Hunting Washington Forum

Big Game Hunting => Bear Hunting => Topic started by: sled on April 12, 2011, 09:19:16 PM

Title: Bear Peel?? What does one look like?
Post by: sled on April 12, 2011, 09:19:16 PM: So for those of us that are new to spring bear hunting what exactly does a bear peel look like?
I scouted a little in the Monroe unit tonight and found seven trees in about 75 yards that had bark missing, only one was actually through the bark. They were about 3 to 4 feet off the ground, and about 1 to 1 1/2 in diameter on only one side of the tree. Didnt notice any claw marks just fairly big pieces of bark on the ground.
Im just not sure what to look for or what to look for for spring bear hunting. Ill try to take pics next time im up there, maybe set up my trail camera.
Title: Re: Bear Peel?? What does one look like?
Post by: CAMPMEAT on April 12, 2011, 09:29:53 PM: Sounds like it to me. I've seen "peels" at about the same height, give or take. Look for hair also on the trees.
Title: Re: Bear Peel?? What does one look like?
Post by: dirty24d on April 12, 2011, 09:39:53 PM: They look like this.
Title: Re: Bear Peel?? What does one look like?
Post by: flinger on April 12, 2011, 09:43:30 PM: this one was about 5 to 6 ft.
Title: Re: Bear Peel?? What does one look like?
Post by: sled on April 12, 2011, 09:47:49 PM: wOW. What I saw was kind of like it started to peel then lost interest. Not near what those pics show.
Title: Re: Bear Peel?? What does one look like?
Post by: sled on April 12, 2011, 09:49:28 PM: Do they only peel trees in the spring?
Title: Re: Bear Peel?? What does one look like?
Post by: blacktailcrzy on April 12, 2011, 10:01:34 PM: well they mostly peel in the spring because of the major lack of food and that under the trees bark there is new spring growth happening and the fresh cambium is running and they chew or scratch it off for some substance
Title: Re: Bear Peel?? What does one look like?
Post by: bobcat on April 12, 2011, 10:12:46 PM: A little reading material:

http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1579&context=icwdm_usdanwrc&sei-redir=1#search=%22bear+peels+wdfw%22 (http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1579&context=icwdm_usdanwrc&sei-redir=1#search=%22bear+peels+wdfw%22)
Title: Re: Bear Peel?? What does one look like?
Post by: woodman on April 12, 2011, 10:19:48 PM: I was checking pics from last year and the first ones that I spotted showed up in May. This was during my spring bear hunt.
Title: Re: Bear Peel?? What does one look like?
Post by: FWilliams on April 12, 2011, 10:50:24 PM: look for douglas fir 8 to 10 inch in diameter, the picture showing the vertical marks are what you are looking for, once they get the bark off they drag their front teeth down the trunk to get at the soft cambium layer. the whiter the the wood the fresher the peel, they will start to color up right away, look at the darker pic for reference of one that is turning. i hunted for a timber company in the late eighties where we had them peeling 50 trees a week.
Title: Re: Bear Peel?? What does one look like?
Post by: 257 Wby Mag on April 12, 2011, 11:24:23 PM: Heres a freshy.
Title: Re: Bear Peel?? What does one look like?
Post by: brew on April 14, 2011, 07:52:56 PM: found this on in crapitol forest last spring
Title: Re: Bear Peel?? What does one look like?
Post by: runamuk on April 15, 2011, 09:49:54 AM: Quote from: sled on April 12, 2011, 09:19:16 PM
So for those of us that are new to spring bear hunting what exactly does a bear peel look like?
I scouted a little in the Monroe unit tonight and found seven trees in about 75 yards that had bark missing, only one was actually through the bark. They were about 3 to 4 feet off the ground, and about 1 to 1 1/2 in diameter on only one side of the tree. Didnt notice any claw marks just fairly big pieces of bark on the ground.
Im just not sure what to look for or what to look for for spring bear hunting. Ill try to take pics next time im up there, maybe set up my trail camera.

hate to say but what this sounds like is a deer/elk rub if only some bark is missing and the diameter of the tree is only a couple inches :dunno: :dunno:

the peels posted in here are what I see every spring yogi does a number on the trees near my house in fact I ought to go for a drive this afternoon see if they have done any fresh damage ;)
Title: Re: Bear Peel?? What does one look like?
Post by: cryfowl on April 15, 2011, 03:50:50 PM: Look for the large nail scratches above 4' on the tree. If it is just pealed around the base, it is possible you are looking at porcupine damage and not a bear. There are tons of those lil spiney boogars around here.
Title: Re: Bear Peel?? What does one look like?
Post by: billythekidrock on April 15, 2011, 04:48:13 PM: Bear peel. Notice the claw marks in the bark and cambium.

(https://hunting-washington.com/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.hunt101.com%2Fdata%2F500%2Fmedium%2FIMG_3732.jpg&hash=83df5717d2216a5acf90717b31b4d181cc7fe1bd)

Porcupine peel. Notice the small teeth marks.

(https://hunting-washington.com/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.hunt101.com%2Fdata%2F500%2Fmedium%2FwebIMG_5478.jpg&hash=88c49321202e369dfbb76123e17b43f33784a701)
Title: Re: Bear Peel?? What does one look like?
Post by: BOWHUNTER45 on April 15, 2011, 04:54:57 PM: yeah I would say that sums it up !! nice pictures ..
Title: Re: Bear Peel?? What does one look like?
Post by: Decker on April 16, 2011, 03:42:22 AM: Awesome, thanks for the great pics everyone!!! This community is SO helpful with sharing knowledge! You all are the best! :brew:
Title: Re: Bear Peel?? What does one look like?
Post by: Skyvalhunter on April 16, 2011, 05:34:05 AM: The otside layers just come off the same as when you walk in a strip bar and plop down a roll of cash!!
Title: Re: Bear Peel?? What does one look like?
Post by: shedcrazy on April 16, 2011, 06:18:48 AM: Why is it I never see peeled trees over here on the eastside?
Title: Re: Bear Peel?? What does one look like?
Post by: Gutpile on April 16, 2011, 06:44:18 AM: Quote from: shedcrazy on April 16, 2011, 06:18:48 AM
Why is it I never see peeled trees over here on the eastside?

]I've often wondered that same thing. I've never seen a peel and had never heard of one until I saw it talked about on this site. Maybe it's because the west side bears are active earlier in the spring before the grasses and shoots green up so they are trying to fill there bellies. Our Eastside bears are still denned up? Dont know but it sounds good to me. :dunno:
Title: Re: Bear Peel?? What does one look like?
Post by: Skywagon_185 on April 16, 2011, 07:40:39 AM: The spring sap that runs up a Doug Fir tree is very sweet tasting to the bear. They pull the bark off with their claws then scrape the sweet tasting cambium layer with their teeth. If you look at the pieces of bark on the ground, you can tell something about the size of the bear. Every piece will have 4 claw marks in it and you can tell the size by the width of the claw marks.
The east side Doug Fir doesn't have the rapid (read wet) flush growth of spring wood. Preferred species is Doug Fir but they will occasionally peel a Hemlock.
They have devastated many stands here on the wet side and will often climb and peel way up the tree.
Mike
Title: Re: Bear Peel?? What does one look like?
Post by: Gutpile on April 16, 2011, 07:41:56 AM: Thats a pretty good explanation. Sounds good to me.
Title: Re: Bear Peel?? What does one look like?
Post by: Kain on April 16, 2011, 08:41:30 AM: Do all these peeled trees seem to be around the same size?

Im pretty sure this is a bear peel. It is the first one I have ever found down here. I didnt find it until Sept so it was already old.

(https://hunting-washington.com/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi406.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fpp150%2FNaithankain%2FElk%2520hunting%25202010%2FBearpeel2.jpg&hash=49868ea81d05121b208444f82c5f687f1c56956b)
Title: Re: Bear Peel?? What does one look like?
Post by: billythekidrock on April 16, 2011, 10:26:33 AM: Kain, yes. That is a bear peel.
You can tell by the vertical teeth marks where they scraped the cambium layer.

As for size...they can very. Typically the trees are 10-12 inches through, but I have found trees peeled that were 3 & 4 feet through. Not all peels are at ground level either. Sometimes they start peeling 50 feet up.

They will peel fir, hemlock, spruce, cedar and even maple.
Title: Re: Bear Peel?? What does one look like?
Post by: ghosthunter on April 17, 2011, 08:53:46 PM: I was out Friday-Saturday and this am in North Skagit found lots of old peel whole stands but no fresh sign. Talked to the local forester up on a road and he had not seen a bear yet.
Title: Re: Bear Peel?? What does one look like?
Post by: NWWABOWHNTR on April 17, 2011, 09:18:39 PM: Most of the fresh peel's I found over the past few years in the skagit have seemed to be in May....
Title: Re: Bear Peel?? What does one look like?
Post by: BOWHUNTER45 on April 18, 2011, 03:48:55 PM: yeah exactely....Hell we still have snow in the hills in skagit co.. and most of the bears and the peels I see are in May too !!!