I think you topped my collection of arrowheads with this one!  Great find, awesome story!

What a find!

Great story.  

That is so cool. I agree with other posters, do not tell anyone where you found it because your fishing hole will certainly be over run.

There's lots of fishing holes, but not many that have skeletal remains of any prehistoric animals.  I'd get the University involved and see if you couldn't get a dig scheduled to see what else is there.  You may have stumbled on something much more important, like a nesting area for these animals or better yet, there may be bones and artifacts of neolithic man.  Now that would be significant!

The professor from Southeast Missouri State University was excited to see this. It took him about 2 seconds to identify it as either a juvenile male mastodon or an adult female. He says it's a terrific find, but probably not enough on its own to start a big (expensive) dig.  

He's given us some information and wants us to keep looking for more. Actually he wants to look with us but Mark is not ready to invite strangers out. I have to coach soccer games the next 2 nights so I won't be able to tag along.

The 9 year old boy agreed to put it on display at a show later in September, which he's very fired up about. Today he took it to school for show-n-tell. Can you imagine that?

That will certainly top his buddies frog or snake he found, lmao

This is Awesome.

Very cool!!

Couple of things to think of. First of all, whose property is it? If it is on private property, that is not yours be VERY careful. I do not know the laws governing public property.

When it comes to digging it up, same thing. I would really have a private chat with an attorney on it if you plan to pursue it on a serious level. If it is private property and the guy who owns it is not in a good mood, they could make your life miserable. So could the good doctor at the University if he knew where it is located.

Me, I would probably try to dig it up just for the cool factor, and chat with a lawyer if I found anything else. Keep posting though. be cool to hear what else you find.

IDK, looks foul hooked to me.

Thats cool DMB

I've showed my family and showed it at work all day, everyone says Cool find

Man I wouldn't know where to begin with it, I'm no Archeologist but I do know you gotta dig right or you can destroy.

Did the College guy tell ya how to take care of the jaw bone?

The 9 year old boy agreed to put it on display at a show later in September, which he's very fired up about. Today he took it to school for show-n-tell. Can you imagine that?

"My dad and I found this yesterday while fishing. It is a jaw bone from a nearly extinct group that migrated from Missouri to western Virginia. Known as Burleyious-maxamus."

^^

That thing is way too cool to be a Burleyious Maxamus  

I was wondering where my cat got to, but I didn't think he'd wonder that far, at least I know he's dead. :(