Hunting — Bones

Overview

Bones are a vital crafting resource obtained by quartering animals or players in DayZ. They are essential for early-game survival as they allow you to craft improvised fishing hooks and bone knives, bridging the gap when standard tools are unavailable.

How It Works

When you kill an animal (or player), you must use a sharp tool—such as a knife, machete, or hatchet—to "Skin and Quarter" the carcass. While this yields meat and fat, it also produces a stack of bones. These bones can then be crafted into utility items by dragging them onto another tool, such as a knife, to select the desired recipe.

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Kill an animal such as a chicken, goat, or deer using a firearm or melee weapon.
2. Equip a sharp cutting tool like a Kitchen Knife, Hunting Knife, or Combat Knife.
3. Aim at the carcass and hold the Left Mouse Button (or console equivalent) to "Skin and Quarter."
4. Collect the bones that appear in the vicinity inventory or the carcass inventory.
5. To craft an improvised hook, drag a bone onto your knife in your inventory.
6. Select the "Craft Improvised Hook" option from the recipe list.
7. To craft a bone knife, drag a bone onto another bone or a stone to sharpen it into a cutting tool.

Tips

• Always carry a knife; without one, you cannot access the bones inside a carcass.
• Chickens are the most efficient source of bones for early-game players due to their high spawn rate in villages.
• An improvised bone hook is just as effective as a metal hook for catching fish; combine it with a long wooden stick to create a complete fishing rod.
• Bones can be used to craft a bone knife, which serves as an excellent backup cutting tool if your primary knife becomes ruined.
• If you lack a knife, use two small stones to create a stone knife, which can then be used to skin animals for bones.

Common Mistakes

• Forgetting to skin the animal entirely; if you don't use a sharp tool, the bones remain locked inside the carcass.
• Trying to skin an animal with a blunt object like a hammer or crowbar, which will not yield resources.
• Discarding bones after looting meat, unaware that they are necessary for passive food gathering via fishing.
• Ignoring the condition of your knife; once a knife reaches "Ruined" status, you can no longer skin animals or craft items.

Related Items

• Hunting Knife
• Kitchen Knife
• Bone Hook
• Stone Knife
• Fishing Rod
• Matches

Related Guides

• Skinning and Quartering
• Cooking and Food Safety
• Fishing Basics
• Improvised Crafting