Panhandle Fossil Dives?

[MysteryDiveBuddy]

My buddy, photohikedive, and I have discovered Cypress Springs and Merritt's Mill Pond this summer and recently were told there are interesting fossils and arrowheads etc. to be found. I was wondering if anybody else here hunts for this stuff in those areas? We're definately not out to steal your secret spots but we'd love to meet you and chat about it.

 

[Caver95]

its against the law to take arrowheads nowadays.

 

[MysteryDiveBuddy]

Thanks for that bit, no harm in looking at them though is there? I'm more into mastadon teeth and sharks teeth etc myself. Is this one of those litigous states where I might as well not even bother looking at this stuff for fear of being prosecuted the minute I get out of the water?

 

[clovis]

its against the law to take arrowheads nowadays.

Wow! when did that happen? Just a couple of years ago you could file an Isolated finds report in most Florida Rivers. Here I was thinking that Florida was ahead of it's time in appreciation of private collectors. By far the largest part of the artifacts owned by the state were donated by the private sector. It would be stupid of the state to cut off this source of materiel.

 

[DiveGal01]

Found this on the web:
http://www.treasurequestxlt.com/community/showpost.php?p=11418&postcount=1

Does this pertain to all stuff found - shark's teeth, arrowheads, etc. ?

This one makes it sound like only archeaological items - which includes arrowheads.
http://dhr.dos.state.fl.us/archaeology/underwater/faq.cfm#3

 

[mike_s]

Found this on the web:
http://www.treasurequestxlt.com/community/showpost.php?p=11418&postcount=1

Does this pertain to all stuff found - shark's teeth, arrowheads, etc. ?

This one makes it sound like only archeaological items - which includes arrowheads.
http://dhr.dos.state.fl.us/archaeology/underwater/faq.cfm#3

Interesting. According to this website, you can't even take a bottle. even if it was a "Miller Lite" bottle that was thrown in there last week.


I imagine that a lot of these type rules were put in place after Mel Fisher found the "motherload" of treasure. Florida didn't care one bit about him until he hit gold. Then they tried to seize his find. go figure.

 

[ScubaKris]

If you want arrow and spear heads, the best place to look is in a fresh plowed field , just after the rain.

 

[ScubaKris]

Anyone been to cypress lately? Hows the river level, ok for boats?