Bones Vanish Quickly in the Woods
Delayed searches become hunts for buried bones that rodents may have already destroyed.
Bear Brook · A Private Matter, Episode 4Bones can disappear fast in the woods, New Hampshire Fish and Game Lt. Adam Chaney says, just as hikers rarely find deer bones because rodents chew them up.
“You’re looking for bones that are going to be underneath leaf cover,” Chaney says, describing how fallen foliage buries evidence. Reporter Jason Moon adds that searchers would almost have to step on remains to find them.
The point came up in the search for Jay Hickey, a man in his mid-70s whose disappearance was investigated by police in Epsom, New Hampshire.
Search researcher Robert Kester’s data show roughly one in four lost people with dementia dies in the first day. Chaney notes Fish and Game searches usually start within hours or a day or two, so a search months later is a hunt for remains, not a rescue.
Questions people ask
Why do rodents chew on bones?
They chew bones mainly for calcium, phosphorus, and to wear down their constantly growing teeth. Mice, squirrels, porcupines, and other rodents will gnaw antlers, deer bones, and human bones alike.
Can search dogs find bones buried under leaves?
Yes, within limits. Trained cadaver dogs can smell human remains under leaves, soil, or snow, even years later. But dense woods, water, wind, and decay still mean handlers must bring the dog close to the source.