CODY - The chance discovery near here of human remains that may date to 1,000 years ago has triggered a process under federal law that will involve consulting with nearby Indian tribes to determine what happens next.

Two friends were heading out to go rabbit hunting Sunday on public land administered by the U.S. Bureau of Land Management when they noticed what they thought was an animal bone partially exposed in the dirt.

"We cleared out around it and realized it was a skull," said construction worker Mark Buhler, 28.

"It freaked me out. I jumped about 15 feet backwards when I saw teeth," Buhler said.

"Once we saw the molars, we stopped and knew exactly what to do," said Jud Seiver, 33, who works for a monumental sculpture company.

Seiver had previously found a partial skull in the Sunlight Basin area and knew this time to cover the bones and contact the Park County Sheriff's Office. The rabbit hunting trip never got started amid the excitement of the discovery.

Together, the sheriff's office, Park County Coroner Tim Power and BLM archaeologist Kierson Crume determined the remains were not recent, Crume said.

Buhler said it was impossible to know without excavating the entire site, but the skull appears to be part of what may be a complete skeleton.

Crume said any guess about the age of the remains would be speculation, but that wear patterns on the teeth were consistent with a diet eaten by Indians in the area around 1,000 years ago.

Buhler said the molars were worn smooth and ground away considerably.

Crume said he was unable to determine gender from viewing only part of the skull, or whether it was that of an adult or child.

No artifacts were found on the surface around the site, Crume said. He asked that specific details of the site's location not be released, to protect the remains against theft or vandalism.

Sherry Hutt, program manager for the federal Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act, said the law protecting such finds is strong. Destroying, removing or attempting to sell such remains or related artifacts could bring a number of criminal or civil penalties, ranging from fines up to $150,000 and between 2 and 15 years in prison.

Under the act, such finds on public lands obligate federal management agencies to consult with tribal groups about what, if anything, should be done with the remains, Crume said.

Crume said he had notified the Northern Arapaho, Northern Cheyenne, Eastern Shoshone and Crow tribes, but that other groups may also be contacted, and BLM would welcome input from any interested parties.

"If groups do express an interest, we would be able to provide additional information or arrange for a site visit," he said.

Crume said the discovery is the fourth of its kind he has been involved with during a decade of working in Wyoming for BLM.

"We encourage the folks recreating on public lands to be forthcoming with encounters of prehistoric or historic significance, and to report them to the appropriate authority or landowner," he said.