Moose Poop: Everything You Need to Know

Standing approximately six feet tall at the shoulder and weighing up to 1,500 pounds, the moose (Alces alces) is the largest and heaviest deer species. Moose are found in Asia, Europe, and North America. Globally, up to eight subspecies of moose are recognized, and North America is home to four of them: Alaska-Yukon (A. a. gigas), Western (A. a. andersoni), Eastern (A. a. americana), and Shiras (A. a. shirasi). They range across most of Canada, Alaska, New England, and the Rocky Mountains, inhabiting boreal forests and regions with cold temperatures. Because of their massive size, moose are considered major garden and landscape pests, as they destroy vegetables, fruit trees, and ornamental shrubs. Due to their size, the only surefire way to keep these behemoths at bay is with a strong fence. If you suspect that a moose is responsible for damage to your landscape or garden, it may have left behind some valuable evidence, such as scat, to help you identify the culprit. Continue reading to learn everything you need to know about moose poop.

What Does Moose Poop Look Like?

In the winter, moose nuggets are very similar in size and shape to pecans in their shells, typically measuring about 0.5 to 0.8 inches wide and 1 to 1.5 inches long. They are generally dark brown or black, and oblong.

Their winter scat is very dense, dry, and firm. Because their winter diet consists almost entirely of woody twigs and bark rather than green vegetation, the scat has a high fiber content, lacks moisture, and contains no visible food remnants.

Unlike the hard, individual nuggets of winter, summer moose dung appears in large, soft, dark-brown or blackish piles or cow-like patties, rather than as separate nuggets. It is composed of highly digested, fine-textured, vegetative material from succulent, aquatic, and green deciduous vegetation.

Does Moose Poop Smell Bad?

Moose poop does not smell bad; it is said to have a mild, earthy scent. In winter, their diet of twigs, bark, and leaves results in pellets that are dry and almost odorless, while in summer, droppings can be looser and wetter.

Summer moose scat has significantly more odor than winter scat because the loose, moist patties result from a diet of lush vegetation. Winter scat consists of dry, hard, odorless, or faintly woody pellets.

What is Moose Poop Used For?

Like many other animal droppings, a moose’s scat makes for an effective organic fertilizer. It contains calcium, magnesium, and other essential nutrients that enhance plant growth. Surprisingly, there are reports of some people converting moose scat into pieces of art and jewelry. They do this by coating the pellets in polyurethane to improve their strength or drying them in dehydrators.

Is Moose Poop Harmful?

As ruminants, moose can be major reservoirs for harmful, pathogenic E. coli, which can cause severe illness in humans. E. coli bacteria can survive for weeks to several months in feces, soil, and water, depending on environmental conditions, and may remain harmful during this time. Washing your hands after touching animal scat helps prevent infection.