love your "the bone book" tag! got any tips on how to hunt for bones? :)
Hmmm. I haven’t gone bone hunting in a while now. I should do, though, since the snow is receding.
The best thing to do in my previous experience is just to make it a habit to go out on the weekends. The more you go out, the better you’ll get, the more places you’ll know, the more chances you’ll have of finding something.
1) Be safe and be aware that the bones are more easily found deeper in the woods. At the same time, so are animals. If you’re in an area that’s prone to large animals, make sure you either carry a bell or jingle your keys as you walk. Animals like bears are not prone to harming you unless they’re startled. If they hear noise, they’ll most likely move out of the way and leave you be.
2) Don’t wander around hunting areas in greens or brows. This is common sense but - hunters are not as smart as other animals when it comes to not hurting you. They might mistake you for a deer and shoot.
3) Take gloves and ziploc bags. Don’t touch bones with your bare hands, ESPECIALLY if they still have flesh on them.
4) DON’T take bird bones. It’s best to avoid them. Many birds are protected species, and owning bones or feathers, etc, can get you in SERIOUS trouble. Stick to deer and other critters.
5) Don’t just look for bones. Look for tracks, clumps of fur, etc. Follow carnivore tracks, like fox or raccoon tracks - they will often drag bones or parts with them because they’re munching on them. Following some hints is a lot better than wandering in circles.
6) If you find a skull, chances are, you’re not gonna find the rest of the skeleton. Skulls are #1 when it comes to getting separated from the rest of the body.
7) If you find ribs, you will probably find a spine.
8) Leg/hip bones are a toss-up. Sometimes they’ll be close to the rest of the skeleton, sometimes not.
9) Don’t leave trash in the forest! Obviously. Don’t smoke in the forest! Obviously.
10) If you find bones, pick them up, put them into ziploc bags. Take them home, wash them with some water and scrub with an old toothbrush to get the dirt and things out. Do NOT bleach bones! This will destroy them. Soak them in a bucket of 3% hydrogen peroxide instead. If you can’t do full-on hydrogen peroxide, you can do 50% water. It’ll take a little while, about a week or so, or a month if you have a LOT of bones.
I’m not even gonna GET to the macerating process. It’s time-consuming. Just go find bones that are already dried and mostly cleaned by your friendly forest munching committee of rodents and bugs.
