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Post by tims on Aug 16, 2017 14:59:30 GMT -5
coloradocliff the clinker I find usually isn't as smoothly weathered as rockdunker's or as large ... most of the pieces I see are fist-size or smaller and any larger pieces are really jagged. I very rarely see any hard material out there other than plain chert, I've found one little mossy agate but almost no jasper / agate / quartz rock out in the shale.
timloco the main mining in that area are coal (some of the largest mines in the country) and bentonite. Lots of oil pumpjacks scattered around and some natural gas drilling. It seems like depending on elevation you hit different shale formations ... I'm assuming the real fossiliferous areas are in the Pierre shale but may be wrong. If I could go back and do it again I think i'd study geology.
Fossilman I saw your baculite post, good luck putting that sucker back together. The only long intact pieces I've found were maybe 1 foot long and super muddy and weathered. The spot i found all these segments was an oddity, usually there are more broken pieces and few intact segments. The spot i was hunting was utterly devoid of plants (no place for rattlers to hide, looks good to me) and most of the pieces were found along the verge of this dead area. For some reason they like to perch right on top of the shale like they can't wait to jump in your pocket.
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Post by coloradocliff on Aug 16, 2017 15:01:52 GMT -5
Looks like a great haul! I really like the colorful one with the suture lines! Liking your new av although it does induce a touch of vertigo. Grin..
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Post by coloradocliff on Aug 16, 2017 15:09:48 GMT -5
coloradocliff the clinker I find usually isn't as smoothly weathered as rockdunker's or as large ... most of the pieces I see are fist-size or smaller and any larger pieces are really jagged. I very rarely see any hard material out there other than plain chert, I've found one little mossy agate but almost no jasper / agate / quartz rock out in the shale.
timloco the main mining in that area are coal (some of the largest mines in the country) and bentonite. Lots of oil pumpjacks scattered around and some natural gas drilling. It seems like depending on elevation you hit different shale formations ... I'm assuming the real fossiliferous areas are in the Pierre shale but may be wrong. If I could go back and do it again I think i'd study geology.
Fossilman I saw your baculite post, good luck putting that sucker back together. The only long intact pieces I've found were maybe 1 foot long and super muddy and weathered. The spot i found all these segments was an oddity, usually there are more broken pieces and few intact segments. The spot i was hunting was utterly devoid of plants (no place for rattlers to hide, looks good to me) and most of the pieces were found along the verge of this dead area. For some reason they like to perch right on top of the shale like they can't wait to jump in your pocket.
For harder and more varied stuff have you ever thought of hunting Jasper in the Rattlesnake Hils area of South eastern Wyo. West of Glendo-CAsper? Supposed to be real colorful but haven't got any..Yet ... Even some agates with inclusions around. Montana style !! Woohoo..
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Post by tims on Aug 16, 2017 21:27:48 GMT -5
I'd like to hunt around Glendo and Guernsey but haven't yet. For jasper etc i usually head to the Black Hills or east to Buffalo Gap, closer and a more scenic trip.
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Post by tims on Aug 17, 2017 14:40:42 GMT -5
Have been encountering many skeptics regarding the agatized baculite piece. I did a scratch test and it won't scratch with a nail. Bought muriatic acid today for an acid test and it doesn't fizz. I'm calling it agatized unless someone here can set me straight
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Fossilman
Cave Dweller
Member since January 2009
Posts: 20,681
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Post by Fossilman on Sept 1, 2017 8:41:31 GMT -5
In the areas I hound for Baculites,we rarely see any Baculites that have that mineral change your finding your way! Could very well be agatized or a mineral pretty dang close to it..... Have you put any of it on a buffer wheel,to see what it does???
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Post by tims on Sept 1, 2017 19:35:01 GMT -5
In the areas I hound for Baculites,we rarely see any Baculites that have that mineral change your finding your way! Could very well be agatized or a mineral pretty dang close to it..... Have you put any of it on a buffer wheel,to see what it does??? I've only found one piece that seems completely agatized, and a handful that are partial replacement. Until I find more I've been kind of wary of working them at all so they're still in their natural condition. If I do find more I may pick out an ugly one and try polishing it a bit just to see what it does.
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