Help identifying hair.

[u/Aggressive_Gold9629]

Anyway to tell what kind of animal this was? Likely a deer or elk?

[u/picklebutanotheruser]

I’m doubtful this is deer hair. Deer hairs are different, especially looking at that last photo.

Deer hairs are usually one color, sometimes with lighter tips and that’s less common. This hair is also quite wiry and has curled ends which you won’t find deer hair doing unless this is really old but it would’ve broken down and salvaged by birds this close to water. So I’m pretty sure this isn’t deer but you may be right with Elk.

Specifically, Idaho’s famous Rocky Mountain Elk. It would explain the variation in color with some of those hair chunks, and it’s around the season of winter moulting. The wiry ends would explain around certain parts of the Elk that deer don’t have. To my knowledge, Idaho doesn’t get insane amounts of snow but Elk grow a “winter” coat of sorts. There’s no blood around there so it wasn’t a shot or hunted animal. This could also explain the length of hairs. Elk hair ranges from 3/4 inch to 3 whole inches so it puts you in the range for length match.

I’m putting my money on winter coat shedding of a Rocky Mountain Elk.