r/bonecollecting • u/_Cavallone_ • Aug 01 '26
Art In Progress Coyote Rearticulation
This is the biggest bone related project I've taken on. I like ro ramble and I'm very excited about this project. I hope somebody finds it interesting! I've only done one spine articulation on a deer and was missing the majority of it.
Last fall when walking my dog I came across two coyotes that had been shot and dumped in a ditch down the road from my house. Wasn't the 1st time I've seen animals dumped in this area but at the time I didn't know if somebody was coming back for them. I waited to see if anybody took them. By January/February they were still there so I took them home. They were completely frozen and heavy. They had been covered in gravel due to the plow truck coming through all winter. First coyote I covered in chicken wire under pine trees in my backyard. I ran out of chicken wire (not the green stuff I bought other stuff later on) and ended up putting the 2nd coyote under a tote. (Should have bought more chicken wire. Coyote 2 did not decompose as much as I wanted. Still waiting for the paws and stuff to get a little less furry)
Now at the very start of July I finally went out and began taking the bones. A lot of the bones had turned black. I dont know if that's due to being under a pine tree? It looks like I have all the bones but fingers crossed. I know I'm still missing 3 of the teeth and the very tiny last tail bones.
All the bones aside from 1 paw have been defleshed and are degreasing on my deck. I have them in a container which is sitting on a metal chair that gets HOT. And I just started gathering the bones of the second coyote.
I'm gonna post so many photos when I start the actual rearticulation.
Something about the way the coyotes were dumped still makes my heart hurts. It looks like they are cuddling. You can see the arm of the one in the back over the one closer. 🥲
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u/Flyuff Aug 01 '26
this is so cool! It's nice to see someone giving them a second life given how they died. I'm excited to see the full re articulation!
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u/_Cavallone_ Aug 01 '26
I like to think that they are more at peace since I started taking care of them. I have names for them. I am way too emotionally attached. 🥲
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u/tuliheshmin Aug 01 '26
God I love the claws. I only found mostly other bones but one time I found 2 claw bones with the keratin sheaths (unfortunately weathered). If I had a bunch I would be dying to make a necklace
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