RE: Can you tell the difference?
 

I have always thought that buck droppings " clumped" together while doe droppings more or less scattered as mentioned in trmichels' post above.

RE: Can you tell the difference?
 

It depends on the moisture content, how long ago they were dropped, the type of food eaten, and several other factors.

I have seen does poop and then went to determine what the food source was and have found some clumped and others broken apart. I have seen bucks poop and when I went to investigate for the type of forage so I could tell where the food supply was have found that poop broken up on occasion.
Here in Fl. deer eat alot of galberries and the poop will sometimes be one large feces instead of pellets.

An old man once told me that for every study done in one geographic location, there is another done somewhere else that has different info. Is he right? I dunno.

RE: Can you tell the difference?
 

I really like it when you guys get involved. Keep it up.

Both buck and does leave pellets, and clumps. As thundermug mentioned; it depends a lot on what the deer are eating. Moist or green food (grass, fresh acorns/berries, fresh corn/soybeans, alfalfa, weeds) is often left behind as a wet, formless mass or clump. Dry food (dry corn/soybeans, dryacorns/berries, twigs, dryleaves, dry alfalfa/hay) is often left behind as dry pellets or dry clumps. I think the dry clumps have a lot to do with the amount of water taken in by the deer, and their physical condition. Since bucks are on the move a lot during the rut, they may get dehydrated, and leave behind the big DRY clumpsI was talking about.

thundermug is also right about studies in different locations. Animals in different areas have different habitats, eat different things, are subject to different meteorological conditions, and are subject to different different disturbance factors. Therefore, they act alike, because they are the same species. But they also act differently, because they live in different areas.

Speakers, writers, authors, even biologists, often make broad statements based on their personal experience. I' ve read enough research papers, done enough research, and enough personal experience in enough different geographical locations to know that: while animals of the same species are similar in many respects, their geographical locations are so variable that they may also be variable in how they act and react.

You have to be careful about making broad statements when it comes to (some) animal behavior and facts.

Thundermug is slang for " chamber pot" where I come from. Is there a reason for the name? [:o]

T.R.

RE: Can you tell the difference?
 

[:o]Thanx for telling everyone.[:@]:(:D:D

Naah, it was just something I figured nobody else would use any where:D. I was wrong. A few years ago I tried to log on ebay with it and it was taken.

With a name like thundermug I hafta know my poop!:D:D

RE: Can you tell the difference?
 

You' re welcome.:D

If we can' t laugh at ourselves what fun is life. :)

Good hunting and God bless,

T.R.