For New Hunters Specially Bear Hunters

[TheProvider]

Came across this today, you don't see them very often. A bear showing his size by standing on his hind legs and biting the tree as high as he can. This guy was about 6ft. The highest one I've ever seen was 7.5ft on a hydro pole along the train tracks that bordered a huge swamp.

https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/226133_10150759548880313_794810312_19828725_331763 1_n.jpg

[Barracuda]

looks more like some jackass with a shotgun

[chilcotin hillbilly]

You actually see marking trees alot if you are looking. Along almost every travel route there will be some. I saw on one time that was about 6 foot. The same tree had one over 8 foot. This really puzzled me until i figured out the so called big bear had stood on a stump next to the marking tree.

[Barracuda]

Ive seen alot of marking trees but none that the bear has also used for target practice lol!
I see no scratches no varying degrees of bitemarks etc

[monasheemountainman]

if it was a shotgun the guy who shot it would have to be at least 7 ft tall to shoot it straight on like that...if he is right about it being 6ft up the tree

[Barracuda]

could have been a target on the other side of the tree etc . go up sylvester or stave and there are hundreds like that and even more after a long weekend.
If it had punctures scratches of various degree etc then ??? first thing the wife said when she saw it was WTF its Bullets lol

[Mishka]

I'm no expert, but it looks like scratches to me. If you look at the lower section with the bark you can see where the nails entered the wood and pulled down.

[Barracuda]

you mean the outward angled splinters:lol::lol::lol:

[Mr. Dean]

could have been a target on the other side of the tree etc . go up sylvester or stave and there are hundreds like that and even more after a long weekend.
If it had punctures scratches of various degree etc then ??? first thing the wife said when she saw it was WTF its Bullets lol

Smart woman.

I don't see a pulling, downward striation to the markings. My guess is either Zombies or Aliens... Perhaps both.

[elkdom]

myself and a couple of HBC members watched a Grizzly do exactly that, 2 years ago, posted the pics in my HBC photo gallery, in our case the Grizzly bit the 3 inch sapling completely off, then did the "happy dance" and wandered away,,,,,

[BromBones]

could have been a target on the other side of the tree etc

No rifle or shotgun would peel the bark off the tree like that. Pretty dense forest to to be out nailing a target up to a tree for a little practice.

Pretty easy to see the teeth marks there.

[TheProvider]

theres scratches below it. even the marks at the bottom of the pic you can see continue down. Plus with the biting theres no downward marks because they turn their head side ways to bite it and pull, explaining the outward splinters. Theres no mark on the otherside of the tree. Hard to shoot a tree, causing outward angles on the only side you shot. But I guess miracles happen, prolly a steel plate in the center of a tree where the "bullets or pellets" richoceted directly back ;)

[elkdom]

theres scratches below it. even the marks at the bottom of the pic you can see continue down. Plus with the biting theres no downward marks because they turn their head side ways to bite it and pull, explaining the outward splinters. Theres no mark on the otherside of the tree. Hard to shoot a tree, causing outward angles on the only side you shot. But I guess miracles happen, prolly a steel plate in the center of a tree where the "bullets or pellets" richoceted directly back ;)

don't sweat the negativity,besides, even some people have a steel plate in their head, no biggee deal, :wink:

[TheProvider]

don't sweat the negativity,besides, even some people have a steel plate in their head, no biggee deal, :wink:

Oh I know, I know what it is so it doesn't matter. Everyone has a right to thier opinion. Just trying to show new hunters different things you can find in the woods. I imagine hundreds of marking trees get overlooked as "target" trees

[TheProvider]

Imagine the weird looks I'd get if I mentioned "bear nests"

[elkdom]

it is a shame how bears are destroying the forest,,,

darn near as damaging as prehistoric giant beavers,,,

or loggers,,,

or Pine beetles,,

or red neck target shooters,,,


the list IS long,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

[BromBones]

Imagine the weird looks I'd get if I mentioned "bear nests"

Got some pics of a blackie 'nested' up high in the crotch of a big old split fir tree. Quite the camp he had setup there.

[BearSniper]

Great photos. Just remember that strong jaws and teeth made those marks. Best on the tree and not on yer leg whist sleeping in yer tent. Sheesh.

[Mr. Dean]

I once saw a Sasquatch and most everyone called BS...


If this is a side-ways bite, why no marks on the opposite side? There would have to be opposing marks in order to make gouges like that.

[TheProvider]

I once saw a Sasquatch and most everyone called BS...


If this is a side-ways bite, why no marks on the opposite side? There would have to be opposing marks in order to make gouges like that.

I've yet to see a marking tree that wasn't a sideways bite. With the ones I've seen its always a bite out of the one side of the tree. He'd have to be a monster bear to wrap his jaws around awhole tree thats 9" across. Think of it as the kitchen corner that siblings use a pencil to mark there height. The purpose is primarily to show off their size

[RayHill]

Looks to me like a 7 foot Samsquanch did that! 8)

[adamgarbett]

Got some pics of a blackie 'nested' up high in the crotch of a big old split fir tree. Quite the camp he had setup there.

Pics..Please!

[buck nash]

It sure looks like a shotgun to me. You can see the tighter pattern in the centre and the odd pellets on the outside of the pattern. And it looks like there is plenty of room to have shot it from the other side. I've seen shotguns do damage to trees that looks just like this. I don't see anything here that says bear sorry.

[elkdom]

several years ago I witnessed a large Black bear boar chew a tree up similar to that, a cub had climbed to safety, the boar and the sow had a hell of row, she finally backed off, unable to climb the small tree and get at the cub,,the boar spent close to 2 hours attacking the tree/small sapling with the cub up about 20 feet above the boar, finally the boar lost interest and went about digging up ant hills, I think the sow died because a couple of days later I seen a solitary black bear cub in same vicinity,

[TheProvider]

It sure looks like a shotgun to me. You can see the tighter pattern in the centre and the odd pellets on the outside of the pattern. And it looks like there is plenty of room to have shot it from the other side. I've seen shotguns do damage to trees that looks just like this. I don't see anything here that says bear sorry.

Except theres outward splinters not inwards. Claw marks lower on tree

[TheProvider]

Pics..Please!


I chuckled when I first heard of a bear "nest" My father works in forestry and had to take a day course on different kinds of nests. Including bear nests. No they don't actually make a nest purposely. Its caused by them climbing trees to feed on berries and fresh leaves. They'll break off branches to eat the berries or leaves then sometimes stuff the branch underneath them and continue doing so. After a "meal" theres what appears to be a nest in the tree from the bear stuffing the broking branches underneath his rump. The first part of the course was held in a classroom and the second part of the course was a feildtrip. Last nest on the trip was at an old "bear nest"

Of course most of the time bears feed in trees they just break branches an not actually make the nest