So I am trapping some beaver for an HOA and the beaver was on a specific property. I finally got him. I HATE pond beavers!! Anyway.

So there is an old man, who owns the property in the HOA where I am specifically trapping the beaver. Once I caught the beaver activity ceased. Until....

The old guy contacted me and said he was seeing "more activity". For reference, he would paint the trees black once they had been chewed.

So I go look at the activity and see a poplar and a cedar with some "damage". The bark had been torn from the tree from bottom to top. On the cedar it tore off at about four feet up out a limb. On the poplar, the bark was torn off of a part of the tree that had been previously painted black.

I personally have never seen this but I try to keep an open mind. NONE of the other trees on this property are torn in this fashion and are chewed in the standard way we see beavers chewing on trees. Through the bark then into the cambium and wood. Each piece taken off in beaver bite fashion.

My question is has anyone ever seen bark torn off a tree in long strips? I am not sure if this is really happening.

I think he is either lonely and taking the bark off the tree and calling it damage or he wants someone taking care of the trees all the time. He is a little weird about his trees and property.

He also slides me a twenty or more every time I see him.

So is this real or fake? What say you?

Thanks for your time.

not a beaver imo

Time for a camera

wws

I've seen damage like that hand full of times in the woods at my gun club. We are no where near any beaver.

I chalked it up to deer, peeling the bark to get the sap underneath. Always this time of year. My first thought was porky, but we don't have those here either.

A horse will do that

Squirrel do that

That would make sense with what I see. There are definitely little chew marks.

....My thoughts are possibly a bird pulling bark for a nest. I've seen them do that many times, but on a smaller scale.

Lightning?

Rabbits also
Had a golf course job were the bottom of the trees were girdled
thought beaver or even muskrats until witnessed a rabbit feeding there one early
morning

Some of the bark strips should be floating out on the water if it's beaver doing it.

First time I witnessed this it was small branches on the ground. I thought it was beaver because of the similarities in tooth structure.
I am currently battling voles that are chewing on the base of my fig trees.

Wrong time of the year. But I have found bear will strip bark from junipers to line their dens.

How do you kill them nasty little vermin ?

Part of the bark strip from the cedar was tucked into some wood on a non used hut. I was able to see exactly where the strip came from on the tree.

My thoughts are wouldn't the bark be taken off in pieces and laying at the bottom of the tree?

Either way, if I don't see legit activity in the next couple days, I am pulling.