bear or porcupine?

[rkr]

I was in the woods the other day and found some scratches on a tree and would need some help identify the animal. This a forest close to Regina and I know there are bears in the summer but never seen one. Any idea what is it?

 

[hoytcanon]

I was in the woods the other day and found some scratches on a tree and would need some help identify the animal. This a forest close to Regina and I know there are bears in the summer but never seen one. Any idea what is it?

Pics aren't close enough... if it is porky you will see the teeth marks, if it is a bear (I doubt it) you will sew claw marks... bears do eat aspen cambium in the spring but usually from trees that they can get their jaws around in order to strip bark... and from softer parts of the trees... you will often see claw marks on the aspens and poplar trees from where the bears climbed up to get catkins.

 

[rkr]

I guess it's hard to say. I don't think it was a porcupine but you never know.

 

[be2man]

Moose Rub? Outer rack just catching the 2 trees on the right.

 

[McHoss]

Moose Rub? Outer rack just catching the 2 trees on the right.

That was my first thought. About the right height.

 

[hoytcanon]

Moose Rub? Outer rack just catching the 2 trees on the right.

Possible, but not likely... moose tend to prefer clumps of thumb to wrist sized birches, willows or alders... only very rarely going at a 6-10" tree trunk.

 

[be2man]

Those look 2-4" diameter to me, and about 4-5' off the ground, also don't look fresh, more like last fall.

 

[btabin]

Doesn't look like a bear to me. No visible claw marks, but maybe they don't show up well in the photo. No idea what a porcupine's mark looks like. I'd have to say an old antler rub.

 

[rkr]

Those look 2-4" diameter to me, and about 4-5' off the ground, also don't look fresh, more like last fall.

Didn't see the marks about 2 months ago. I found some nice moose antlers about 400 yards away. They still mark trees in the spring ?

 

[MiG25]

Either moose, cattle, or horses.

 

[FLHTCUI]

Sasquatch maybe.....
Be a bit early to rub velvet and if from last falls rut why are the trees still standing?
Just asking.
Rob

 

[BrotherRockeye]

bear or porcupine?

neither imo

 

[bearkilr]

Moose eating bark.

 

[scott_r]

Elk or moose...see those all over the Moose Jaw area.

 

[mb9]

Porcupine would be my guess. I have seen similar marks and a porcupine in the process of making them.

 

[Purple shoulder]

A moose rub that a porcupine or something later came along and ate some bark off above and below on the left tree.

 

[fingers284]

If there's moose in the area that would be my first guess...second guess would be a porky eating the bark in mid winter when the snow held him up that high off the ground.

 

[EL34/6L6]

Grass at the base of the trees were trampled by something bigger than a porcupine...

 

[Duncan Idaho]

Put my vote down as Moose. I see lots of this in my area.

Porkies usually find a fork to sit in, then start munching the bark above the fork. They also leave teeth marks.

Bears leave claw marks, hair, even teeth marks if they are eating bark.

 

[Budweiser2]

My guess is moose eating the bark.