With dry dissections simply use the dissecting probe to carefully scrape and pick away the fur and feathers from the bones and skulls. In a wet dissection, soak the pellets in a small container of water for a few hours. Then carefully pick out the bones and skulls. My students prefer a combination of the two, removing large pieces dry and soaking them in film cannisters to completely remove the fur and feathers. Use a bone and skull identification key to determine what animals have been eaten.
Teeth are especially useful in the identification process.
Mice, voles, and shrews are common finds in an owl pellet and each has a very different type of teeth. They can also be collected in the wild by exploring the ground around known owl perches. Dissecting Supplies Tweezers, hand lenses, petri dishes, and dissecting probes can be ordered through science supply houses. Plastic sandwich boxes are convenient containers to keep a dissection in progress protected. Used for take out food, they can be found at a local deli or restaurant.