What's stripping my bark?

[jimsudz]

I have a bunch of sugar maples that have bark missing on the root flare. I always thought it was mice chewing the bark under the snow, but now I see fresh sign and it's july. The bark is being stripped in 2-3 inch by 1/2 inch strips. I whould think it was a porcupine but there is none in my area of western N.Y. The only critter I've seen in the area is a woodchuck.Could this be the culprit ?

[3rdgen.maple]

Jim are you positive you dont have porcupines in your area. They are throughout NY and would be the biggest culprit of whats eating the bark. The only other mammal would be a beaver but you surely would see enough sign to see it was them. Do you have fisher in your area? If so you have porcupine its their main diet and food of choice. Other than that I would have to think bark would be a desperate choice of food for any other animal that I can think of in NY.

Oh wait, possum are an option as well. They will eat sweet trees and brush as part of their diet. Maybe they are stripping off the bark to get to the sweet cambium ( spelling).

[collinsmapleman2012]

Jim are you positive you dont have porcupines in your area. They are throughout NY and would be the biggest culprit of whats eating the bark. The only other mammal would be a beaver but you surely would see enough sign to see it was them. Do you have fisher in your area? If so you have porcupine its their main diet and food of choice. Other than that I would have to think bark would be a desperate choice of food for any other animal that I can think of in NY.

Oh wait, possum are an option as well. They will eat sweet trees and brush as part of their diet. Maybe they are stripping off the bark to get to the sweet cambium ( spelling).

i do know the state reintroduced fishers into western new york in the 70's and 80's, but i cant remember why they did it.

[Kev]

i do know the state reintroduced fishers into western new york in the 70's and 80's, but i cant remember why they did it.

to appease those that feel all the other animals have more rights than the human ones?. Many people feel humans can and should control nature. They can not seem to get their brain around the fact that it is so complicated that every attempt has been a failure due to unforseen factors. IMHO

[Buckshot]

A quick "google" of woodchucks came up with this:
"Similar to ground squirrels,
woodchucks may strip bark at the base of
trees near their burrow entrance to mark
their territories."

http://wildlifecontrol.info/pubs/Documents/Woodchucks/Woodchuck_factsheet.pdf

[Flat Lander Sugaring]

A quick "google" of woodchucks came up with this:
"Similar to ground squirrels,
woodchucks may strip bark at the base of
trees near their burrow entrance to mark
their territories."

http://wildlifecontrol.info/pubs/Documents/Woodchucks/Woodchuck_factsheet.pdf

nothing lead poisening wont take care of:D

[Randy Brutkoski]

The reason why the Fisher Cat was introduced to New York and Vermont was because it is the only animal that will kill a Porkypine( hedgehog).And at the time they were growing in numbers and something needed to be done.

[schellmaple]

I live in western Maryland and I had trouble with something chewing the bark off the limbs in the canopy of two of my sugar maples. I took some pictures of the trees and took it to work and they came up with a north eastern flying beaver as the calprit. Well after some further investigation it come to find out it was just a very unlucky red squirrel.

[red maples]

porcupines!!! they usually perfer hemlock needles but will chew the sugar outta the bark...mmmmsweet sap!!!

[farmer12071]

to appease those that feel all the other animals have more rights than the human ones?. Many people feel humans can and should control nature. They can not seem to get their brain around the fact that it is so complicated that every attempt has been a failure due to unforseen factors. IMHO

ny environmental science at its finest,let one animal out to control another.we had a mountain lion running a 15mile radius around our area for about 3years everyone had pictures of it and farmers around here were losing livestock to it,one of the locals that has horses got lucky one day,found it chasing his horses and shot it encon came and denied the whole thing of releasing them and they fined the guy for discharging a firearm,he went to the local paper with the deal and received a written statement that they were released to control the deer pop.now why wouldnt they let people control the deer with a little lead

[CBOYER]

Watch for Hoax on Mountain Lion
http://www.adirondackbasecamp.com/2010/02/response-mountain-lion/

[spud]

It's got to be BIGFOOT thats messing with your trees. Set up a tree camera and catch the hairy bastard before he trashes your whole sugarwoods. :lol:

Spud

[Randy Brutkoski]

Flatlander turns into a warewolf at night time, it could be him.

[twitch]

ny environmental science at its finest,let one animal out to control another.we had a mountain lion running a 15mile radius around our area for about 3years everyone had pictures of it and farmers around here were losing livestock to it,one of the locals that has horses got lucky one day,found it chasing his horses and shot it encon came and denied the whole thing of releasing them and they fined the guy for discharging a firearm,he went to the local paper with the deal and received a written statement that they were released to control the deer pop.now why wouldnt they let people control the deer with a little lead

they tried that in maine the stupid bustards. they let out five wolves and three got shot the next day truing to get into peoples barns and one was tiring to get in a big chicken coop when a lady was inside. Talk about having you head up your *** what were they thinking there was a reason men shot all the wolves in the first place.

[twitch]

i would go with porcupines I have shot 3 in my sugar bush there is not a soft would tree in the place Blast em.