Where did all the bones come from ?
Weather killed many many animals .The painting by C M Russel, The Last of The 5000 is good place to start.
It is set in Montana, and the winter of 1886-1887. The outfit (ranch) was the DHS . they lost in excess of 5000 head in the Judith Basin area which is a milder winter area
than most of the rest of eastern MT. Do you suppose that weather killed any wild life?
There is a trail down into the Missouri river known as the Bone Trail . People in the area picked up bones and hauled them to the river to steamboats, and later to the
railroad to sell. It would not take to long to make a very big pile.
