Scouting: The Significance of Poop
- pewpewpew
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Scouting: The Significance of Poop
After reading dozens of threads on this forum and watching the Hill Country DVD, I've applied all this new knowledge to my scouting. I'm scouting hill country with very low deer density. I'm talking 1-2 deer per square mile, according to state biologists. I tend to think it's a bit higher than that.
Something I have not seen mentioned in the forum is the significance of poop. Specifically the amount of poop, in and around bedding areas and staging areas. I've scouted the military crest, top 1/3 travel lanes, benches, areas of cluster rubs, food plots, ect. In those areas I find tons of tracks and rubs, but very little poop. I suspect these are places that bucks are at mostly at night. On the move, and not necessarily milling around and pooping. The exception to this might be where the top 1/3 travel lane meets a bedding area.
Now to bedding areas. Even with low deer density, I've found piles of deer poop next to deer beds, and within 30 yards or so of deer beds (which I guess might be considered the staging area). Piles of turds every 5 feet. Areas you can't walk 10 feet without stepping on one. My thought is that deer feel comfortable in their bedding areas, and choose to poop where they are most comfortable. I don't think pooping is completely random. I know that animals like horses have areas that they prefer to poop in. There is some thought involved in it. I've seen them walk to certain pooping areas, poop, then return to where they came from.
To simplify this, I guess you could say: Lots of poop in a small area = deer are here in daylight, this is close to bedding, Hunt here. Lots of other deer sign, but little poop = travel area or night time travel area. Don't bother hunting here. With all of this in mind, isn't high-density deer poop some of the most significant sign in determining a hunting location? Maybe not so if you are specifically hunting bucks, or a specific mature buck, but deer in general. Not to mention, finding piles of turds is somewhat easier than finding actual beds, especially in heavier cover.
Something I have not seen mentioned in the forum is the significance of poop. Specifically the amount of poop, in and around bedding areas and staging areas. I've scouted the military crest, top 1/3 travel lanes, benches, areas of cluster rubs, food plots, ect. In those areas I find tons of tracks and rubs, but very little poop. I suspect these are places that bucks are at mostly at night. On the move, and not necessarily milling around and pooping. The exception to this might be where the top 1/3 travel lane meets a bedding area.
Now to bedding areas. Even with low deer density, I've found piles of deer poop next to deer beds, and within 30 yards or so of deer beds (which I guess might be considered the staging area). Piles of turds every 5 feet. Areas you can't walk 10 feet without stepping on one. My thought is that deer feel comfortable in their bedding areas, and choose to poop where they are most comfortable. I don't think pooping is completely random. I know that animals like horses have areas that they prefer to poop in. There is some thought involved in it. I've seen them walk to certain pooping areas, poop, then return to where they came from.
To simplify this, I guess you could say: Lots of poop in a small area = deer are here in daylight, this is close to bedding, Hunt here. Lots of other deer sign, but little poop = travel area or night time travel area. Don't bother hunting here. With all of this in mind, isn't high-density deer poop some of the most significant sign in determining a hunting location? Maybe not so if you are specifically hunting bucks, or a specific mature buck, but deer in general. Not to mention, finding piles of turds is somewhat easier than finding actual beds, especially in heavier cover.
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Re: Scouting: The Significance of Poop
I HAVE SEEN SOME GREAT BEDDING AREAS WITH LOTS OF POOP... And some great bedding with not so much. Lots of poo, is like lots of rubs. It tells you deer hang out there. it don't mean they are not in places with a lack of it. Sometimes staging with food that holds deer in an area for a long time has a lot of poo. If its near big buck bedding, and its fresh, it would certainly catch my attention.
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Re: Scouting: The Significance of Poop
I hunted a farm where the deer would stage at the top of a hill at night - beds galore, smelled like a barn yard, poo everywhere. NIGHTTIME ONLY.
I do look for droppings - deer are usually pretty relaxed when dropping them.
IMO, it's like everything else - site specific and animal specific.
I do look for droppings - deer are usually pretty relaxed when dropping them.
IMO, it's like everything else - site specific and animal specific.
- Hawthorne
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Re: Scouting: The Significance of Poop
One winter I found a south facing slope with lot brush and it was semi open. Lots of beds around and poo. One deer had a serious case of diarrhea. Founds lots of piles of it. Went back in spring and found 3 sheds in that spot. I've only found heavy concentrations of poo in wintering areas.
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Re: Scouting: The Significance of Poop
I've been in wintering areas that are so heavily covered with deer droppings you cannot take a single step without being on top of them. These areas may or may not have any significance during hunting seasons.
There are some great threads on here regarding the significance of deer droppings... do a search for "pellet length", etc.
In low deer density areas such as those you have mentioned, concentrations of deer droppings most often indicate popular feeding or bedding areas. For example, a good patch of forbes that have remained green into the winter will be overrun with deer droppings- and it is a feeding area.
There are some great threads on here regarding the significance of deer droppings... do a search for "pellet length", etc.
In low deer density areas such as those you have mentioned, concentrations of deer droppings most often indicate popular feeding or bedding areas. For example, a good patch of forbes that have remained green into the winter will be overrun with deer droppings- and it is a feeding area.
- checkerfred
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Re: Scouting: The Significance of Poop
I've noticed hunting the local refuge that when I hit doe poop, if I want to kill any deer, I better setup there. Past several times I've not done that I've bumped deer from about 30-60 yards
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Re: Scouting: The Significance of Poop
pewpewpew wrote: I know that animals like horses have areas that they prefer to poop in. There is some thought involved in it. I've seen them walk to certain pooping areas, poop, then return to where they came from.
I grew up with and was involved with horses for a good part of my life. I can tell you that they are each individual just like deer are. Some (horses) pick specific spots to poop and only poop there. Others go wherever they happen to be at that moment and make a mess. As usual there is never a "constant" whether it be horse or deer. They all have personalities.
All I can tell you is the higher the hunter pressure, the more concentrated poop will be in the bedding area. And for good reason. A particular public land island comes to mind. It gets next to zero pressure, is surrounded by wet cattails, and is so thick its basically unhuntable. And that is something I almost never say. I saw more beds with poop in them on that island than any other place that I've found. One bed had 4 or 5 turds in it. I prepped a ground blind watching two of the exit trails but never got a chance to hunt it last year.
In every day scenarios I normally don't find poop in the beds themselves. Maybe 1 in 4 well used buck beds will have a single turd in it.
Size of the turd gets my attention more than the amount. Obviously the more the better, but you get what I'm saying.
Great topic for discussion!
- Edcyclopedia
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Re: Scouting: The Significance of Poop
Ask Magic - he's full of it...
He likes the pellets to be 7/8" long before he gets excited. ..
He likes the pellets to be 7/8" long before he gets excited. ..
Expect the Unexpected when you least Expect it...
- pewpewpew
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Re: Scouting: The Significance of Poop
Thanks for all of the insight.
As far as "wintering", I'm not sure I'm experience that in North Carolina. We still have days in the 50's/60's throughout the winter. There are also no ag crops for them to stage for. There are grasslands and dead clover plots though. There is still a lot of green here, but I'd still imagine they are having to travel more to browse during the winter.
This is pressured land, so I could certainly understand deer finding a secure place and not moving far in daylight.
As far as turd size, I've read a lot of varied opinions on that. I guess a homerun would be large turds near a bed, with a fresh rub next to it.
I'm still having a hard time distinguishing doe bedding and buck bedding. I'm finding 4,5,6 beds within 30 square yards on secondary points. Due to the amount of beds, I'm assuming they are does (circling up), but I'm also finding this years rubs directly next to some of the beds too, which makes me think buck. Maybe this one or two bucks repositioning? Still massive amounts of fresh poop to make me believe it's only done by a couple deer.
I've also found beds with little to no poop. These have been single or double beds on the slope of a hill, not a point as mentioned above.
As far as "wintering", I'm not sure I'm experience that in North Carolina. We still have days in the 50's/60's throughout the winter. There are also no ag crops for them to stage for. There are grasslands and dead clover plots though. There is still a lot of green here, but I'd still imagine they are having to travel more to browse during the winter.
This is pressured land, so I could certainly understand deer finding a secure place and not moving far in daylight.
As far as turd size, I've read a lot of varied opinions on that. I guess a homerun would be large turds near a bed, with a fresh rub next to it.
I'm still having a hard time distinguishing doe bedding and buck bedding. I'm finding 4,5,6 beds within 30 square yards on secondary points. Due to the amount of beds, I'm assuming they are does (circling up), but I'm also finding this years rubs directly next to some of the beds too, which makes me think buck. Maybe this one or two bucks repositioning? Still massive amounts of fresh poop to make me believe it's only done by a couple deer.
I've also found beds with little to no poop. These have been single or double beds on the slope of a hill, not a point as mentioned above.
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Re: Scouting: The Significance of Poop
The size of the beds you have found, the size of the tracks, the size of the droppings, the rub next to a bed... are all indicators of what you are looking at.
There are a lot of opinions we hear on every type of deer sign and hunting technique... if you are interested in learning from others you need to decide who you can trust. There are hunters that can interpret what you are looking at immediately.
Some of us prefer to learn everything on their own and there's nothing wrong with that.
All of us have been or will be where you are now with your scouting. Over time the scouting puzzle pieces start to fit.
There are a lot of opinions we hear on every type of deer sign and hunting technique... if you are interested in learning from others you need to decide who you can trust. There are hunters that can interpret what you are looking at immediately.
Some of us prefer to learn everything on their own and there's nothing wrong with that.
All of us have been or will be where you are now with your scouting. Over time the scouting puzzle pieces start to fit.
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Re: Scouting: The Significance of Poop
Singing Bridge wrote:The size of the beds you have found, the size of the tracks, the size of the droppings, the rub next to a bed... are all indicators of what you are looking at.
There are a lot of opinions we hear on every type of deer sign and hunting technique... if you are interested in learning from others you need to decide who you can trust. There are hunters that can interpret what you are looking at immediately.
Some of us prefer to learn everything on their own and there's nothing wrong with that.
All of us have been or will be where you are now with your scouting. Over time the scouting puzzle pieces start to fit.
Great p
- isitseasonyet?
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Re: Scouting: The Significance of Poop
Edcyclopedia wrote:Ask Magic - he's full of it...
He likes the pellets to be 7/8" long before he gets excited. ..
For some reason I can just see a guy walking around with a ruler measuring deer poop
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Re: Scouting: The Significance of Poop
If a buck is in a bed for a long period of time there will be some pellets around the bed. No way there can't be. A buck gets up and drops some pellets. It's what they do. If a buck is in a bed for an hr and moves on there may be no pellets. It's kind of simple if you really think about it. So if you find a bed with a lot of hair and pellets around it and throw in some rubs. What you gonna do?
On a side note. I also like to see lots of pellets in the areas I look for dropped antlers. Give me an area with lots of pellets and I'll show you some antlers.
On a side note. I also like to see lots of pellets in the areas I look for dropped antlers. Give me an area with lots of pellets and I'll show you some antlers.
You can fool some of the bucks, all of the time, and fool all of the bucks, some of the time, however you certainly can't fool all of the bucks, all of the time.
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Re: Scouting: The Significance of Poop
isitseasonyet? wrote:Edcyclopedia wrote:Ask Magic - he's full of it...
He likes the pellets to be 7/8" long before he gets excited. ..
For some reason I can just see a guy walking around with a ruler measuring deer poop
You've heard of the mystical 4 finger track? With poop it's the mystical 1 knuckle pellet or wrist sized clump!!!!
Like Dan said in one of his videos: "Who wants to smell my finger?"
- wolverinebuckman
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Re: Scouting: The Significance of Poop
I figured this would be a good thread to throw this question in to.
While scouting today, I found around some bedding these long (3-5", some longer) clumps of deer hair all smashed up and poop shaped....like big Dingle berries.
The hair was obviously deer, has anyone seen these? Are the deer licking themselves while shedding? Is it poop from a coyote that ate a deer? I'm baffled
There was no actual brown poo, just poo shaped hair. Sorry, no pictures.
While scouting today, I found around some bedding these long (3-5", some longer) clumps of deer hair all smashed up and poop shaped....like big Dingle berries.
The hair was obviously deer, has anyone seen these? Are the deer licking themselves while shedding? Is it poop from a coyote that ate a deer? I'm baffled
There was no actual brown poo, just poo shaped hair. Sorry, no pictures.
Bummer of a birthmark, Hal.
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