I am guessing beaver ?? Plus other trail cam pics....

[Msgdan]

Took a walk yesterday to check the cameras.....still one holding, a first time picture of an owl and a few does with a fox.    Plus, came upon a huge oak tree with the bottom totally chewed around the whole bottom.   It is close to a river, but I didn't see any other small trees down or any other sign of beavers in the area.  I can't imagine any other animal that could do this much damage to a tree, but I am guessing that a beaver could be the only one to do this ???

 

Thoughts ????

 

Danny 

 

 

[sxs]

does not look like a beavers work... had a nice 8pt in the yard last night still holding

Edited March 3 by sxs
info

[smittty]

I’m not a expert on beavers but most of the beaver damage I see they don’t eat the bark and leave the meat I’m sure someone will chime  in that may know more then me I’m very curious now

Edited March 3 by smittty

[not retired...]

I'm thinking porcupine? 

[sxs]

1 minute ago, not retired... said:

I'm thinking porcupine? 

i was just going to say porcupine ...bark eaters

[trapoholic]

I have seen evidence of beaver that closely resembled this. Let me ask you this- How close is this to a body of water? And if it was a beaver there may be evidence of a trail going to the water.

[Msgdan]

Trapoholic......Only about 20 yards from the Rockaway river, in lower Morris county.  I have been living, hunting and fishing this area for over 40 years and have never had a porcupine on trail camera along the river.   Not sure if I even think they are this far east in the state ??

 

[BothBarrels]

12 minutes ago, trapoholic said:

I have seen evidence of beaver that closely resembled this. Let me ask you this- How close is this to a body of water? And if it was a beaver there may be evidence of a trail going to the water.

So have I. As if the beaver started ... and then just stopped before digging into the meat of the tree.

[jumpthestring]

Only Governor Murphy's teeth can do something like that.

[gobblergetter]

Q-pine

[bt bowhunter]

Beaver did damage like that on the great swamp refuge.  Department of interior had me trap some there on the upper Passaic where they did damage like that to large oaks on the refuge.  
 

they do that same damage down here now on the rivers rarely cutting down trees.

[electric10162]

Porcupine 

[trapoholic]

I believe that some beaver know that the tree is too large for that individual beaver to cut.  I know that there are large trees that have been felled by beaver, but some beaver may just want an easy snack. On the river where I trap, the beaver have killed many trees by removing the bark similar to the OP.

[Bucksnbows]

16 hours ago, Msgdan said:

Trapoholic......Only about 20 yards from the Rockaway river, in lower Morris county.  I have been living, hunting and fishing this area for over 40 years and have never had a porcupine on trail camera along the river.   Not sure if I even think they are this far east in the state ??

 

Lots of porkies in that area. That is definitely from a porcupine. 

[Bucksnbows]

18 hours ago, Msgdan said:

Took a walk yesterday to check the cameras.....still one holding, a first time picture of an owl and a few does with a fox.    Plus, came upon a huge oak tree with the bottom totally chewed around the whole bottom.   It is close to a river, but I didn't see any other small trees down or any other sign of beavers in the area.  I can't imagine any other animal that could do this much damage to a tree, but I am guessing that a beaver could be the only one to do this ???

 

Thoughts ????

 

Danny 

 

 

Next time you're there, look up in the trees nearby.  Chances are good you will see the exact same thing, but well up in a tree or trees.  Beavers can't climb and beavers have longer teeth that take much more than just the outer layer of bark off a tree.  Again, your area you mention has had porcupines around for well over 30 years.