Why aren’t the woods just chock full of bones?

Question

When I was a kid, we used to explore the woods all the time. I came across a couple dead mice or birds in my time, but they were always recently deceased.

But tons of animals live and presumably die in the woods. Why aren’t the woods covered in deer and bear and raccoon skeletons? Where are all the bones going?

In: 4903

Answer 1

Bones decompose quite rapidly, but lots of critters can *eat* bones. They are rich in calcium and fresh kills still have the bone marrow which is an incredibly rich source of protein.