would you be able to help differentiate between elk vs deer scat? cus i think we have both where we live. afaik, deer looks very similar to goat pellets, while elk looks slightly rectangular and often stuck together. is there other stuff i should be looking for to differentiate? i been finding piles of both types.
i've spotted elk on the road to where we live but didn't expect them to basically be in my yard. xD we see deer everywhere tho~
Absolutely! Scat can vary quite a bit in appearance and size, so it’s not an exact science but there are features you can look for.
With deer, the pellets are typically 3/16-5/8” (0.5-1.6cm) in diameter and 1/2-1 3/4” (1.3-4.4cm) long. This is true for White-tailed and Mule deer, as their scats are indistinguishable from each other.
With elk, the pellets are typically 7/16-11/16” (1.1-1.7cm) in diameter and 1/2-1” (1.3-2.5cm) long.
As you can see there is some size overlap with some deer pellets falling in the elk size range, and sometimes a few pellets will be a different size in the pile but you should look at the overall trend in size.
The consistency/appearance of the scat is also heavily influenced by their diet, wet seasons will result in loose, amorphous patties, as their diet shifts to drier vegetation you’ll see clear pellets while the scat is still clumped together, and then individual pellets which will be quite hard in the dry season/winter. There will be variations of this each season since it’s based on diet.
In general, deer scats tend to be narrower and rounded at both ends, but they can also have a dimple at one end and a point at the other. They can be short and stout (and look similar to rabbit at times) or long and skinny). I’ve heard them referred to as jelly beans (trackers LOVE to compare scat size and shape to various foods and candy).
In general, elk scats are large, with asymmetric pellets that have a dimple on one end and a point at the other, but a drier diet can result in them being oblong pellets convex in both ends. Sticking with the candy theme, I’ve heard them referred to as milk duds.
Here’s a few photo examples:
I did pull a lot of the terminology from the books Mammal Tracks and Sign (second edition) by Mark Elbroch and Wildlife of the Pacific Northwest by David Moskowitz. I mostly teach in the field using real-life examples so I wanted to make sure I was phrasing everything correctly!
