What kind of scat is this?

[DSettahr]

Found it in the Catskills a few weekends ago on Halcott Mountain. My first thought was Moose, but they aren't in the Catskills. Second thought is bear, but it was larger than any pile of bear scat that I've ever seen.

The pile was easily about 8-10 inches across, and at least 6-8 inches tall.

Click on the image for a bigger version:

 

[Kevin Rooney]

Definitely not moose - they have large pellets, not unlike a deer, only 2-3 times larger.

The dark green suggests lots of chlorophyll - are there alfalfa fields around? It's most likely a bear, or perhaps a cow if they have access to the woods. My sense is that it's a bear.

 

[DSettahr]

Definitely not moose - they have large pellets, not unlike a deer, only 2-3 times larger.

Yeah, it didn't look like any moose scat I've ever seen either, but the size was about right for moose. I'm definitely leaning towards bear.

 

[DSettahr]

I should also add that there were some obvious large footprints, about 5 inches across, in the ground nearby. Unfortunately, the ground wasn't pliable enough to reveal any more specific details about the foot prints other than their size.

Whatever it was, bear or not, it seemed to be following the faint herd path that ascends the second drainage south from the parking area for Halcott. I wonder if he saw what he could see when he got to the top?

 

[ColdRiverRun]

That's bear. They are eating a lot of the new growth and buds this time of year, like yummy fiddleheads. I saw a bunch more last weekend and heard a few others.

 

[Stan]

Strikes me as a big pile for a black bear but the diet has a lot to do with it. Out west we speculated a similar pile might be grizzly but someone who knows their shit said it was horse.

 

[rhihn]

Strikes me as a big pile for a black bear but the diet has a lot to do with it. Out west we speculated a similar pile might be grizzly but someone who knows their shit said it was horse.

A horse on the summit of trailless Halcott Mt. in the Catskills is highly unlikely.
I thought it might be one dump on top of another?

 

[Tom Rankin]

A horse on the summit of trailless Halcott Mt. in the Catskills is highly unlikely.
I thought it might be one dump on top of another?

But we know full well it could be a goat! (Search and ye shall find!)

 

[Peakbagr]

Bear scat, and fresh.

 

[rhihn]

But we know full well it could be a goat! (Search and ye shall find!)

No need...I remember!

 

[Little Rickie]

Found it in the Catskills a few weekends ago on Halcott Mountain. My first thought was Moose, but they aren't in the Catskills. Second thought is bear, but it was larger than any pile of bear scat that I've ever seen.

The pile was easily about 8-10 inches across, and at least 6-8 inches tall.

Click on the image for a bigger version:

Fascinating thread. Nice color and detail in th pix.

 

[dentonfabrics]

Fascinating thread. Nice color and detail in th pix.

No kidding! Where else but on VFTT are you gonna get discussions like this?

 

[sardog1]

Definitely not bear. If there's a bear leaving scat in the size described, I advise leaving the state immediately. Black bear scat resembles human feces in its dimensions.

Definitely moose. Why would I make such a bold statement?

1. It's typical moose scat for this time of year. See "Was that a Bear or a Moose? Examining the Evidence" for further explication. Yeah, I know the article is from Alaska. Moose poop the same all over North America when they're eating this kind of material.

2. Moose have been seen in Albany and as far south as Westchester County. Really? Yeah, really: "Cougars, Coyotes, and Bears, Oh My"

 

[rhihn]

No kidding! Where else but on VFTT are you gonna get discussions like this?

Why, on Adkforum of course!

http://www.adkforum.com/showthread.php?t=13685
http://www.adkforum.com/showthread.php?t=10252

 

[Kevin Judy and Emma]

Moose

Definitely agree w/ sardog that it's moose. In the summer moose poop more resembles cow or horse dung. The familiar egg shaped pellets only occur in the winter when their diet is restricted.

KDT

 

[ColdRiverRun]

Well, I can't recall disagreeing with you in a "animal" thread before Sardog but I definitely do today. The only thing a little off is DSetthers sizing maybe, but if you look at the leaves in comparison it seems to fit better. Having seen 8 black bears and so much sign I lost count in the last month down in the Catskills it all seems to fit. I've covered a lot of ground with 35 different peaks outside of the regular Catskill 35 during that time so I'm seeing it on a regular basis. Given the lack of pine and openness of the Catskills things like Moose sightings would be happening often if they were around.

The Cats are basically rock piles covered in duff and all the water quickly drains down to the valleys so if they were around they would be near those areas (which are very populated by people).

 

[Tom Rankin]

Definitely not bear. If there's a bear leaving scat in the size described, I advise leaving the state immediately. Black bear scat resembles human feces in its dimensions.Definitely moose.
2. Moose have been seen in Albany and as far south as Westchester County. Really? Yeah, really: "Cougars, Coyotes, and Bears, Oh My"

Yes, they have made it this far a few times. There was a moose that was grazed on I-84 many years ago, in Southern Dutchess County. The same moose (presumably) was spotted crossing main street in Fishkill. There was an un-official looking Moose crossing sign in the village for a while!

I'll be keeping my eyes open for the sucker!

 

[Peakbagr]

I've seen moose scat in all seasons in VT, ME, NH and all over the ADKs and its always large pellets.
This looks like bear scat that we see all over the Catskills. There was so much bear scat on Cradle Rock Ridge on a 'whack we did there last week that in spots we had to watch where we walked. Much of the frest scat looked like this, but smaller, but 2 very large piles that looked like this.

I'm no scatologist, but I did sleep in a Holiday Inn Express last week.

 

[Hikes4fun]

Sorry SD..This is definately Bear...I've seen huge piles before as I'm sure most of the "Catskill guys" have...The larger "leavings" are in the spring when the bears are grazing on greens and in the fall when berries and nuts are consumed...And I'm pretty sure it can be said that there are as many Moose in the Cats as there are Wolverines

 

[sardog1]

When someone will acknowledge actually reading the links that I posted, and will acknowledge that moose can be present in the Catskills, and still can explain how a pile "about 8-10 inches across, and at least 6-8 inches tall" can come only from a bear, then I'll be convinced. Until then, no sale.