Looking for tips on starting a spot

[JoshRockz]

Hi there, I have some access to property that has a creek running in the back of it. Most of the area floods very easily but this stream seems to have cut 3 or 4 feet into the sand.

This location is in central FL and I was looking for advice on where to start digging on this land. I don’t have big tools only manual labor (shovels etc) but a few different areas to choose from.

I can dig and sift the creek, or dig into the elevated scrub but it’s very rooty. I can dig the grass outside of the tree line as well.

We get a lot of coyotes and boar that roam this area but the tree line is pretty thin, they roam north and east up into a big wooded area and lake which is out of limits for me.

I am thinking of taking some samples a few feet down to see what the material is like. But I am guessing sand for a good bit because about 2 miles away is an old phosphate mine


Any advice is appreciated! First time digger!

thanks!

[Hal Gorges]

Welcome from west central Florida.

[antmike915]

Any of the higher ground there would be good, actually that whole area would be worth digging a few test holes. Be careful digging around roots; they hold artifacts. Looking forward to any pictures of what you find there.

[JoshRockz]

Any of the higher ground there would be good, actually that whole area would be worth digging a few test holes. Be careful digging around roots; they hold artifacts. Looking forward to any pictures of what you find there.

Any advice how to do a sample dig or any digging advice in general?

[Hal Gorges]

Sample...First go along that zigzag pattern jamming the shovel in as you go.if you hit flint you’ll know that sound..dig..If you don’t hit flint it’s most likely not a site ..Some folks use a probe..And if stop and think a minute and something tells you to dig in a certain area, try it..it’s called instinct searching, sometimes it works, sometimes it don’t

[paohrocks]

Hal gives solid advice. I'm not from Florida but when digging next to creeks/streams I generally stay on the high ground but probe first. Good luck.

[POINT MAN]

Wow.. Some of that looks like gator country.

[Fl.naturalist]

Any update on what happened here? Did you ever find anything good or figure it out??

[SGT.Digger]

Folks find tons of cool fossils in Florida creek’s. Try the highest point up away from the creek out of any possible flood plane . Hav e fun . Use 1/4” hardware cloth to catch everything