What Critter Did this Damage ?

[UrbanTrapper]

So this guy in Ballard, Seattle is getting strange damage to his trees, the biggest of which is a Rose of Sharon.  Damage sounds like something a Mountain Beaver would do but a lot of it is about 12 feet off the ground.  I went out and talked to him.  I observed no tunneling like a Mountain Beaver would do.  I did find some chewed off Laurel twigs in only one spot but no hole anywhere nearby.  He says the damage occurs at night.  I took photos of the damage and there is one spot where the top rail of his fence (about eight feet off the ground is also chewed).

[The Gobble-stopper]

Looks like porcupine damage, unless you have seen a sidehill wampus cat in the neighborhood

[ouchfoss]

Looks like porcupine damage, unless you have seen a sidehill wampus cat in the neighborhood

I'm betting its a porky.

[Humptulips]

Is not mountain beaver IMO. If it were a porky I would think it would be around. It would not come and go in the middle of the night.
Hard to tell much from the pictures but possibly squirrels. Yes squirrels sometimes eat bark.

[billythekidrock]

I have seen porkys eat in some weird patterns but I would also bet that this is the work of a squirrel.

[JakeLand]

Never seen a quill-pig in Ballard my only guess would be squirrel or Rats

[wags]

Porcupines will eat all the way around a tree when it's in the vertical position, but on horizontal limbs like shown in the pictures I imagine they would just eat the top portion.
Have you  looked closely at the size and width of the incisor teeth marks left on the tree?
Put a trail cam near three.

[ghosthunter]

Squirrels or rats

[jasnt]

I'm thinking porcupine as well. I've seen porkys that live near people retreat to a den durning the day.

[JakeLand]

Ballard ehhhh not a porky

[lokidog]

Ballard ehhhh not a porky

I've seen a few dead porkys along I-5 through residential areas, and I don't drive it that much. It looks like porcupine to me as well, squirrels only chew when they are trying to get to something, they don't eat bark.

[Da stump]

i would lay odds on rats in ballard

[NRA4LIFE]

Time for a trail cam.

[Humptulips]

Ballard ehhhh not a porky

I've seen a few dead porkys along I-5 through residential areas, and I don't drive it that much. It looks like porcupine to me as well, squirrels only chew when they are trying to get to something, they don't eat bark.

You are mistaken on that account. Grays often peel bark in the winter. I've seen many fir trees with the top girdled from grays. It is usually a last resort but if they are hungry they will.
I have also seen red squirrels peel maple when the sap starts to come up.

[Trapper John]

I've done a lot of work in Ballard over the years.
That my friend (if the work is done at night) is "Rats"
If it is done in the day, than it is "Squirrels"
I will say ................ Rats
JC.