What Droppings?

[slowworm]

Roe are almost always present in our woodland and the main problem we get is the bucks fraying young trees and coppice. We're not over run with them so don't feel the need to reduce their numbers yet. We often get young kids and therefore very small droppings, hence my question above. But I'm not saying they are roe, just curious to see the reasoning.

I've listened to some recordings of muntjac and their bark seems lighter, more higher pitched than roe. Is their barking normally single barks? Over the years weve heard a lot of roe barks and this years especially is very deep sounding, often a string of grumpy sounding barks. I would say it would be quite a shock if you didn't know what it was.

Being in the west country there's no werewolves to compare it to, they've died out as it's often too cloudy to see the full moon.

 

[Broch]

Based on @PoppyD 's sniff test, it's definitely falling on the side of Roe - it smells kind of 'earthy', almost pleasant

The camera traps are up so with any luck we'll get a definitive answer (I know you're all desperate to know ). Of course, they may just have been passing through and we never see them again.

Here's some more photos:

 

[PoppyD]

Yes. That’s most definitely certainly roe deer. Right size, shape and sniffs.

 

[PoppyD]

Smelling poo is an underrated identification method. Some are really quite nice. Bat and deer are my favourites. Do you have martens by you?

 

[Broch]

No Pine Martens yet in our wood but they have been sighted only 10 or so miles away.

I must admit I've not smelt much deer poo; it's usually far more obnoxious stuff like polecat or otter

 

[PoppyD]

That’s good news. I bet it won’t be long before they are in your woods sorting all the greys squirrels out. I have only sniffed marten scat once. But it’s very nice. I had someone send me some marten poo from the Forest of Dean. But it smelled more like hedgehog to me. So I haven’t asked since then.

I looked into the spread of deer this year a bit more. Both the roe and muntjac deer are having a hard time as the understory isn’t growing anywhere near half it should be at this time of year. And what is there is dry and withered. They are spreading. So although I am certain that is roe deer poo. Muntjac won’t be far behind. This year has been harsh. Loads of flies about as hornets and wasps are having a very hard time as well.

 

[PoppyD]

Last time I was out that way the butchers I visit said the game keeper was bringing muntjac almost daily! I took an entire carcass off his hands as he had that many hanging.

Maybe the keeper has done his job well.

You mean by us? That is because dad eats most of them. From the Kinver and Wollaston butchers. He always cleans them out.

 

[Nice65]

I agree with FerlasDave and slowworm. They look like roe to me. Munti are smaller and slightly more rounded. Thats going off the camera angle and scale you applied.

If you find any more seperate them and photograph them individually right next to a ruler. But pretty certain they’re roe.

Great to see you back Poppy
I've got no problems with sniffing poo - I'll get on it tomorrow

Not only do I look at the title and think you’ve perhaps reached a certain age and are denying soiling yourself, but now you’re actually hands and knees sniffing the stuff.

 

[Broch]

Not only do I look at the title and think you’ve perhaps reached a certain age and are denying soiling yourself, but now you’re actually hands and knees sniffing the stuff.

Ah, you know me so well!

 

[PoppyD]

Not only do I look at the title and think you’ve perhaps reached a certain age and are denying soiling yourself, but now you’re actually hands and knees sniffing the stuff.

Don’t knock it till you’ve tried it. You can lick it too if it’s dry enough. I was told this about bats. But unless it is fresh. It will stick to your tongue.

 

[nigelp]

Any mammal droppings experts out there?

My suspicion is that this is Muntjac and, if so, will be the first we have had in the wood and will necessitate me adjusting my management plan. However, I am no expert on mammal droppings so I can't be sure. Any opinions?

View attachment 104255

Bit late to the party. Roe deer scat will generally fit within your little finger nail area.

 

[Nice65]

Don’t knock it till you’ve tried it. You can lick it too if it’s dry enough. I was told this about bats. But unless it is fresh. It will stick to your tongue.

Much as I agree that it’s good to see you back, you’re a disgusting young lady

 

[PoppyD]

If you don’t touch, lick and sniff stuff. How can you learn about anything. It’s like looking at an aquarium from an air conditioned room. You need to get in there and feel it all personally. You can see my poo collection any time. It’s quite brilliant.

And lick a tadpole and frogspawn. I promise you will be amazed.

 

[mrmike]

If you don’t touch, lick and sniff stuff. How can you learn about anything. It’s like looking at an aquarium from an air conditioned room. You need to get in there and feel it all personally. You can see my poo collection any time. It’s quite brilliant.

And lick a tadpole and frogspawn. I promise you will be amazed.

Is this method suitable for identifying fungi?

 

[PoppyD]

Is this method suitable for identifying fungi?

Sniffing, absolutely.

 

[PoppyD]

Are there any further findings?

 

[Broch]

Are there any further findings?

I've not been back over to check the cameras yet; I thought I'd give it a few days.

 

[mrmike]

If you don’t touch, lick and sniff stuff. How can you learn about anything. It’s like looking at an aquarium from an air conditioned room. You need to get in there and feel it all personally. You can see my poo collection any time. It’s quite brilliant.

And lick a tadpole and frogspawn. I promise you will be amazed.

This would make a very interesting talk at the next bushmoot perhaps?

 

[PoppyD]

I have done talks on wasps and hornets in Uni and at two colleges. But that’s my subject. I am not sure how I could do something on droppings unless it’s in field and finding stuff as you go. But it could be possible.