Maceration

Over the fall season, I decided to try to process my specimens by way of cold water maceration. Given the cooler fall days, the process took much longer than usual and resulted in very gummy and weak small bones. I started my first project (a common Groundhog) October 10th and only the skull was ready for cleaning a month later. I lost many bones of the rest of the skeleton to the extended soak, so I now know that in the future, I should keep the maceration in warmer climates and for shorter periods of time. While attempting to try a new processing method, I ended up with yet another water maceration process, this time a Cooper's Hawk. Before I get a phone call from the government, I am not keeping the hawk. I'm processing it as a favor for the Wildlife Rehab Center to be used as a learning aid. I started the water maceration process January 21st, 2017. I am trying to keep the temperatures more stable and I am going to keep the specimen in the same water continuously until the project is through, instead of changing the water weekly. The process should take at least a month at this rate.