Safety while rock collecting should be your number one priority. If the area has railroad tracks, old mine shafts, high walls with falling rock etc., I would not bring any small children to that site, there are many places where children will have fun and you will not have to worry. When working in an old mine shaft, inspect your surroundings to see if it is stable, if you see water leaking through the roof of a mine shaft or the support timbers are rotted and collapsed, you may want to find another place to collect. Remember that there is plenty of nice material outside the mine on the dump piles, where there is no danger of a cave-in.

You should also be aware of old vertical mine shafts in the woods or near dump piles, some of these shafts are overgrown with trees and brush and can be hard to spot until you are right on top of them. Some of these shafts are very deep and some are full of water, so be careful.

Always tell someone where you are going when visiting an old mine or collecting site. Give them directions to the mine and tell them when you plan to return. If you have a cell phone, bring it with you.

In remote collecting sites, you may encounter a variety of wildlife such as: bears, mountain lions, snakes, wild boars etc. I have encountered these animals on several occasions while rock collecting in the mountains and have never had a problem with them. Remember they are more afraid of you than you are of them! And remember, never try to pet a mountain lion or wild hog, or try to wrestle a bear, they usually win! 8^)

You should also keep a first aid kit in your vehicle with a snake bite kit inside. Some locations are a long way from any hospital. I am not telling you these things to discourage you from visiting remote rockhounding sites! I think you should visit any remote collecting area armed with as much information about that area as possible so there won't be any surprises.

Happy hunting!