Species: American black bear (Ursus americanus)

What to look for

  1. Diameter. Washington's guidance puts segments at about 1.25 to 1.5 inches (3.2 to 3.8 cm) across; Maryland's puts whole deposits at 1.2 to 2.5 inches (3 to 6.4 cm) across and 5 to 12 inches (13 to 30 cm) long.
  2. Form. Cylindrical and typically deposited in a coiled form, sometimes in separate segments, sometimes amorphous.
  3. Contents. Bits of hair, fur, bone, insect parts and plant fibers, and in season whole visible seeds.
  4. Color. Dark brown to black, turning green when the animal is eating a lot of grass.
  5. Season. Spring scat is often green and tubular with grass showing. Late summer and fall scat is looser, in large plops, with berries and fruit pieces visible.
  6. Volume. The sheer size of the deposit is itself a field mark, and together with the hair, bone and plant fiber it is what separates bear scat from human waste on a busy trail.

Easily confused with

Coyote scat. A coyote leaves twisted ropelike pieces, usually full of hair, and far smaller than a bear's deposit.

Bobcat or mountain lion scat. Cat scat is segmented and dense, and will not flatten if you step on it. Bear scat in berry season flattens readily.

Raccoon latrine. Raccoons return to one spot and build a pile of smaller tubular droppings, heavy with seeds and strongly scented.

Where and when

Black bears are forest animals and Washington describes them as the most common and widely distributed bears in North America, with the state's animals running 100 to 300 pounds. Sign changes with what is ripe: grass and insects early, then berries, acorns and orchard fruit as the year turns toward denning.

Keep your distance

Fresh scat means a bear is using the area, so make noise, keep dogs close and give the spot room. Your state wildlife agency or the park you are in publishes the bear guidance for that specific place, including food storage rules.

Related signs

  • Bear tracks: A black bear leaves two very different prints.
  • Coyote scat: Coyote scat is ropelike and twisted, averaging 3 to 4 inches long and about an inch across, usually packed with hair and bone.
  • Deer scat: Deer scat is a scattered pile of dark oval pellets, each about 0.5 to 1 inch long and 0.2 to 0.5 inch across, shiny when fresh and holding no recognizable pieces of food.

Sources