The Poo?

[UpperleftPNW]

Just a few questions about deer Poo.

1. I have been scouting for blacktail and have found an area with a lot of signs of deer like rubs, and tracks but literally no poo anywhere. Does this mean the deer maybe just quickly pass through this area or is something eating the poo or are there maybe just less deer in the area then the tracks are telling me?

2. Hunting Mullies I have found hillsides completely covered in poo, literally everywhere. Comparing this too my experience on the wet side, does poo stick around longer in the desert climate and compost faster on the wet side? My hunting buddies were trying to guess how long some of the dropping we were seeing were on the east side. Some were hard as rocks, can this stick around for months? Years?

3. In general does finding deer droppings tell you much about an area? other the finding really fresh stuff that tells you a deer has been there very recently. Like if you find a bunch of old sign but no new would you keep looking for new sign or assume the deer are still using the area you found old sign in?

I am pretty new to hunting and scouting. Any advice or insight would be appreciated.

[RileyH]

I'm no expert but here's my best shot.

1. You may have cut a corridor they use to travel between feeding and bedding zones if you're seeing activity but no scat. I've heard from different bio's that they actually go 10-15 times a day on average, so if you're not seeing scat...something is up.

2. Feces is mostly made up of water, so the more humidity and higher temp, the faster it decomposes. We generally have warmer/wetter weather on the wet side so I'd say yes it probably decomposes faster.

3. I've found most scat to be around preferred food sources, water sources, or near/in bedding areas. If I found a bunch of old sign, but no new, I would note that area for future check-in's and move on to a more productive area.

[nwwanderer]

Huge variation depending on diet, health status, rainfall, humidity and season. 

[buckcanyonlodge]

Lots of old sign on south facing slopes = wintering area-- especially near abundant patches of bitterbrush.

[fishnfur]

Dang!  I thought you were talking about Winnie the Poo.  I know lots about Eore and Christopher Robin.   


I feel like I only kinda remember this, so don't quote me.  Seems like they defecate after eating and after getting up from their beds after chewing their cud before they grab another few bites of food, both of which tells you you're in and area where they feed (Duh!)  That of course is not the only time of the day since there is pellets everywhere.  Here's what Google says: 
 
" Deer Poop—A lot
Wildlife biologists agree that deer defecate roughly 13 times per day during the fall months. If you consider a family group of deer consisting of two does and three fawns, it amounts to 65 different excretions during a single day. As hunters, we often build our deer hotspots around rubs"

So in other words, finding fresh droppings tells you you're in the right area, at least for doe and fawns.  No animals eat them (except for my dogs!).  The lack of massive amounts of BT poop vs Muley is (I'm guessing here) that when I seen mule deer herds, there are often ten or more doe all in one place moving and feeding together.  Blacktail don't do that.  Typically, a doe and a fawn or two, plus a yearling doe or two is about all you'll find together in one place.  Less deer per area = less poop on the ground.  That, plus the fact that foliage likely often hides a large percentage of BT droppings reduces the amount you see.

Anyways, if you step on them or pick them up and squish them, they're supple under pressure and green inside when they are fresh.  On the westside, they stay wet and soft a long time during the fall, but they loose the green color interior as they age.  The only poop you care about is the fresh stuff.  Large conglomerations of pellets all stuck together in the shape of a larger turd (for lack of a better word) belong to bucks (according to other hunters on this site.  I'll take their word for it)  Old hard droppings tell you what happened months ago.  If there's only old poo and no new piles, then you're likely in a spring/summer feeding area and should move on.  Warm and steaming poop means you should go into stealth mode.

Notice in the last few words of the Google description, it states they build their hunts around hotspots (fresh sign) and rubs.  in feeding areas there is poo everywhere, some old, some new, not always in the same areas.  Fresh rubs, or an area that has a lot of older rubs from years of deer tree abuse are the "stop and hunt here" sign you should heed if you're not seeing live animals.  If you're seeing doe without fawns and it's close to the end of October, there may be a buck close by or approaching in the near future. 

Good luck! 

[Bango skank]

Dang!  I thought you were talking about Winnie the Poo.  I know lots about Eore and Christopher Robin.   


I feel like I only kinda remember this, so don't quote me.  Seems like they defecate after eating and after getting up from their beds after chewing their cud before they grab another few bites of food, both of which tells you you're in and area where they feed (Duh!)  That of course is not the only time of the day since there is pellets everywhere.  Here's what Google says: 
 
" Deer Poop—A lot
Wildlife biologists agree that deer defecate roughly 13 times per day during the fall months. If you consider a family group of deer consisting of two does and three fawns, it amounts to 65 different excretions during a single day. As hunters, we often build our deer hotspots around rubs"

So in other words, finding fresh droppings tells you you're in the right area, at least for doe and fawns.  No animals eat them (except for my dogs!).  The lack of massive amounts of BT poop vs Muley is (I'm guessing here) that when I seen mule deer herds, there are often ten or more doe all in one place moving and feeding together.  Blacktail don't do that.  Typically, a doe and a fawn or two, plus a yearling doe or two is about all you'll find together in one place.  Less deer per area = less poop on the ground.  That, plus the fact that foliage likely often hides a large percentage of BT droppings reduces the amount you see.

Anyways, if you step on them or pick them up and squish them, they're supple under pressure and green inside when they are fresh.  On the westside, they stay wet and soft a long time during the fall, but they loose the green color interior as they age.  The only poop you care about is the fresh stuff. Large conglomerations of pellets all stuck together in the shape of a larger turd (for lack of a better word) belong to bucks (according to other hunters on this site.  I'll take their word for it)  Old hard droppings tell you what happened months ago.  If there's only old poo and no new piles, then you're likely in a spring/summer feeding area and should move on.  Warm and steaming poop means you should go into stealth mode.

Notice in the last few words of the Google description, it states they build their hunts around hotspots (fresh sign) and rubs.  in feeding areas there is poo everywhere, some old, some new, not always in the same areas.  Fresh rubs, or an area that has a lot of older rubs from years of deer tree abuse are the "stop and hunt here" sign you should heed if you're not seeing live animals.  If you're seeing doe without fawns and it's close to the end of October, there may be a buck close by or approaching in the near future. 

Good luck!

I used to think that too, but ive personally watched does drop fist sized clumps of turds, and watched 3-4 year old bucks drop rabbit pellets.  Just depends on what theyve been eating.

[NOCK NOCK]

  agree.  Most all deer /elk poop will be clumpy and compacted patty shape at times, especially in the spring when diet changes from more roughage to more greenery.

[fishnfur]

I don't disagree with that.  When I stated that the composition and clumpiness of the stool had to do with the amount of water the in the browse.  I was chastised by several people telling me I was wrong.  That's why I stated it "according to other members ...."  I didn't want another spanking.

[UpperleftPNW]

Thanks for the replies.

I was interested to read about the potential differences between a buck and doe droppings. Sounds like there is some different in opinions there. Either way the bigger the poo the bigger the animal is a good rule of thumb.

As far as the lack of droppings in the area I have been black tail scouting it makes sense that the spot I am in is only an area they quickly pass through on their way to feed. Not a ton of food in this specific spot. I just put a cam out and have someone dumping apples in front of it every few days. It will be interesting to see if there are more poo piles in that general area.

[fishnfur]

...so you'll kind of be the poop patrol?   

[Aeron]

This was a great question. I have all sorts of BT come through my property, see em on cameras, but rarely ever see any left over poop.  Scouting where I like to hunt I rarely see any poop.  I have often wondered, where the hell are they going? Some of it I attribute to the terrain/foliage/weather around here, which is not conducive to providing poop longevity.  However, I have seen deer hanging out, bedded down, passing through in front of my cameras and maybe a half dozen times have I ever found any poop left behind. 
They really are like ghosts...don't even get me started about how light footed they are and trying to see foot prints anywhere.