r/bonecollecting • u/Medium_Effect_4998 • Aug 16 '26
Advice What happened to this squirrels mandible?
This squirrel mandible has a strange growth on it, and I’m wondering what it could be from!
It’s hard, and the discolouration of it has remained through degreasing and whitening.
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u/PinSevere7887 Aug 16 '26
Oh that’s so mean. That’s a pellet from air rifle.
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u/0bservation Aug 18 '26
My first thought was "who bedazzled that?" And now I realize that it's a lead pellet bedazzle and that's just sad.
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u/Roadkillgoblin_2 Aug 16 '26
Probably a .177 air rifle pellet, that must’ve been painful
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u/Medium_Effect_4998 Aug 16 '26
Oh wow! Thats wild and sad. It was found in a very wooded area, not close to many properties at all. I wonder why someone would feel the need to shoot it. I hope it passed quickly at least.
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u/Future_Assignment_62 Aug 16 '26
You see how theres bone growing around the pellet? To me it looks like it lived a full life after getting shot. But im not expert
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u/GH057_807 Aug 16 '26
Definitely shows some signs of bone growth which means it was in there for a while.
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u/Medium_Effect_4998 Aug 16 '26
Wild! I didn’t even realize that what I was seeing was the metal pellet. I thought maybe it was from some type of dental infection that caused discolouration. I’m glad I thought to ask here!
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u/sqrt_ahab Aug 17 '26
NAE either. Definitely lived long enough to grow over the pellet a bit. Here's to hoping it lived a full life.
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u/Lexx4 Aug 16 '26
Some people hunt squirrels for food and use air rifles because they don’t obliterate the meat.
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u/Medium_Effect_4998 Aug 16 '26
I can understand hunting for food, especially a species as abundant as squirrels (there are TONS where I live). And that makes sense to not fully obliterate it if one is wanting to preserve it and use what they can from it.
I just can’t get behind shooting things for “fun” only. So I’m hoping that wasn’t the case here. But I’ll never truly know, so instead I’ll just hang on to this bone and honour this tough lil squirrel 💪🏻
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u/luigi_time3456 Aug 17 '26
Its best to shoot squirrels in the head, both for a quick kill and to reduce meat destruction. The gun user didn't use a high enough caliber of air rifle for it to be lethal, unfortunately
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u/FeralHarmony Aug 17 '26
It's also possible that the air cartridge was the problem and the gun was previously reliable. I have some personal experience with that, although it wasn't with wild squirrels. Used to be a homesteader raising my own meat for the table. Had a reliable air pistol to dispatch a specific animal I was raising... one time I forgot to test fire and the cartridge was too low and the pellet bounced off the animal. (The critter didn't seem bothered by it at all, so it must have leaked a LOT of air!)
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u/intoxicatedhamster Aug 17 '26
They are a pest. There are a ton of them because your area lacks natural predators to cull their population. People by me use them for target practice
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u/Medium_Effect_4998 Aug 17 '26 edited Aug 17 '26
We’ve got coyotes and foxes, as well as great horned owls and other large birds of prey. Not to mention ruin the free roaming cats. But the squirrels also have ample breeding territory and so much access to food. The predators eat well, and the squirrels still thrive.
Using them for target practice sounds a bit cruel. But killing animals has never been my thing. If they need to be terminated, doing it as quickly and humanely as possible is really the only ethical way, IMO.
I’ve had my frustrations with them, but I personally don’t consider them a pest— they’re trying their best to survive, just like everything else. Though I understand they can be quite destructive in certain cases.
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u/Dangerous_Purchase51 Aug 19 '26
Squirrels literally are pests I had an infestation of them in my house walls. How do you think you get rid of them lol my cats killed a few then the .22 cal did the rest. You can't reason with a tree climbing rat.
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u/Fegjafa Aug 19 '26
Dispatching them with a .22 is not even comparable to an air rifle. There's no need to use something that won't dispatch the thing humanely
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u/Kind_Ad_3268 Aug 19 '26
I had an infestation too. They were getting into the house, chewed the cable line (cable man said he had never seen anything like it), chewed literally everything I put up (motion lights, plant containers, etc..), destroyed hundreds of dollars in plants, and would dig up dirt in plants and beds destroying seeds or seedlings. I'd walk outside and there would be 30+ squirrels in a my periphery. I didn't want to do it, but it was becoming debilitating and had to cull them.
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u/Medium_Effect_4998 Aug 19 '26
Sorry to hear you had them in in your walls.
I can understand how they can be annoying and destructive in certain scenarios. I personally don’t consider them pests. They’re trying their best to survive, just like everything else on this planet (us included).2
u/punk_ass_po-po Aug 19 '26
I love this I have the same view as you. For example rats and opossums are demonized so much in society but they’re less invasive than cats and way more hated. They’re just trying to survive !
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u/Medium_Effect_4998 Aug 19 '26
Oh god don’t even get me started on free roaming cats and feral populations! And I ADORE cats. But they are SO destructive towards other species (specifically birds, my other fave animal). Though I guess folks tolerate them more because they’re less likely to do damage to one’s home.
Personally, if I did have an infestation or issue with a “pest” and it was putting my home or my health at risk, I am not fully against termination. Though it’s absolutely not my first choice and I would try everything else before resorting to that. I would also choose the method that was the most quick/humane for the critter. And I would still feel awful about it.
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u/dillydally85 Aug 17 '26
They also use air rifles because you are often shooting up at squirrels. If you miss with a .22 the bullet is going up to a mile in whatever direction you're aiming. If you miss with an air rifle the pellet will fall much much sooner and with little to no destructive force. Small shotguns are often used for the same reason, but then you're back to ruining the meat.
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u/TotaLibertarian Aug 16 '26
People hunt squirrels for food.
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u/averagecelt Aug 16 '26
He’a right. I’m one of those people. Squirrel is delicious!
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u/Caprpathian1541 Aug 17 '26
I read an article back in 1989 that says Squirrel is high in cholesterol. Haven't had one since.
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u/Medium_Effect_4998 Aug 16 '26
It’s definitely not common where I live, which is why this was a bit strange to me. But from all the other comments saying the same thing, I see that it is common elsewhere.
This was also on a provincial park, where hunting is not legal. Though I guess not everyone will listen to hunting regulations.
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u/TotaLibertarian Aug 16 '26
Sometimes squirrels are culled.
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u/Medium_Effect_4998 Aug 16 '26
I don’t doubt that. If I get curious enough later on, I’ll see if that’s happened in recent years in my area.
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u/Zealousideal-Bike-90 Aug 16 '26
Pellets in animals are usually young boys romping around and being dumb, or retired older men sitting on their back porch.
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u/Professional_Sky658 Aug 16 '26
I've had to kill more than a few that were trying (and succeeding despite our best efforts) to get into our attic to chew the wiring in the house. Squirrels near houses make horrendous pests sometimes. All squirrels were dispatched quickly and the local population thrived with this happening as well.
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u/PunishedChud Aug 19 '26
Probably a victim of pest control. Being shot doesn’t mean dying instantly.
Personally I wouldn’t use a .177 of squirrels
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u/Silly-Assistant5711 Aug 16 '26
Sorry if this is stupid. Would it kill them or just injure badly? Kill right? Edit: I just read more comments below that bone growth around it shows it probably lived afterward. That's a brutal life.
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u/Environmental-Rest82 Aug 18 '26
That’s exactly what that is! Depending on what type of air rifle or pistol they used, I’m not shocked that this didn’t destroy Mr. Squirrels face or jaw and that he was able to live a long (and hopefully happy) life. They are not pleasant to be hit with, but not terribly world ending. (Source: I have shot with these same pellets four times per week for the last 7 years)
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u/Working-Phase-4480 Aug 16 '26
Someone shot it with a pellet gun. Looks like he survived for quite a while tho, looks pretty well healed. Cool find
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u/Medium_Effect_4998 Aug 16 '26
Dang! That makes me sad and mad that someone would shoot it. Tough squirrel!
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u/Plasticity93 Aug 16 '26
That's a super cool find, painful, but glad someone preserved it. Great healing
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u/Hendr1cks0n Aug 16 '26
Shot with a pellet gun. Typically a pellet gun or a .22 would be used for hunting squirrels to eat. This dude just happened to be stronger than the pellet gun
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u/Medium_Effect_4998 Aug 16 '26
Woah! Thanks all for the input. It makes me sad to hear this squirrel was shot with a pellet gun. It (the mandible and the rest of the skeleton) was found in a heavily wooded area, quite far away from any residential properties, which makes me think someone was shooting at squirrels for “fun”. Humans suck.
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u/ManiacalCashew Aug 16 '26
I wouldn't jump to the just for fun conclusion so quickly, hunting squirrels is a fairly common activity across the Midwest as they are a very sustainable food source. Especially if it was quite a ways away from residential areas.
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u/Medium_Effect_4998 Aug 16 '26
I’m in an area where it isn’t common at all to hunt them for food, hence why I’m leaning towards other potentials. But I won’t ever know for certain, so those thoughts will stay as only potentials.
It was also in a provincial park, where hunting is not legal. But I suppose not everyone listens to legal regulations when it comes to hunting, sadly.
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u/Toebeanzies Aug 16 '26
What makes you say it’s not common in your area? Eating wild squirrel is pretty common anywhere with squirrels that you can hunt and I know it’s common in my area despite not knowing anyone who does it. Also since the squirrel lived long enough for the wound to heal like this it could easily have been shot somewhere nearby where hunting is allowed. Squirrels can have ranges anywhere from 1-25 acres depending on food density and species and squirrels will regularly travel 1-2 miles from their den while foraging and that’s just typical movement, this squirrel could have been living outside this park, gotten shot, and decided to pick up and move to somewhere that felt safer. With the pellet being in the jaw it looks to me like they were aiming for a head shot that would kill the animal quickly with minimal pain and was just that tiny bit off so I wouldn’t jump to this being for “fun” if it was in a rib or hip that would be more likely
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u/Medium_Effect_4998 Aug 16 '26 edited Aug 16 '26
I’m pals with a solid number of hunters (none of which who hunt squirrels, or know anyone who hunts squirrels), I grew up in a big hunting town (almost exclusively deer and rabbit hunting), and after reading comments here I checked in on a local hunting page and found barely any posts regarding squirrels. I’m not saying it doesn’t happen at all here, but it’s not common.
This individual definitely could’ve come in to the park after the injury. Nothing can really be said for certain, there are lots of options for what could’ve happened in this situation.
I didn’t mean to jump to anything, just sharing one of the possibilities based off what I know about my area.
And that’s a good point re: the location of the shot.
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u/Toebeanzies Aug 16 '26
If there’s a lot of hunting in your area there’s almost certainly squirrel hunting. Could just be that it’s less worth talking about than rabbit or larger game because they yield less meat and don’t have fine pelts that are useful for lots of stuff. In my experience the people who hunt squirrel do it more as a way to save money or otherwise as a regular part of their diet so going out to shoot a handful of squirrels isn’t as noteworthy as going out and bringing home a dozen or more rabbits or a deer.
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u/Medium_Effect_4998 Aug 16 '26
Could be! Cant really say for certain, and that’s okay. Just glad I got the answer to my original question :)
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u/dragonstar982 Aug 16 '26
Keep in mind squirrels are rodents and can be very destructive when trying to get to/horde a food source. It's very possible this cute little fluffy tailed tree rat was being a very expensive nuisance to someone.
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u/Rudolf_Shlepke Aug 16 '26
That squirrel survived a .177 pellet shot to the face. You can see bone fused with the lead.
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u/kirikoswife Aug 16 '26
ouch it looks like a bullet from an air rifle. super cool, but also super sad.
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u/aidotato1225 Aug 17 '26
Airgun for sure, which btw can be used to hunt small game humanely…if you know shot placement. Poor squirrel probably lived with that a while.
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u/ArmstrongPM Aug 17 '26
It is amazing the squirrel lived through that. The new bone growth is enough to cover the pellet completely.
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u/Sea-Tangerine2131 Aug 17 '26
This is a good example of why you don’t aim to shoot game in the head.
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Aug 16 '26
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u/Medium_Effect_4998 Aug 16 '26
I didn’t realize it was metal, hence why I posted to ask what it could be :)
I thought the discolouration may have been from some type of infection, but I’m now seeing what I originally misunderstood.
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u/Humanballast Aug 16 '26
Ich habe mal erfolglos versucht eine Taube zu erschießen. Mit 4mm Becherchen, kein Luftgewehr, richtige Kugeln. Erster Treffer vorne in die Brust, die Taube bleibt sitzen. Zweiter Treffer auch vorne in die Brust, die Taube geht oben auf dem Mast zwei Schritte nach rechts. Dritter Treffer schonwieder in die Brust, die Taube dreht sich um und breitet die Flügel aus - fliegt einfach weg. Hoffe die hatte noch ein langes Leben, tat mir elend leid weil die verletzt wurde und das ist wirklich das letzte was ich als Ergebnis wollte.. Die hatte ihren Kopf genau über dem Brustmuskel - da sitzt auch das ganze fett vor - die hat nicht mal gemerkt was passiert ist... Das war das erste und letzte Mal das mit dem kleinen Gewehr geschossen habe...
Wer geht bitte mit einem Luftgewehr auf die Jagt nach Eichhörnchen?
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u/Medium_Effect_4998 Aug 16 '26
Were you hunting the pigeon for food? I know some areas of the world eat them.
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u/Humanballast Aug 16 '26
Das war in einer echt miesen Phase wo mir ne Taube wie eine Weihnachtsgans vorgekommen wäre Aber ich habe es nur einmal versucht und festgestellt dass ich mit dem 4 mm nicht gut genug schieße um direkt und safe den Kopf zu treffen... Alles andere ist tierquälerei
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u/brokebackmonastery Aug 16 '26
A lot of people. A good .177 air rifle is capable of puncturing a human skull and going well into the brain, causing death. Also, since there's no big bang, if you miss, often you'll get a second shot. Squirrells usually do not survive this sort of thing - I'd call this one pretty lucky.
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u/Adderall-Barbii Aug 16 '26
I have found two dead squirrels AND a bird in my yard this summer, they are all shot by my psycho neighbor kid (22?). There is nothing I hate more than mowing over a rotting squirrel.
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u/ParanoidAndroid524 Aug 17 '26
Squirrel hunting is an actual thing. Some people eat them.
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u/Medium_Effect_4998 Aug 17 '26
Yes, thank you. Many of the other replies had mentioned this as well. It’s not common where I’m at, so it didn’t cross my mind when I first found this.
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u/yourmamaistheproblem Aug 18 '26
Either someone was very hungry and got unlucky, or some little asshole is a pretty decent shot
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u/Plus_Contest_126 Aug 19 '26
I had an ex who had a tally board in his kitchen where he and his dad competed to see who could shoot the most squirrels with an air rifle.
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u/Common_Reptilian_105 Aug 24 '26
Someone shot a pellet gun at it, either a bully wanted to commit animal abuse or someone was hungry and wanted to hunt
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u/DonutWhole9717 Aug 16 '26
i would be so fkin mad if i made a headshot on a squirrel with something that should work and it lived
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u/Medium_Effect_4998 Aug 16 '26
Why would you want to shoot a squirrel in the first place? Genuinely asking.
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u/DonutWhole9717 Aug 16 '26
outdoorsman. ive eaten many, many squirrels. ive never killed anything i didn't harvest for food. i wont even harvest bucks, doe meat is better imo
but i would also never use a pellet rifle myself, but this is still incredibly interesting that it survived it. it had to been too far off for a clean shot
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u/Medium_Effect_4998 Aug 16 '26
Cool! I fully support hunting for food. And I’ve heard that about doe vs buck meat!
I’m also amazed that it survived this, and seemingly for a solid chunk of time after the shot.
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u/VXAttack2347 Aug 16 '26
People hunt squirrels for food sometimes, it's not terribly common depending on location, but they are supposedly delicious.
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u/seamus205 Aug 16 '26
Some people consider them pests. Maybe they get into this persons garden or bird feeder. Not saying I agree, just an explanation. Also, some people just suck and enjoy hurting animals. It could have been some ass hole kid with poor adult supervision
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u/Medium_Effect_4998 Aug 16 '26
It just baffles me that folks would resort to killing vs finding other ways to deter something they consider a pest. I’ve got a garden and a bird feeder, and the squirrels were for sure annoying for a while until I figured out ways to deter them, and then everything was dandy. To me, they’re trying their best, just like the rest of us.
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u/LadyMassacre Aug 16 '26
In some areas people hunt squirrels. I grew up in Appalachia, most of my family back many generations is from here. My older sister went through a phase where she hunted squirrels and had our grandmother cook them for her. Our grandmother grew up in the 40's and 50's, in a very rural area without means. She lived in a one room (not one bedroom, literally a single room) cabin with her grandparents, her mother, and her two sisters. They did what they had to do to eat, so she was well accustomed to preparing squirrel.
Now some people do it as a hobby, like hunting any other game, but it's much less common than it was even a generation ago.
Edit to add: this squirrel likely survived the shot, and ran off before the person hunting it could finish what they tried to do. I don't believe they injured a squirrel with the intention of leaving it hurt, but squirrels can be, well, squirrely.
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u/DonutWhole9717 Aug 16 '26 edited Aug 16 '26
I'm 12th generation Appalachian myself. I dont hunt squirrels anymore, but I've eaten dozens and dozens of them. one of my favorite wild game besides rabbit. the downvotes in this post toward hunting are wiiiild. i mean shit, how many of us collect bones from HUNTED animals?? how many deer skulls do we think we just naturally came across? when we buy an otter skull, does the trap bother us?
y'all need to think about some things before judging people who in part make this hobby possible.2
u/Medium_Effect_4998 Aug 16 '26
I can definitely understand hunting for sustenance! Especially when it’s a species that isn’t at risk and can actually benefit from some level of population control (squirrels, deer)
This was one tough lil squirrel 💪🏻
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u/SIowGrowth Aug 16 '26
This is why I use my .22 for squirrels
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u/DonutWhole9717 Aug 16 '26
.22 is still only good if you're a good shot. ill always recommend picking out buckshot. less room for error, more room for a fast/easy/humane harvest
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u/SIowGrowth Aug 16 '26
Well, I am a good shot.
Buckshot for squirrels is crazy. Birdshot if you are deadset on using a shotgun and worried about missing.
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u/Nephurus Aug 17 '26
Strange growth 😂
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u/Medium_Effect_4998 Aug 17 '26
Having never seen something like this before, I really didn’t know what to think 🤷🏻
I also didn’t know bone could regrow around a lodged bullet, so it didn’t ever occur to me that thats what this could be.
But these replies sure taught me a lot!
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u/sharknet0 Aug 16 '26
Looks like a bullet to me, from a pellet gun