Something new to me.

[Grizzly_Adams]

Sadly I didn't have my camera ready but, we went up to our property last weekend for one final work party before the opener. (2 more days of work) Went and did lap on a quad and took off from glassing a doe and fawn across canyon, come around a corner and see a small oak about 250yds off the road shaken pretty good. I see a pretty round for the size black mass slip down the tree and ghost out into the brush.

i know they climb trees but had yet to see it.

and if season was open last weekend i would be tagged out completly

do the climb to eat rather then eating off the ground?

[Rufous]

Yes bears will climb trees to eat. The bear I shot yesterday was in an area with many apple trees and there were many piles of bear poop with partially digested apples. I also saw apple trees with claw marks in the trunks where a bear had obviously climbed up to eat apples.

[imboostedru]

I just saw a bear here on Fort Lewis eating in a tree.

[seth30]

if i saw a bear in the tree eating my tag would have been filled.

[seth30]

no pun intended 

[billythekidrock]

Yes, they will climb trees to feed. Obviously the smaller bears do it more often, but they will climb fruit trees, fir trees, etc.

[Hillbilly270]

they climb the apple trees near my house and break the branches down so they can eat the apples.