Man Discovers Rare Mammoth Bone In Missouri

February 23, 2026

A discovery in northwest Missouri is taking us back to a time when massive mammoths may have roamed the Midwest.

Jason Howery

Local paleontologist Jason Howery may have just made the most significant discovery of his career — a femur believed to belong to a Columbian mammoth. The bone was found at a site where earlier remains and associated tools had already been partially authenticated by professional anthropologists, adding even greater weight to the find.

“When I first got there, it was the very first thing that I saw, and I looked down and there it was and I was like, ‘No way,’” Howery said.

“There’s a specific texture to Ice Age bone that doesn’t feel like anything else in the world. When you feel it, it has this sticky, glassy texture to it. So as soon as my hands hit it, I was like, ‘I know this feeling.’”

Beyond the thrill of discovery, Howery is passionate about sharing what he finds. Through community programs and school outreach, he hopes to ignite curiosity in the next generation.

“Really, the goal is to inspire kids to put their phones down and get out into nature and explore, because there is so much history that is still out there right below their feet.”

There are no guarantees in fossil hunting. But for Howery, that’s part of the beauty of it.

“So many possibilities and you never know what’s going to be there. You don’t always find things, but you find peace, you know?”

And sometimes, if you’re lucky… you find a mammoth.