# What animal made this?



## Hanalei (Jun 15, 2012)

This isn't a hunting question, but I figured you guys would probably know better than anybody. This tree was totally normal 2 days ago, and then yesterday we noticed it looked all shredded and the bark was completely gone on half of the tree. There was obvious termite damage, but the missing bark wouldn't be from them, because that woudln't have happened overnight. There were tons of scraps of tree laying all over the ground around it, which I have pictures of. I didn't see any fur pieces or anything, but the beginning of where it was torn up was a good 6 feet off the ground and continued up almost the entire tree. Anyone have any idea what animal would have done this? My first thought was a bear. I'm near Grand Rapids, and they have been seen several times over the past year or so out my way. There were some odd black streaks on parts of the tree, which you can see in the second picture. I don't know what it was, but it was definitely not bark. Here's the link for the pictures:

http://s1091.beta.photobucket.com/user/MacGyver4/library/


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## Airoh (Jan 19, 2000)

Looks like pileated woodpecker.


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## srconnell22 (Aug 27, 2007)

Airoh said:


> Looks like pileated woodpecker.


Winner. 

The tree had bugs, along came the woodpecker and no more bugs!


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## Big Buck (Feb 8, 2000)




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## youp50 (Jan 14, 2011)

No doubt, its a peckerwood for sure.


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## leesecw (Jul 15, 2006)

I've seen porkies rip trees up like that. On a few occasions do a lot of damage to wood siding too


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## Hanalei (Jun 15, 2012)

A woodpecker would rip the bark off of an entire tree like that?? Seriously? No way...

Edit: I just Googled pictures of woodpecker damage, and they all just look like tons of little holes. There was termite damage, yes, but I'm talking about the huge shreds of tree that were torn off. 2 days ago that tree was completely normal and full of bark, and yesterday the bark had been scraped off of half the tree down to the light wood on the inside.


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## Sterling Homes (Mar 31, 2012)

Definitely a squatch


Posted using Outdoor Hub Campfire


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## toppm (Dec 30, 2010)

What part of the state do you live in?


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## RMH (Jan 17, 2009)

Hanalei says not a woodpecker on his tree and I am not sure either,
I have similar questions, but this is on a completely live cherry tree. No bark missing just the two holes and looks from the shavings it happened in a short period of time. The holes are 4" wide and 6-7" tall, 5" deep and about 12-14 feet high. Would you guys say this is a woodpecker? If this is a woodpecker why would it punch a couple holes in a completely live tree?


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## Hanalei (Jun 15, 2012)

Near Grand Rapids. I know black bears have been seen a couple of times within 2 miles of my house. My neighbor saw (years ago) a cougar a few miles away. We saw a lynx about a mile and half away, and a bobcat in our front yard. Never seen a porcupine in MI. We have woodpeckers all over, but I've NEVER seen them damage a tree like that. Other than that, we've got all of the usual animals. I can't imagine what would have destroyed that tree if it wasn't a bear or cougar or similar animal. It's so weird!


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## Critter (Mar 3, 2006)

Here's a pic of pileated woodpecker damage similar to your pic RMH.


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## srconnell22 (Aug 27, 2007)

Hanalei said:


> Near Grand Rapids. I know black bears have been seen a couple of times within 2 miles of my house. My neighbor saw (years ago) a cougar a few miles away. We saw a lynx about a mile and half away, and a bobcat in our front yard. Never seen a porcupine in MI. We have woodpeckers all over, but I've NEVER seen them damage a tree like that. Other than that, we've got all of the usual animals. I can't imagine what would have destroyed that tree if it wasn't a bear or cougar or similar animal. It's so weird!


Well, it's obvious that you know more about it than we do...must have been a bear. There are a lot of them doing damage like that, especially in February. 

RMH - Yours is definitely a pileated. If you google "Pileated Woodpecker Damage" you'll see a lot of examples that look exactly like yours and a few that look like Hanalei's. As for why, it's the bugs. If you watch them, they'll stick their head up next to the tree and listen for bugs moving and then they dig them out. 

Either that, or it's a bear.


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## Hanalei (Jun 15, 2012)

I _don't_ know what made the damage, I'm just saying that I've never seen a woodpecker do that much damage overnight. All I'm saying is a bear or cougar are the only things I can come up that would make any sense. I _know_ bears hibernate and that's one reason I'm so confused.

I just searched for "pileated woodpecker damage"... I didn't see any that look like my tree...


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## k9wernet (Oct 15, 2007)

A feeding piliated will do damage like the first set of pictures. A piliated is the size of a crow and can really tear up a tree. Remember that it's just eating the bugs that have already infested the tree. The bird itself isn't destroying the tree.

A nesting woodpecker makes big holes like the second set. I know a sapsucker makes square holes when feeding... I'm not sure if their nesting cavities are square too.


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## MEL (Jul 17, 2005)

I'm positive that its from a cougar!!! No doubt!!!_


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## Critter (Mar 3, 2006)

Both pics of pileated woodpecker damage.


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## RMH (Jan 17, 2009)

Hanalei said:


> Near Grand Rapids. I know black bears have been seen a couple of times within 2 miles of my house. My neighbor saw (years ago) a cougar a few miles away. We saw a lynx about a mile and half away, and a bobcat in our front yard. Never seen a porcupine in MI. We have woodpeckers all over, but I've NEVER seen them damage a tree like that. Other than that, we've got all of the usual animals. I can't imagine what would have destroyed that tree if it wasn't a bear or cougar or similar animal. It's so weird!


Googled some info that may have answered a few questions.

"Pileated woodpeckers do not discriminate between coniferous and deciduous treesas long as they yield the ants and beetle larvae that make up much of the birds' diet. *Woodpeckers sometimes access these morsels by peeling long strips of bark from the tree,* but they also forage on the ground and supplement their diet with fruits and nuts.
*The enthusiastic drumming that creates such holes sounds like a loud hammering, and is audible for a great distance.* Woodpeckers also drum to attract mates and to announce the boundaries of their territories. Pairs establish territories and live on them all year long.
Woodpeckers also drum to attract mates and to announce the boundaries of their territories. Pairs establish territories and live on them all year long."


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## KS up north (Jan 2, 2004)

Hanalei:
It looks like there is snow on the ground around the tree, Was there any visable tracks anywhere in the area?

Cougars and bears would leave some evidence as well as any other ground roaming animals.


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## on a call (Jan 16, 2010)

I have seen squirrels rip bark off to get to sap, this time of year. Large areas 8 feet by 2. 

I also have seen birds ripping of bark to get to bores. 

Jury is out for me .


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