1. Ask Permission! Fossils always belong to the land owner, including the state of Tennessee.

2. Don't be greedy! Leave your second and third-best specimens for the next guy!

3. Keep a Record! Mixed up fossils are worthless -- remember to log the site location!

4. Be safe! Roadside or cliffside collecting can be dangerous. Bring a buddy, watch the weather.

5. Where's your camera? Already have a few specimens? Take a picture, and leave the irreplacable fossil uncollected. Your phone will also record the time, the place and the context of a fossil -- which can be the most important part!

6. Why are you doing this? Collect for the right reasons -- to increase human knowledge about lost ecosystems. Looting and selling cheats us all.