Coyote Scat – Everything You Did Not Want To Know

Have you ever wondered what type of scat is along your hiking trail that is full of fur and crushed-up bones? Well, there are a few options but one of the most common animals that will leave this poop along trails is a coyote.

Coyote scat is most often found along trails and dirt roads and is usually full of fur and bones. It can be black or dark-colored or white oxidized color. It is usually slightly larger around than your finger and looks similar to domestic dog scat.

Coyote Scat or Poop Size

The size of coyote poop may vary by the size of the coyote and what it has been eating. Coyotes will eat meat, bone, rodents, berries, grass, and bugs. You may find traces of this in their scat.

Coyote poop is usually about three to six inches long and may be found in several chunks and is usually tapered at the ends. The diameter will be about an inch in diameter or slightly smaller. Color can range from black to white and usually contains bone and fur.

Coyote Poop Color

Coyote poop can range in color from black to white and in some cases takes on different colors that can be as strange as yellow, orange, and red. You will see below what makes coyote poop different colors.

Is Coyote Poop White

You usually can tell how old coyote poop is older when it is white and light gray. Coyote poop tends to dry out and become white and crumbly. The sun may also bleach it out or cause it to oxidize. Coyote poop does turn white more as it decomposes and becomes older.

Is Coyote Poop Black?

Coyote poop that is fresher tends to be darker in color and can be dark black-brown color. Fresh coyote poop will also be darker depending on what they have eaten. The black poop still usually contains fur and less bones. It can also contain seeds and this can make the scat darker.

Orange Coyote Scat

If you run into orange coyote scat there is a good chance that you are living near orange or grapefruit orchards. Coyotes can live in the orchards and get along fine on a diet of rodents living in the area along with the fruit.

Coyote poop will not be bright orange but it can look very orange in color if they have been eating fruit.

Red Coyote Poop

Again coyote scat or poop would be red based on the diet of the coyotes. One of the common foods that would make the coyote scat red is not blood but cherries, raspberries, cranberries, or other red fruit that would be grown where a coyote may travel.

Coyotes like orchards not only for the fruit but also for the rodents that are also feeding on the vegetation in the orchard. When a crop is irrigated many of the rodents must leave their holes and coyotes know that and will catch them when they come out.

Is Coyote Poop Dangerous?

The first thing to know is you don’t need to freak out about these diseases and parasites. Most are curable if caught early enough. Don’t spend a ton of time messing with coyote poop and touching it and you should be fine.

The people most likely to come in contact with the diseases coyotes have in their poop are trappers, hunters, and veterinarians. Your dog or other pets may carry the diseases if they come in contact with coyote feces and give it to you.

Pets can carry some of these diseases such as dogs that like to roll in unfamiliar smells like coyote poop. These dogs may carry diseases or parasites on their fur in the poop. Also, be aware your pets can contract some of these and should be treated according to veterinarian guidelines.

Using gloves and a shovel to remove coyote scat should be sufficient to keep you from not getting parasites and diseases from having most issues.

Trappers, hunters, veterinarians come in contact with wildlife and survive the encounters and you probably will too. Just use commons sense and contact a professional with any questions you may have.

Coyote Poop Parasites or Disease

Coyotes can carry a few diseases in their feces and others can be contracted from coming in contact with them.

Tape worm or Alveolar Echinococcosis

Coyote poop and scat can contain tapeworm eggs. These tapeworms can cause some nasty side effects as they live inside of a coyote or human. You should be aware of the risks of tapeworm. You can learn more about it on the CDC website.

Cystic echinococcosis can also be caused by tapeworm so you can also learn more about that from the CDC. They say it is a lower risk of getting than the other dishes you can get from tapeworms.

Mange

Mange is a disease that humans can get from coyotes although usually not through their poop. Most people won’t get it from coyotes though it will probably come through domestic animals. This one is treatable.

This disease causes coyote hair to fall out and then they usually die in the winter from exposure to the cold and elements.

Rabies

Coyotes can carry rabies is not usually transferred through feces but through a bite. If rabies is caught early enough it can be treated.

What does coyote scat look like? (pictures)

Coyote Scat appearance

While I have been writing this article my wife came in and told me that she found what appears to be coyote scat or poop in the yard. I was super excited because I run trail cameras to capture wildlife on video and coyotes have been some of the hardest animals to capture on video.

The coyote scat in my yard appears to have a ton of hair in it. I just went out and took a picture of it. As you can see there is a lot of hair and as it has worn away the hair is the only part that stays.

I think the scat got hit by the lawnmower a few times so there is not much left. I found a piece and tried to see what hair is in the scat. I found out that it is full of long white hair and short black ones. I wonder if it is eating cats in the neighborhood.

How to ID Coyote Scat

Coyote Scat With Seeds

Coyote scat can often have seeds in it in the summer and fall months. They may be considered carnivorous but will take opportunities to eat the fruit around them. The seeds are leftover from the diet of fruit or berries and the seeds will show up in their scat.

Coyote Scat or Poop With Berries

When coyotes are eating berries you will know it in their scat. The berries skins will be present. If they are eating blueberries it will come out in their poop and if they have eaten a lot of them it will change their poop blue.

Coyote scat with berries can be confused with raccoon and bear scat because they may be feeding on the same berries. If you are in a more populated area it is most likely raccoon poop.

Coyote Scat With Hair

A lot of people will ask if coyote scat has hair in it. Yes, they almost always have hair in their scat.

As you look around the primary characteristic of identifying coyote scat is that it has hair in it. It will often be squirrel, rabbit, deer, or elk hair in coyote scat. You may find many different types of hair in one pile of coyote scat.

Coyote Scat With Bones

Bones are often found mixed into coyote scat. I have even seen scientists dissecting coyote poop and finding a small rodent skull in the scat. A lot of the time the coyote scat is full of sharp fragments of bone from the rodents.

Coyote scat can also be identified by the bones because other animals such as fox and raccoons can’t smash bones as much as a coyote can. So if you see lots of dime to nickel-sized of bones or bigger smashed up in the scat, it will help you identify it as a coyote.

Coyote Scat With Apples, Corn, or Grass

So everything a coyote eats will show up in their scat. Coyotes will eat apples, corn, or grass at certain times when they are available or easy to get.

Apples

Coyotes will eat apples and you will find bits of apple peel in their scat. Also, look for bones and hair in the scat to confirm it is a coyote. Other critters may be eating apples in the area and leaving scat along with the coyotes.

Corn

If you find corn in coyote scat, you might be confusing it with raccoon scat because it is about the same size and looks similar. Coyotes will occasionally eat corn though

Grass

Coyotes will eat grass and like dogs and it will help them with digestion. When they eat grass it will show up in their scat. This will usually happen in summer because that is when the grass is available. In winter coyotes can usually find more meat.

Will A Coyote Eat a Grasshopper?

Sometimes when rodents are scarce and grasshoppers are prevalent, coyotes will eat grasshoppers. You will be able to tell if coyotes are eating grasshoppers because they will start showing up in their scat.

If you see grasshopper heads and legs in the coyote scat then you will know for sure that they are eating grasshoppers. Those grasshopper parts don’t digest as well as other parts.

What does coyote scat look like compared to other animals?

Telling the difference between many of the animals scat listed below can be difficult. Often times several of these animals are sharing the same food sources and so their poop looks very similar.

Coyote vs Raccoon Scat – How to tell the difference?

Raccoon scat and coyote scat can look very similar. They are both long and tubular and both can have a similar dark brown color. This could easily cause identification mistakes.

The best way to tell the difference is to look for hair in the scat. If you don’t see a large amount of hair then it is probably raccoon scat. Raccoons tend to feel less on rodents and deer and eat more berries.

Raccoon scat is usually not tapered on the ends like coyote scat. Raccoon scat tends to break off at the ends.

Coyote Scat vs Fox Scat – How to tell the difference?

Fox scat is going to be way hard to tell the difference between coyote scat. Checking the area for tracks may help when trying to identify fox scat compared to coyote scat.

Fox scat will usually have a narrower diameter than coyote scat and may not be as straight and tubular as coyote scat. The end of the scat tends to taper more gradually and may come out a little more curved and bent.

It may be impossible to tell the difference between smaller coyote scat and fox scat because of the similar sizes.

Bobcat Scat Vs Coyote Scat – How to tell the difference?

Bobcat Scat and coyote scat look very similar and will show up in similar places. Bobcat scat will often be tucked back into the brush or up in the ledges of cliffs or rocks more because they like to be in thicker cover. The rocks and brush help them hide better.

Coyotes tend to be more out in the open and leave their scat along the trail they are traveling and are more likely to outrun any predator they encounter. This doesn’t mean a bobcat will not leave droppings in the open, but it may help in the identification.

Another way to tell the difference is, like other cats, bobcats will bury their scat some of the time. This is not always true but partially buried scat will usually be bobcat scat.

Coyote Poop Vs Dog Poop – How to tell the difference?

Now the difference between dog poop and coyote poop is a lot easier. Because dogs normally eat dog food it gives their poop a distinct look and texture. It won’t have hardly any hair in it and it will be the color of dog food.

Dog poop will also be a light brown and yellow color some of the time and coyote poop will be gray or black color.

Coyotes almost always have hair in their scat but if they are eating dog food from peoples yards then it can be a little more ticky. A lot of the time when I compare coyote poop and dog poop, dog poop is always bigger and more segmented.

Coyote poop seems to be more tublar and again pointy and tapered at the end.

Wolf Scat Vs Coyote Scat – How to tell the difference?

Wolf scat will almost always be bigger than coyote scat. A wolf can be anywhere from two to six times bigger than a coyote. The look of the scat will be very similar though.

Wolfs eat similar diets that a coyote would and may feed on the same carcus of deer, elk, or bison.

Another good way is to know if there are wolves in the area you found the scat. The scat is less likey to be wolf scat in the desert or where there has not been a lot of wolves previously.

Wolves can travel hundreds of miles so you may see wolf scat in places were they probably wouldn’t think it would be.

coyote or black bear scat

Coyote scat vs bear and black bear scat – How to tell the difference?

I was out hiking the other day and came across a large pile of bear scat and it looks way differnet that coyote scat. Bear scat is going to have a way larger quanity of scat than a coyote.

Related: What is a good bear pistol?

Bear scat is also larger in diamiter than coyote scat. It can range from an inch and a half up to three inches. Bear scat will have less hair in it than coyote scat and more vegitation in it.

Coyote Scat vs Mountain Lion Scat – How to tell the difference?

Sience mountain lions are much larger than coyote their scat is also. Mountain lions will also eat similar food as a coyote. It may look very similar to coyote scat but be way bigger.

Mountain lion scat will be more rare and come in larger quanities but not quite as much as a bear.

Where Can You Find Coyote Scat?

Coyote Scat can be found on dirt roads, game trails, and structure changes. These are the best places to find coyotes whether you want to view, trap, or hunt for them.

They will leave scat in the middle of the road or where it is obvious they were there. They are often trying to mark their teritory.

Baby coyote scat

Coyote babies or pups are usually smaller than their parents but not very many weeks after birth they will be eating the same or similar diet as the adult coyotes, of course mixed in with the mother’s milk.

Baby coyote scat will be similar to adult coyote scat but smaller. It will be located near the den site and as they get older can be found along trails and traval ways.

Do Coyotes Cover Their Scat?

Coyotes do not cover their scat. They tend to mark their territory with their scat and it can be found out in the open along trails and other travel ways so other coyotes know that they have been there.

Coyote Scat in Snow

In the colder months coyotes may run on top of the snow and can be easer to track. Folling their tracks can lead to finding scat. If there is not snow and it is just cold coyote scat will be found in travel ways along dirt roads and field edges.

There will not be as much vegitation in the coyote scat in the winter and probably have more meat in it from mice, rabbits, and deer.

Coyote Scat in Summer

Coyotes are running dirt roads in the summer and will usually leave scat right in the middle of the dirt road or trail. It may have more berries and other vegitation in the scat in the summer which can caws confusion between other animal scat.

You should be able to find coyote tracks in the summer if it rains or is dusty on the trails and dirt roads. They can be hard to track in the summer because the groud can become hard. Scat may be the only way to tell they are in the area.

Coyote Scat Marking Territory

Coyotes may be very territorial and scat can be a good way to mark their territory. Often it will show the other coyotes that they are in the area.

Many times when I have seen trail camera footage of coyotes there are a pack or large groups of them in the area. We have captured many coyotes on camera over the past few years. You can check out some of our coyote trail camera footage here on the site.

Sometimes poop is not marking their territory and was just where they needed to go. Coyotes are traveling and it will just be where they are traveling.

Do Coyotes Poop in the Same Spot

Often times though coyote scat seems to be in groups like they are marking a particular section of a road or trail. I have hiked on a trail near my house and found a 50-yard section of the trail that is just covered in coyote scat. The rest of the rail does not seem to have as much on it.

I think that means there are more coyotes in the area. That area seems to be the place I see the most coyotes when I am hiking.

Do Coyotes Spray to Mark Their Territory?

Coyotes are a cainine and are very similar to dogs. They will urinate and spray to mark their territory. Trappers have been known to take advantage of this tendency when setting traps.

Trappers will use a coyote trapping set called a urine post set that is used to mimic a coyote peeing on a stick or a log. Trappers place a foothold trap where a coyote will step when it lifts its leg to pee.

The trapper will then use store-bought coyote urine to attract the coyote to the spot, because of this territorial tendency.

Amazon sells coyote urine and you can see some here. I have heard it can be good for deterring prey animals from coming into a yard but I have only seen it used for trapping.

Do Coyotes Cover Their Scat?

Most of the time coyotes will not cover their scat. They leave it in the middle of the road, trail, or other travel paths they are using.

Some coyotes will scratch and paw at the ground after they have pooped not so much to bury the poop but more to spread their scent around the area.

Do Coyotes Eat Poop?

Coyotes will eat the fresh baby cow poop because it is full of lots of nutrients that the mother cow is producing in its milk or colostrum. The coyotes will follow the cows and calves around eating this highly nutritious poop.

Coyotes and dogs will also roll in poop. When a coyote or dog smells a really bad smell they often will have a very strong desire to roll in it and get the smell all over them.

Many times trappers are using rotten meats when trapping coyotes. Sometimes instead of walking in and stepping on the trap a coyote will roll on it and set it off and not get caught.

Is Coyote Poop Fresh or Old?

Fresh coyote poop will be wet and darker in color. It will also have a stronger smell and be tapered on the ends.

As coyote scat decomposes it will turn white and start to crumble. Older scat will be just a pile of fur and bones in the middle of the trail or dirt road.

What can coyote poop be used for?

As noted in other parts of this article coyote scat is used to mark territory. Trappers use this to their advantage and collect coyote poop to make coyotes think another coyote has been in the area and there is less danger.

Trappers will use this scat at coyote sets where they bury a trap intending to catch a coyote. If you would like to learn more about coyote trapping sets I wrote an article about it and you can read that here on our site: Coyote Trapping Sets