Wildlife Signs

Whether they’re gathering food, building a shelter, or just passing through, animals leave signs when they’ve been on your property. If you’ve noticed that you’re having a wildlife problem, but you’re unsure what kind of wildlife is causing it, take a look at the pictures below. These photos of tracks, trails, markings, and scat can help you determine what animals are around your home or business.

Wildlife Signs

Beavers

Beavers can be found across the state of Pennsylvania. They typically live around bodies of water, including creeks, rivers, streams, and lakes. If you notice trees with teeth marks, large piles of sticks on or near the water, or areas of the bank that have been dug out, these are signs that beavers may be present.

A photo of a hole dug in the bank of a body of water, showing a beaver bank den opening.
A beaver bank den
A photo of a hole dug in the bank of a body of water, showing a beaver bank den opening.
A photo of a tree that has been gnawed in half by a beaver.
Damage caused by beaver chewing
A photo of a damaged tree stump with tooth marks from a beaver.
A photo of a beaver lodge on a body of water. The lodge looks like a large pile of sticks.
A beaver lodge
A photo of a beaver lodge on a body of water. The lodge looks like a large pile of sticks.
A photo of a beaver lodge on a body of water. The lodge looks like a large pile of sticks.
Beaver scat
A photo of a beaver in the water taken at night with a trail camera.
How beavers appear on trail cameras
A photo of a beaver in the water taken at night with a trail camera.

Coyotes

A photo of a coyote in the grass

Coyotes can be found across the state of Pennsylvania, though they are more commonly located in the north. They typically live in forested areas. If coyotes are around, you may notice tracks or scat like the pictures below.

Coyote scat
Photo of coyote scat
Photo of coyote tracks in the snow
Coyote tracks in the snow
Photo of coyote tracks in the snow
Photo of coyote tracks in the snow
Photo of coyote tracks in the snow
A photo of a coyote in the woods taken at night with a trail camera.
How coyotes appear on trail cameras
A photo of a coyote in a field taken in the day time with a trail camera.

Deer

Photo of two white tailed deer together in the woods. One is licking the other on the nose.

Deer are a common animal in the state of Pennsylvania, and across North America as a whole. They leave several different signs of their presence: tracks, scat, rub marks on tree bark, distinctive eating patterns, and shed antlers.

A photo of an antler piece that has been shed.
An antler that has been shed
A photo of an antler piece that has been shed.
A photo of deer and raccoon tracks in the dirt
Deer and raccoon tracks
A photo of deer scat
Deer scat
A photo of a tree with bark rubbed off from a buck shedding his antlers.
Buck rub on a tree
A photo of a tree with bark rubbed off from a buck shedding his antlers.
Bushes that have been eaten only along the buttom
Shrub damage caused by deer
Soybeans that have been eaten by a deer.
Soybean damage caused by deer

Raccoons

A photo of a raccoon in the woods.

Raccoons can be found across the state of Pennsylvania. Unlike other wildlife, raccoons have adapted well to living around people. They tend to live around bodies of water, along ridges, and in suburban areas. If you have raccoons living on your property, you may find signs in the form of tracks or scat like those pictured below.

A photo of lots of raccoon footprints making a raccoon trail in the mud.
A raccoon trail
A photo of lots of raccoon footprints making a raccoon trail in the mud.
A photo of raccoon scat
Raccoon scat
A photo of raccoon scat piled in a tree.
Raccoon scat
A photo of a raccoon in the woods taken at night with a trail camera.
How raccoons appear on trail cameras
A photo of a raccoon in the woods taken at night with a trail camera.

Red Foxes

A photo of a red fox standing in grass

In Pennsylvania, red foxes can be found statewide. They typically live around farm areas, marshes, and streams. They are primarily nocturnal animals. Signs of foxes nearby include tracks and scat.

A photo of a red fox in the woods taken at night with a trail camera.
How red foxes appear on trail cameras
A photo of red fox scat on rocks.
Red fox scat
A photo of fox footprints in the dirt.
Fox tracks
A photo of fox footprints in the dirt.
A photo of fox footprints in the dirt.
A photo of fox footprints in the dirt.

Turkeys

A photo of a turkey in the woods

Turkeys are native to North America and live all around Pennsylvania. Turkeys tend to live in forested areas and stay together in large flocks. They are known to make a large range of calls. If you have turkeys around your home or business, you may see tracks, scat, and eggs like the pictures below.

A photo of turkey tracks in the dirt.
Turkey tracks
A photo of turkey tracks in the dirt.
A photo of male turkey scat.
Male turkey scat
A photo of female turkey scat.
Female turkey scat
A photo of 8 turkey eggs.
Turkey eggs

Voles

A photo of a vole holding a partially eaten worm.

Voles are small, mouse-like rodents that live across the state of Pennsylvania. They tend to live around meadows, forests, and farmlands. Voles are known to burrow underground and leave trails like the ones pictured below.

A photo of vole trails in the grass.
A vole trail
A photo of vole trails in the grass.
A photo of vole trails in the grass.

Wildlife Signs: Miscellaneous

A photo of a northern water snake.
A northern water snake.
A photo of a tree in the woods with two large, vertical holes carved out by a pileated woodpecker.
Tree damage caused by a pileated woodpecker.
A photo of an eastern timber rattle snake on the ground.
An eastern timber rattle snake.
A photo of mouse tracks in the snow.
Mouse tracks
A photo of a mink in the water, taken by a trail camera.
A photo of a mink.
A photo of mink scat.
Mink scat
A photo of rabbit tracks in the snow.
Rabbit tracks in the snow.
A photo of rabbit tracks in the snow.
Rabbit tracks in the snow.
A photo of muskrat scat on a rock in a stream.
Muskrat scat
A photo of elk scat in the dirt.
Elk scat
A photo of otter tracks in the snow.
Otter tracks in the snow.
A photo of otter tracks in the snow.
Otter tracks in the snow.

If you are having issues with these or other wildlife at your home or business, call Wildlife Enterprises, LLC. We can help you identify what wildlife is causing the conflict, and we can safely remove the animals from your property.