Bear Peel 90'+ in the Toutle

[Dean44]

We went on a family hike this weekend and found this brand new peel.  The peeled bark was very fresh with no curling at all.  We could not see clear to the top of the tree but it was peeled as far as we could see, over 90'. We have commonly been seeing some high peels in this area and we were hoping to catch him in the act with the video camera. Look at the large pieces of bark up high in the branches still.

This peel was far from the nearest road.

Bear Peel In the Toutle Area of Washington State

[STIKNSTRINGBOW]

  big strips of bark coming off that tree........

[boonerboy]

It's amazing what the porcupines can do to trees. In SE montana it seems like every other tree is just trashed by those dirty critters.

[tyler_o]

Absolutely positively a bear, and not all that uncommon especially at higher elevations.

[LRshooter]

Porcupine! i don't think a bear would spend that much time and effort peeling a tree.

[bobcat]

I don't think it's a bear either. Especially this time of year. They've got other things to eat. They peel trees in April and May.

[billythekidrock]

Absolutely positively a bear, and not all that uncommon especially at higher elevations.

big strips of bark coming off that tree........

Definately bear.

[ICEMAN]

Ok, so we have bear "yes" and bear "no".... hmmmmm.... 

[Ghost Hunter]

Anybody up for a 90' climb to confirm

[BLKBEARKLR]

Bear

[carpsniperg2]

i could not say for sure

[BLKBEARKLR]

14 seconds into video he says it is all a couple of hours old, there is no way a porkie is going to that kind of damage in a couple of hours.

The bark is wide if you look at them and then skinny to me meaning that it is the width of a bears paw at the the top and then peeled from the tree making it smaller on that portion.


The only thing that I see that I don't agree with is all the way up the tree is old dead branches close together that should of had some broken off if a bear climbed the tree.


joe

[heavy hauler]

bigfoot

[backwoods_boy]

 
saw these during spring bear season.
still torn as to what they really were.
 

[BLKBEARKLR]

http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.insectimage.com/Gallery%252016/0620_5.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.insectimage.com/Gallery%252016/0620_5.html&usg=__8inORR_EHZ2nrK8o2UpbH35_KRo=&h=800&w=600&sz=123&hl=en&start=15&um=1&itbs=1&tbnid=J7wf8N5Peumd6M:&tbnh=143&tbnw=107&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dporcupine%2Beating%2Btree%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26rlz%3D1R2ADFA_enUS364%26tbs%3Disch:1



These pictures show really good the damage and the shavings you should see from a porky. Usually long strips that are wide at the top and skinny at the bottom shows that the bark has been ripped from the tree. Most of the time indicating a bear.

Also always look for the numerous grooves caused by the porkys teeth.

Joe