lonne Report post Posted July 7, 2018 How long does it take an animal death to be scavenged from full carcass down to the skeleton bone? Whether it be lions, bears, coyotes, vultures, ants, bees, maggots, or whatever is scavenging on the kill... https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation-now/2018/07/05/dead-pigs-teach-researchers-dead-migrants-desert/759950002/ From this article it sounds like = 36 + 24 = 60 hours in some cases? Regular Arizona Spring / Summer / Fall conditions...and winter if there is much difference? 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
AZ RANGER Report post Posted July 7, 2018 My son shot a deer this last season at around 11am. We boned it out and hiked back to camp. The next evening we went by the kill site and there was not a piece of flesh anywhere. Bones were picked completely clean. There was bird sh!t everywhere so I assumed it was mostly from them and they didnt waist anytime. Granted thats not a carcass with full hide etc but it went quick. Ive also found human remains in the desert on several occasions some very recent deaths and others that were just sun bleached bones. I can attest that the summer heat seems to expedite the process. 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
muledeerarea33? Report post Posted July 7, 2018 Shot a deer one year. Next year went to the same area and found the rib cage and spine still had jerky meat on them. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Flatlander Report post Posted July 7, 2018 Yeah I have found elk carcasses that were clearly days old, no scavenging and they smelled. You could tell from a long ways off that there was a carcass there. 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
el diablo Report post Posted July 7, 2018 Yeah I have found elk carcasses that were clearly days old, no scavenging and they smelled. You could tell from a long ways off that there was a carcass there. Ive seen this as well as a deer that was shot just before dark that couldnt be located after hrs of looking only to come back at first lite to find a skeleton picked clean. No guts, nothing. Looked like a crime scene. 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
hoghntr Report post Posted July 18, 2018 Sure seems like a really tall wall is best humanitarian thing to do so relatives dont have to wonder. Just sayin... 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
el diablo Report post Posted July 18, 2018 Sure seems like a really tall wall is best humanitarian thing to do so relatives dont have to wonder. Just sayin... Now that was funny Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
lonne Report post Posted July 19, 2018 LOL. I'm sure stranger has happened. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
rossislider Report post Posted July 19, 2018 Last fall we removed the quarters, backstraps, neck meat, etc. and dumped the rest. Came back 24 hours later to see if it had any visitors and found this about 30 yards from where we left it. 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
cosninocanines Report post Posted July 19, 2018 While hauling water this summer I encountered a fresh lion kill after observing a few vultures in a snag. I walked over and estimate the elk calf had been killed that night or early morning. Over the next 6 hours I checked each time I passed with another load and after those 6 hours and between the vultures some crows and a few coyotes the rib cage and what was left of the hind quarters as well as the head were stripped clean. Lower legs still had hide on them but I suspect not for long. 2 days later bones were scattered in every direction and there was no meat to be found. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Allforelk Report post Posted July 19, 2018 I saw someone shoot a snake on a dove hunt. Sucker was 3 ft off the ground spread across the top of a bush and we had some kids out for their first hunt. Came back to the spot the next and all that was left was a headless, reticulated skeleton. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jim Report post Posted July 19, 2018 We had a donkey hit on the road to work a couple weeks ago. That thing was gone in 2 days. Coyotes and vultures made quick work of it. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
lonne Report post Posted July 19, 2018 Thanks all! Yep, I'm amazed at how quick it scavenging happened, and it happens quicker than I thought. A long time ago I lost a knife in a gutpile and I went back about a month later, and noticed a similar skeleton as what rossislider posted. So that being my only experience, I guestimated it happened probably in a month. But above article sounded like a lot quicker. Recently I came upon a cow carcass that still smelled pretty uck and had quite a few vultures on it, but from a distance it looked like it was down to a skeleton already so I assumed it happened maybe a week or two prior. After reading the above article I realized it could have been 24-48 hours, and that I probably should have checked for tracks around it (assuming bear or lion kill but could have just been a natural death) but never did. Thanks all for the interesting stories and info. Lonne Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
