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Written By Stefni Krutz.

Posted on August 27th, 2019.

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Everyone does it, though not everyone does it in the woods. But hey, poop happens.

Everyone does it, though not everyone does it in the woods. But hey, poop happens. If it happens on a skid trail associated with a timber harvest in the NYC watershed, chances are one of our watershed foresters or research staff have seen it. Can you figure out which animals left these reminders of their existence? (Key below, but no peeking!)

These pellets are deer poop.

Image 1

A large pile of bear poop resembling brownie batter.

Image 2

Slimey, clayey coyote poop with grass. Perhaps it ate something that didn’t agree with it.

Image 3

Coyote poop with hair, covered by snails.

Image 4

A purple pile of bear poop with lots of raspberries and seeds.

Image 5

Nutty squirrel poop.

Image 6

A close-up of toad poop. It looks like a misshapen underdone sausage.

Image 7

Mystery poop with hairy fungus.

Image 8

Coyote poop with hair and a hoof.

Image 9

Answer Key:
Image 1. Deer
Image 2. Bear
Image 3. Coyote
Image 4. Coyote with snails
Image 5. Berry Bear
Image 6. Squirrel
Image 7. Toad stool (You see what I did there…)
Image 8. Your guess is as good as mine. The “hairs” on it were actually fungus
Image 9. Coyote poop with small hoof

The MyWoodlot.com team will be at the Woodsmen’s Festival at the Hanford Mills Museum on October 5th and the Taste of the Catskills Festival on Oct. 12 and 13. Make sure you stop by and try your hand at the CrapTrackular, a game which tests your skills in identifying wildlife tracks and scat. Don’t worry, the poo is not real!

MyWoodlot booth with the Whose Poo? game set up at the New York State Woodsmen’s Field Days in Boonville, New York.

The CrapTrackular at the Woodsmen’s Field Days in Boonville, NY.

In the meantime, check out MyWoodlot’s resources about identifying wildlife tracks.