bear peeling trees in higher elevation

[bankwalker]

The areas I bear hunt have an over abundance of peeled trees. From the lowest point to the tip tops. An average canyon has well over 100-200 peeled trees. Being high elevations the growth window is pretty short for trees and I've seem fresh peeled trees well into July.
I'm very curious this spring before the snow fully melts to hike up into these areas and see if I can catch a bear in the act.

Has anyone ever seen this happening? I think seeing a bear 50-60+ feet up a tree ripping it up would be pretty spectacular sight.

I'm also curious. On one road system (less than 5 miles of road) I've counted 25+ fresh peeled trees within 2 weeks of each other. Would this be the same bear? Or how many bear would be a good guess making this many peels.

[buckfvr]

Im thinking more on porcupines..........that high up makes it unlikely to be bear.   

[STIKNSTRINGBOW]

Never had an experience of them being high in a tree, all I have seen is the bark ripped off shorter trees, usually around a foot thick 20 y/o trees, from the ground to about 5-6 feet.
then rub marks from their teeth, 
But this is also down low.

[buckfvr]

Never had an experience of them being high in a tree, all I have seen is the bark ripped off shorter trees, usually around a foot thick 20 y/o trees, from the ground to about 5-6 feet.
then rub marks from their teeth, 
But this is also down low.

I see the same thing here, regardless of elevation.   

[liljozie495]

Porcupines or mtn beavers

[snowpack]

yeah they climb up to where the food is.  sometimes they stand on the higher branches and break them.  So if you see larger branches broken up near the peeled areas could have been bear.  The guys I know that see them up high look down into the canyons and just watch for trees shaking.  It would get so bad in some places that the bears would kill off a ton of trees and the game dept/tree farms would drop big barrels of food for the bears to hold them over until the snow melts enough for the plants to come up.  You can still find some of the barrels out there.  I heard they had dog food in them.

[Jonathan_S]

Porcupines or mtn beavers

Porcupine most likely.  Not a Boomer though.

[grundy53]

Im thinking more on porcupines..........that high up makes it unlikely to be bear.   

sent from my typewriter

[janttihunter]

I've seen one about 25 feet up shaking the heck out of an old apple tree!

[bankwalker]

These are definitely bears doing a good 80% of these pealings. There's wide claw marks and tracks around the trees for proof. 
The elevation isn't to high around 2000-3000 feet in most of these locations.

[ICEMAN]

Never heard of a bear eating that high in a tree. Sounds like a porcupine.

What type of shredding chunks are you seeing around a tree peeled to near its top?

I always take pics of peculiar things....did you take pictures?

[bearbaito6]

Bear will peal the tops of trees. I've seen where they peel just the top or just the bottom or the whole tree. I have seen where they peel the tops of huge trees.

[headshot5]

I've seen where bear have peeled 20-30 feet up in 20 year old or so douglas fir trees.  It'd take a porcupine a heck of a long time to peel a whole tree.  I saw this on Tiger Mountain (HWY 18) on the road the paragliders go up to jump.  It was in late May in 2007 or so when I interned with the DNR.  This was the first time I have seen where they have climbed the trees while peeling them.  IN the lowlands I generally see the bottom 5 feet or so peeled is all.  Amazing how many trees they will destroy.  I've seen acres of trees where the bark has been peeled off >60% of the trees.

[Fl0und3rz]

Question from a bear noob.  What kind of trees are we talking about other than the just-mentioned Douglas fir?  Will bear or any animals do this to cedar?

[Humptulips]

Generally speaking if the bears are climbing the trees to peel them it is small bears. Often see this where year old bears are with mama.

[Humptulips]

Question from a bear noob.  What kind of trees are we talking about other than the just-mentioned Douglas fir?  Will bear or any animals do this to cedar?

I've seen just about every kind of tree peeled by bears at times but D.Fir is for sure the favorite. They like white fir too and cedar comes in probably third.

[boneaddict]

 
In my opinion, a majority of peels are within reach of the ground.   

[plottwalker]

not starting a argument, but bears do peel trees that high. not that common but it happens. seen bears in the act a few times on the side of the road or at a feeder. pretty cool to catch them in the act right before they got dogs on there tail... some times up high they dont start peeling until july right around the time deperedation closes.  those bears have a free for all most years.

[snowpack]

Question from a bear noob.  What kind of trees are we talking about other than the just-mentioned Douglas fir?  Will bear or any animals do this to cedar?

Seems the majority prefer fir, but hemlock, spruce and cedar get it from time to time.  The trees that seem to get hit hard are the firs that are about 12 inches in diameter.  Firs drop the lower branches sooner than the others.  When you find a stand of reprod you'll notice you can see through the firs better.  Kind of leaves the trunks more easily accessible to the bears (though a bear will tear up anything to get to food).  Also with the low branches why you can find deer/grouse holed up a little more in hemlocks.  When the trees start getting a little bigger than 12 inches the bears start climbing more and you might see the upper peels...some bears even peel vertically.
It seems they like to stick to conifers, but I've heard they tear up alder on occasion (probably leave it because they know the elk and blacktails like to tear it up so much  ).  Never seen/heard of them eating maples, but it would seem like that would be the tree of choice because of the sap and how much they like maple stuff (syrup/pastries/bacon).   

[bearbaito6]

I've got a pic somewhere of a huge maple, that was peeled about 15' up.

[billythekidrock]

Bears will peel a variety of trees. I have seen Fir, Hemlock & Spruce the most, but also Maple and Cedar.

They will peel high in a tree and I have seen peels an estimated 100 feet up large Spruce on the coast. The bark is thinner up high and easier to peel on larger trees.

Here is a high bear peel.



High peel.



Base of the tree. Porcupines will not leave large pieces of bark in the tree or at the base.

[boneaddict]

Nice!