Elk Poop

[treillw]

How do you determine how fresh elk poop is when you come across it? I typically will step on it gently to see how soft it is. If it sticks to my boot, I know that it's still steaming.

I think basically I'm looking at moisture content - as it sits there for longer, it drys out and becomes firmer. It starts off life sticking to your boot, then will deform a little and maybe bounce back into shape, then stays firm, then eventually turns into a dry fertilizer pellet.

What got me thinking about this is I've been hunting a lot in the rain recently and have come across a good amount of fresh looking sign. I wonder if the rain is "re-hydrating" it and making it look fresher than it really is. Anyone noticed this?

I've also noticed that the poop I see when I immediately walk up to where an elk was just standing is typically more greenish, as opposed to the older stuff is pretty black.

Just curious to see what everybody else does and hear some of your poo aging methods.

 

[Pgohil]

There are many ways to determine scat freshness. I prefer the taste method myself. YMMV.

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[treillw]

There are many ways to determine scat freshness. I prefer the taste method myself. YMMV.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G891A using Tapatalk

Could you elaborate further on the different flavor profiles you've experienced?

 

[Fridaythe13th]

Damit,17 minutes to slow on the taste reply. Lol

 

[Pgohil]

If it falls apart in your mouth and makes your eyes go cross, it's old. Fresh will mold to your teeth and have a earthy, sage, grassy taste.

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[ChrisAU]

I was surprised by how its just everywhere. We were in places last week where it was like walking on marbles, you damn near could fall down if you weren't careful walking on so much of it. Guess there just aren't the insects up there to break it down. Whitetail sh*t down here doesn't last a few days.

 

[KHNC]

I guess you must be in Region 1 right now. Rain , rain, rain , rain.......but, snow starts on monday, first day of my hunt!

 

[LongWayAround]

Full sun or full shade will also skew the rate of drying. If it's black and soft, it may have been rehydrated with precipitation. If it's a black shell with soft green interior, it's fairly recent but not super fresh. If it looks like it just dropped, they're close (maybe).

Really fresh turds usually make me slow down and pay more attention. Scent always catches my attention but the smell can linger long after they've gone. Only the actual sight or sound of elk is exciting. Anything else is just an observation.

 

[HookUp]

I glass it with my swarovski bino's and look to see how much of the intestinal slime coat is left. Light visible older than 24 hours, half visible 12 hour mark. Anything more visible i'm grabbing my rifle and running up the trail like rambo.

 

[mtnrunner260]

I glass it with my swarovski bino's and look to see how much of the intestinal slime coat is left. Light visible older than 24 hours, half visible 12 hour mark. Anything more visible i'm grabbing my rifle and running up the trail like rambo.

Its amazing the details you can pick up when you flip those binos around!

 

[Chesapeake]

I look at the color and texture. It depends on the temp, humidity, rain, snow, ect.... but.....

It tends to come out bright green, slimy, and soft/gooey. After 15 to 30 minutes or so the outer layer will darken, but the pieces in the pile where they touch will still be green. Then after 30-60 the entire outer layer will be dark including penetrating into where the pieces touch. After an hour or more the dark layer will be thicker and even in the areas the pieces touch.

If its old it will be dark through and through and not have that glossy slime look, then it gets washed out looking, with a rough fiber type look.

If I come across bright green I'm on high alert. If it has a thin dark layer I slow down and look for likely bedding areas. You can find poo 2 hours old, but if the elk then bedded you can be right behind them.
I use my trekking pole or a stick to stir the pile and stab a piece to get a look inside and judge color/texture.

Cows pee behind their hind legs, often in a concentrated round/oval area, during the rut they tend to have some redish color in their pee. Bulls pee in front of their hind legs often in a long thin pattern.

Bulls tend to have rounder hooves, cows tend to have pointy hooves.

Its all very subjective, but you can learn a lot by watching elk and then walking over to where they were at and looking at the sign you watched them leave.

 

[juan trueno]

I glass it with my swarovski bino's and look to see how much of the intestinal slime coat is left. Light visible older than 24 hours, half visible 12 hour mark. Anything more visible i'm grabbing my rifle and running up the trail like rambo.

I’ve had good luck using this method with my Kowa Spotting Scope. Tried it with my vortex razor binos and went ahead and sold them. Useless.

 

[Southforkguy]

Honestly i like to pivk it up, warm my hands up and then throw it at a tree.. just like a monkey

 

[Wrench]

This book will tell you everything you need to know. How shape, size, constitution....EVERYTHING is connected to elk. It's basically the bible of elk....and a steal at this price.
North American Elk: Ecology and Management – Wildlife Management Institute

 

[kicker338]

Honestly i like to pivk it up, warm my hands up and then throw it at a tree.. just like a monkey

Monkey's don't throw it at trees, they throw it at you and pretty accurately too.

 

[ElkNut1]

Unless I see it coming out their rears I don't don't get too keyed up about it as an archery hunter! Plenty of times I've come across steaming crap & they were already gone! It just tells me there's elk around & it's up to me to find them, I will call & move till located or seen!

ElkNut/Paul

 

[ND_Hooligan]

Different question but how long do you suppose elk s*** (poop) will stick around before it disintegrates? Is it months or years? It seems when I hunt I see tons of it that looks quite old but not sure how to judge when it was left or when the elk happened to be using the particular area.

 

[DavePwns]

7 min scat VS approx 2 weeks scat. Can you tell the difference?

 

[elkduds]

How do you determine how fresh elk poop is when you come across it? Just curious to see what everybody else does and hear some of your poo aging methods.

Just a pinch between yer cheek and gums.

 

[SW hunter]

Every camping trip I try to practice or teach a skill set with the kids. I keep it fun and light, maybe an hour or two, teach them to find dry wood, finding chunks of pine sap, finding bugs, ways to get a fire going, places to stay dry, how to avoid wind, random outdoor stuff thats good to know for hunting. Grabbing some known fresh turds and take them back to camp see how they age out in the sun or in heavy shade over the next few days is sort of useful for reference.