How To Identify Bear Poop To Tell If One Is Nearby

One of the most commonly given pieces of advice for staying safe when adventuring in bear country is to be aware of your surroundings. By keeping an eye out, you can pick up on signs that a bear may be nearby. However, in order for this ploy to be successful, you have to know what you are looking for and be able to accurately identify these signs. Among the physical signs you should be on the lookout for and be able to identify is bear poop, or scat, as this is telling evidence that a bear may be lurking nearby. 

Why is knowing what bear poop looks like important if you already know you are in bear territory? Seeing signs such as bear poop indicates there is currently bear activity in that specific area. In other words, instead of just having a general sense that bears could be around, if you see bear poop, particularly if it is fresh, you know for certain a bear is nearby. So, in addition to carrying and knowing how to use bear spray, it is important to be able to identify bear poop to tell if one is active in your vicinity. 

If you do see bear poop or other signs that a bear may be active nearby, you should do everything possible to avoid an encounter. This includes making noise to avoid bears either by talking or utilizing a bear horn such as the SABRE Frontiersman bear horn or wearing a Coghlan's bear bell on your pack. You should also be sure to keep all pets leashed as you proceed, avoid walking blindly into areas, and have your bear spray easily accessible. 

There is no uniform shape or color to bear poop. However, it is always big. Typically, a pile of bear poop ranges from one-half to one pound. Bear poop is generally found in one of two general shapes – globular or tubular. If it is tubular, it is typically five to 12 inches long and close to two inches in diameter, while a globular pile will be larger than an adult man's hand. It commonly ranges in color from brown to black.

While the size is typically enough to distinguish it from that of other animals with similarly shaped scat, such as dogs, coyotes, raccoons, bobcats, and mountain lions, which have tubular scat, or cows, horses, and bison, which have globular, there are other clues you can use to verify it is indeed bear poop. The most noticeable indication will be what it contains, as the poop typically shows what it has been eating.

Bears most often have globular poop when they have been eating fruits and berries, resulting in visible seeds in the poop. Although raccoons may also have seeds, their scat is much smaller. Other animals with globular poop, such as bison, will have more grass than seeds in their piles. Tubular bear poop often contains bone and fur, much like that of coyotes, bobcats, and mountain lions. However, the size of bear scat will be significantly larger.