Finding animal droppings (scat) is common when traveling through bear country. Identifying grizzly bear scat is an important skill for situational awareness and personal safety. Understanding its characteristics provides insight into the animal’s recent activity, diet, and size. The appearance of the scat changes dramatically depending on the season and the bear’s food sources.
Primary Visual Characteristics
Grizzly bear scat is typically a large, relatively formless deposit, reflecting the animal’s size. The diameter is a significant clue, often measuring two inches or more across. This large diameter is the most reliable initial visual marker.
The overall shape varies significantly. It is often cylindrical or “plug-like” when the bear has consumed a highly fibrous diet. If the bear has eaten moisture-rich foods like berries, the consistency is looser, resulting in a large, unformed pile. The color is variable, ranging from light tan or green with vegetation, to very dark brown or black when meat is predominant.
What the Contents Reveal
The internal composition of grizzly bear scat reflects the animal’s omnivorous and opportunistic feeding habits, offering a seasonal record of its diet. In spring and early summer, grizzlies target large prey or scavenge winter kills. The scat often contains a high concentration of undigested hair and bone fragments, indicating consumption of ungulates like elk or moose. This protein-rich diet typically results in a darker, more cohesive deposit.
As the season progresses into late summer and fall, the diet shifts to hyperphagia—intense feeding before hibernation. The scat becomes densely packed with remnants of vegetation, including seeds, fruit pulp, and berry skins. The presence of numerous tiny, undigested seeds, such as those from huckleberries, indicates the bear is utilizing high-calorie food sources. Scat from this time often takes on the color of the consumed fruit, appearing reddish-purple or blue, and is generally much looser.
Differentiating Grizzly Scat from Black Bear Scat
Distinguishing grizzly scat from black bear scat is challenging, but size is the clearest physical separation. Grizzly scat is generally bulkier and wider, often exceeding a two-inch diameter. Black bear scat is typically narrower, commonly falling between 1.5 and 2.5 inches. The overall volume is also greater for a mature grizzly, reflecting their larger body mass.
The shape offers a secondary clue. Black bear scat tends to be more consistently tubular, often displaying a slight taper at the ends, sometimes described as “rope-like.” Grizzly scat, especially when meat-rich, is frequently a blunt, cylindrical plug, or a large, messy pile when plant-heavy. A more reliable distinction lies in the contents: grizzly scat is more likely to contain substantial amounts of coarse hair and larger bone fragments, while black bear scat often shows a greater presence of insect parts and fine vegetation.
Finding Scat: Location and Context Clues
The location where scat is found provides context about the bear’s activity patterns and proximity. Grizzly scat is commonly deposited in conspicuous locations, such as directly on hiking trails, along riverbanks, or near water sources. Finding a large volume of scat in a concentrated area, particularly in the fall, can indicate heavy feeding in a dense berry patch or a recently dug-up patch of roots.
The state of the scat indicates how recently the bear was in the area. Scat that is moist, soft, and still emits heat or a strong odor suggests the bear is very nearby. Older scat develops a dry crust, fades in color, and becomes dry and brittle as it decomposes. Finding grizzly scat near other signs, such as large tracks or a cache of dirt covering a carcass, provides a composite picture of the animal’s recent presence.