If you’re planning to hunt for deer, then there are various techniques you can follow. But did you know that hunting for deer doesn’t require the most expensive and fancy of stuff? As long as you have the best equipment such as a bow stabilizer or learn new ways of hunting according to your preference and the state laws, then there is no need to worry about. You should also start finding out about deer more, and not just by their actions and sounds, but the way their poop looks like to make them easier to scout! But what does deer poop look like?
If you’re wondering about what deer poop looks like to follow and track your game, then read on as I show you about scat and how to identify it.
What Does Deer Poop Look Like?
It’s probably a funny question, wondering what deer poop looks like. But it’s an important part of hunting and scouting your prey!
Because deer ruminate, their food is digested finely. You’ll find that their poop are like pellets, which are black and shiny with no sign of contents or whatever food they previously ate.
Their poop are often in small pieces left on tracks in the woods. They are separate and cylindrical, pointed at one end and indented on the other end. But there are times, especially during summer, that their poop comes in one amorphous lump.
All deer poop usually look the same, and it’s difficult to tell the species apart. But you can tell by its size. Larger types of deer would have ledger pellets (around three centimeters for red deer).
Their poop would also depend on what they eat. Round pellets would mean that they have been eating tougher items, such as leaves, acorns, and twigs. Lumpy or bigger droppings indicate that they have digested it well, such as grass, alfalfa, apples, or clover.
Read more: The 8 Effective Ways on How to Get Deer to Come to Your Stand
Why Should You Know What Deer Poop Looks Like?
Why is this all important anyway? Isn’t it possible to just wait on an elevated stand or anywhere near you to wait for deer to come?
Scouting is no shallow business. It takes hard work, and it isn’t simply about waiting in an area where people think deer usually are. While you can lure deer with various products, it’s still recommended to track where they are near so you can create a strategic location where you can put your techniques to use.
Through learning what deer poop looks like, you can identify not only where deer are near, but what kind of animal you are hunting. That way, you are assured that you are following and scouting for deer and not some random animal that wastes your time and effort.
You know that deer will be near once you identify its poop, which gives you ample time for you to prepare where you can set up your hunting gear (tripod deer stand or deer blind) and wait for deer to come.
Here’s a video helping you identify deer poop:
More Tips on How to Scout for Deer
Now that you know what deer poop looks like, what are other ways you can scout deer properly and know where to set up your hunting location? Here are some tips to follow:
- You will know if deer have just been in the area if it is a bit warm or has a greenish tint. Shiny poop with moisture indicates that the poop is a few hours old. The longer droppings stay, the darker and drier they become before they settle into the area.
- I recommend you to set up your stand and weapons near the droppings, especially if they have just been around the area. It’s also best to hunt near a field or open area with food sources, as this is where deer would usually be.
- Avoid picking up poop with your bare hands if you would like to lure deer near your area. That’s because they may be contaminated. Use plastic when doing so and do not use it as fertilizer.
Read more: How to Find Deer In the Woods: The 5 Effective Steps to Follow
In Conclusion
When it comes to hunting, you shouldn’t only be investing in the quality equipment, but you should also study your game and how they move around. After all, how will you be able to utilize our weapons if you can’t find and scout your game? Through learning about how deer move and live, you can predict and track where they are headed. And yes, that includes checking their poop!
I hope that this article answers your question: “What does deer poop look like?” Now that you know about deer poop, you should start familiarizing yourself and ensuring that you are on the right track and scouting your prey properly today!
If you have any questions or would like to share more of your tips and experiences when scouting deer, then comment down below. I would love to hear what you have to think.