texastee2007 said:
Hey Goody in all the travels you do in the mountains and the Valleys....do you ever find many carcasses just lying about? folks think it is just that easy...
I've seen a few over the years, but depending on the season and the climate, total decomposition can take place in just a matter of weeks.
Of course the bones are the last to go but even they don't last long under the right conditions. The larger the animal the longer it takes.
Usually the carcass is hidden by vegetation and while an odor may be present you really have to go out of your way to see it first hand.
Predators, insects, maggots, decay, etc. usually makes short work of causing a carcass to disappear, especially during spring, summer, and early fall. Only in the desert or high elevations (above the tree line) would the bones of a carcass last more than a year and even then only the largest would remain.