What Does Elk Scat Look Like?

By engaging the senses, learning to read the natural environment, and understanding the movement patterns and behaviors of elk, you can accurately place and confirm their presence, enabling you to plan a more effective approach. 

After some solid e-scouting in your preparation for an elk hunt, it's time to put boots on the ground. To paint a picture of an elk in its territory, there are sure signs you can turn to, including rubs, tracks and trails, rutting behaviors, and what we are examining today: scat.

What does elk scat look like? How will you know it when you see it? Let's break down some identifying features and strategies that you can use to inform your elk hunt and hopefully tag out. 

What Does Elk Scat Look Like?

Typically, elk scat looks like dark brown or blackish pellets. Each pellet is usually about 0.5 to one inch long and up to 0.5 inches wide.

Elk pellets are larger and more robust than deer pellets and may take on the shape of an almond as opposed to deer scat, which may be slightly rounder and resemble more of a small chocolate candy. These differences stem from differences in diet and digestive makeup.

Seasons and Diet Can Change How It Looks

Scat may shift in form and composition due to seasonal differences, which have a direct impact on the diet.

• During the winter and cooler periods, scat may resemble individual pellets due to the dry forage consumed during this time.
• In the summer and warmer periods, when elk consume a diet of rich and moist vegetation, the scat may result in more clumped pellets taking a looser form, and can even result in pies. 

How to Identify Elk Scat in the Field

Finding elk presence is like building an investigative case. You're collecting corroborative evidence that will help confirm the presence of elk in your hunting territory.

Elk scat rarely exists on its own and will often be accompanied by signs such as fresh elk tracks. These tracks, larger than those of deer, are round with about 4 inches in length and width (hind tracks are slightly smaller and more slender). You'll find scat scattered along game trails where these tracks are, as elk often excrete while moving. Elk usually team up when not rutting, so you will likely find multiple tracks sometimes in a big mess. 

How Long Has It Been There?

Next, you'll want to determine how long these droppings have been on the ground.

• Fresh elk scat should be moist and shiny. If you run your boot across a drop, it should smear with ease, almost with a sheen in the light.
• Older scat will dry and crumble with ease, start to take on a grayish tone, and break apart, which could indicate that the scat is hours or even days old. 

Then, clumped scat indicates a diet rich in grasses and forbs, whereas a more pelleted form may be an indication that their diet has shifted to drier vegetation. This is helpful info for tracking seasonal movements, especially during those in-between seasonal changes.

Elk Scat vs Deer Scat: Know the Difference

Knowing the answer to "what does elk scat look like" can also help with species differentiation. 

One common investigation in the field is determining elk scat vs deer scat.

To the inexperienced eye, deer and elk scat can share some similarities (some already discussed above). When differentiating between the two, it's essential to start with basic identifying features, such as size.
 

• Deer scat is smaller, usually 0.25 to 0.5 inches long and less wide, whereas elk scat is larger and bulkier in size.
• Elk scat is usually one to 1.5 inches in width. 

Additionally, deer typically produce more individualized scat, whereas elk more frequently produce clumps, especially when there is lush and green vegetation on the menu. Finally, elk scat may be darker and more tarry-looking in high-protein diets. 

Why Scat Matters to Hunters

Scat shows more than just the presence of animals in a hunting zone. When assessed correctly, it can help differentiate between elk scat vs deer scat, providing further clues about the species, diet, hydration, health, and how recently they passed through a particular area. 

When chasing elk, scat droppings in high concentrations in vegetation-rich zones, such as meadows, can indicate a high-potential hunting zone. We recommend noting this in your HuntWise app so you either know where to return later or keep track of what you're seeing during your hunt.

Additionally, scat-rich zones with scraping signs and rubs, particularly those with natural cover such as deep timber, may indicate a bedding zone or transition zone. 

By combining scat signs with natural elk observations, you can even determine herd size, direction, timing, and, in some cases, elevation, depending on the season and availability of natural vegetation. 

Scat Scouting Is Just One Part of Finding Elk to Hunt

Locating scat is often one of the first steps in confirming elk presence on your hunt.

Always pack binoculars or a spotting scope to start glassing or scouting from a distance — if the scat is fresh, they can't be too far off. Pairing scat identification with trail cameras can be a valuable strategy for tracking elk in the area and helping to determine regular passage routes and travel patterns. 

Then, remember that it's always best to follow hygienic practices when inspecting scat, which may include using gloves or a stick to inspect scat up close. This will help minimize the risk of contamination from any pathogens that may be on the scat and also help to keep you scent-free. 

Experience the Ultimate Elk Hunt With HuntWise 

Knowing what elk scat looks like and finding other signs can be just as exciting as putting eyes on an elk, as it builds anticipation for what is to come. Taking the time to study, learn, and adapt to elk sign can help you be more selective in your hunt and allow the kind of preparation and precision that separates a walk in the woods from a year's worth of organic protein.

With HuntWise, you'll be able to look for potential hunting areas where elk are most likely to be. You can also use markers and notes to track the incidence of elk sign as you scout. Then, use the app's weather insights and rutting forecasting to pinpoint the best time and location to chase some of these stunning creatures. 

Don't have HuntWise yet? Download the app and enjoy it free for your first week!

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

We have answers to your questions about elk scat!

Q: What does elk poop look like?

A: Elk poop usually appears as dark brown to black oval pellets. They're also typically slightly pointed on one end.

Q: How big is elk scat?

A: Elk pellets are typically about 3/4–1 inch long and 1/2-3/4 inch wide, larger than deer droppings.

Q: How to tell the difference between deer and elk poop.

A: Elk pellets are bigger and more oval than deer pellets, which are rounder, smaller, and more uniform.

Q: How to tell how old elk poop is.

A: Fresh scat is moist, shiny, and dark. Older scat turns lighter in color and dry. It also becomes crumbly over time.

Q: How do you tell the difference between bull elk poop and cow elk poop?

A: Bull scat is typically clumped together more often (especially in winter when eating coarse forage). Cow scat tends to stay in separate pellets. However, this is not always a reliable distinction.