While exploring a new forest area I came across the sun-bleached skull and bones of a black bear. Seems that the voracious appetite of beetles cleaned up the flesh saving me the challenge of using a toothbrush to scrub it clean. After spraying it down with hydrogen peroxide to rid it of any germs and help continue the whitening process it should make for a nice display piece.
Update 8/4/14 – When I found the skeleton above it was missing a lower jaw bone. Walking in another area about 20 miles away I found what I quickly assumed was the lower jaw bone of a bear but thankfully Steve Kirk from the Bushcraft Magazine corrected me in the comments to say it was from a pig.
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Wow that bear skull it a great find. Wish me luck to find my own some day.
Andy
I heard bear remains are rarely found in the wild.
This proves however that they are not impossible
to find. Thank you for answering my question. I am
writeing a story and needed to know of any badass
animal skulls that can be likely found in a forest –
bear and boar are my contenders. I’m imagining
a demon who posseses animal skelitons, and
wanted it to look really good. Pig tusks are
leathal, but a bear skull looks like a guard
dog from hell. It’s a tough call, what do
you think?
Your lower jaw does not come from a bear. Those are the teeth of a pig. Bear skull a great find, though, congrats.
Ahh, thanks Steve Kirk. I jumped to conclusions on it based more on the found location than the closer inspection required. I’ll make an update to the page as to not provide false information.