel or trowel and a sifter. For beginners, macaroni or spaghetti strainers are good, for the more serious, "screens" are recommended. The screens are wooden frames with hardware cloth attached. You can buy them for different suppliers, check the campground next door to the Outpost or build your own. Most are about 18-24" square made with 1x2's and 1/8" to 1/4" hardware cloth. Canoe Outpost has both types of sifters for you to borrow on a first come, first serve basis. Canoe Outpost sifter and shovels run out fast, if canoeing later than 10 am, better bring you own. Scoop up some gravel, you can even just use your hands, and dump it into the sifter. Shake the sifter in the water to wash the mud and sand away and start poking thru what's left in the sifter. The method is similar to panning for gold but you're panning for "black" gold. Go to http://www.tampabayfossilclub.com/peace_river.php to see helpful equipment or see below.
Another favorite method is to snorkel and/or dive and "fan" for fossils. A lot of fossils are below the sand closer to the limestone bottom. You use your hand or something similar (folded old car tag works good) to fan the sand away.
What: You are looking for black, hard shapes, with and without enamel. The Outpost has fossil i.d. handouts for customers to take with them. We also have a notebook with all kinds of drawings you can look thru for i.d. purposes when you get back. Office staff can also help i.d. fossils but they are only amateurs. If we can't i.d. it at the Outpost, go to one of the links below for photos to help. Black and shiny "rocks" can be anything so look closely.
Go to http://www.sharkteethrus.com/fossils/florida/2florida.htm for great hints and detailed instructions especially what you can keep. This website has all the information you need to fossil hunt in Florida.
Fossil Links