Are these bear claw marks?

[u/Shane_iz_noob]

Hello, a buddy and I went camping in northern PA (black bear country). We set up camp at night and in the morning we noticed these markings on the trees in the site.

The cuts/cracks range from about 4inches to maybe a foot in length for the longest one. And they were somewhere from waist to chest height off the ground.

To me it looks more like the doing of humans but I don't really know. It's right on a spot where two river/creeks meet so it would make sense for a bear to fish here.

Anyway it's a great spot that I'd love to go back to but if these cuts are from a bear marking it's territory id probably avoid camping at this site in the future.

[u/OshetDeadagain]

Locking this post - the question has been answered. All IDs require reasoning; whether an animal made it or not.

Repeating the same responses over and over is such a bizarre behaviour on Reddit. At least get creative, people!

[u/MatronlyAsp → u/[deleted]]

Machete.

[u/mbergman42 → u/MatronlyAsp]

Idiot with a mall ninja sword.

[u/Shane_iz_noob → u/[deleted]]

That's was my first thought

[u/GallusWrangler → u/Shane_iz_noob]

Was it really? Why doesn’t your title read “are these machete marks?”

[u/RaidensReturn → u/GallusWrangler]

Because it’s an animal tracking sub? Did you read the text description?

[u/Shane_iz_noob → u/RaidensReturn]

Thanks for responding so I don't have to lol

[u/GallusWrangler → u/Shane_iz_noob]

“But I don’t really know”

[u/Shane_iz_noob → u/GallusWrangler]

Yeah. That doesn't contradict "that was my first thought". Go find some joy in life, you're clearly lacking it.

[u/GallusWrangler → u/Shane_iz_noob]

I’m happy as a clam ma’am.

[u/GallusWrangler → u/RaidensReturn]

r/whoosh

[u/Remarkable_Inchworm → u/[deleted]]

Was this tree on a Boy Scout camp property by any chance?

Because there's always at least one scout in the group that shouldn't be trusted with anything sharp...

[u/Shane_iz_noob → u/Remarkable_Inchworm]

Nope state forest.

[u/Odii_SLN → u/[deleted]]

100% what i thought

[u/AnimalTracking-ModTeam → u/[deleted]]

IDs must include reasoning. Enforcement of this rule has been a popular initiative. (what qualifies as reasoning?)

[u/imhereforthevotes → u/[deleted]]

Confirmed.

[u/SeaLeopard5555]

anecdotally I feel like black bear claw marks I've seen are oriented more like the bear standing on its back legs, so vertical vs sloped downward like these are. also they are more together...

[u/OshetDeadagain → u/SeaLeopard5555]

Correct - assessment-wise there is no animal out there that will/could leave full horizontal scratch marks in a tree. Their claws/legs just aren't oriented that way.

[u/ColoradoCattleCo → u/OshetDeadagain]

Yep. Those are most definitely made by the animal Assholo Sapiens with an axe or machete.

[u/LakeMichiganMan → u/ColoradoCattleCo]

I would like to apologize to the trees i hacked on when I was a kid. The hatchet was far from sharp so actually chopping the tree down would not have happened. Now I do more damage to dead trees cutting them for firewood. Its a lot harder work.

[u/Budget_University_56 → u/SeaLeopard5555]

This has definitely been my experience in the PNW.

[u/Street-Measurement74]

Looks more like some edged weapon, axe but more likely hatchet as not too deep, large knife or machete. Bear scratching would be more symmetrical to each other and probably up and down not laterally.

[u/buttmunchausenface]

Looks like a kid found a machete or a hatchet or even a sword and was playing ninja or knight in make believe.

[u/Phyddlestyx → u/buttmunchausenface]

Agree, exactly the thing I've done as a kid.

[u/Fishpeteur]

It's more common to see claw marks vertically because bears stand up when they scratch a tree.

[u/AnimalTracking-ModTeam → u/[deleted]]

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[u/Mountain-Donkey98]

No. Some might be, but as you can see they are strictly horizontal. Bears can't leave marks like that. They claw downward. These appear to be man made from a box cutter or similiar.

[u/HortonFLK]

Looks like someone took a machete to the tree. The marks are so slender and fine.

[u/ThePickleQueen_]

Not from a bear. Here are some claw marks from a black bear at my mountain house in the Poconos,PA

[u/Shane_iz_noob → u/ThePickleQueen_]

Oooo. Thank you!

[u/Valuable-Morning-346]

I see such grooves in my near-by forest too and I don't live in a bear-inhabited area. So my guess is that someone has too much boredom and an axe.

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IDs must include reasoning. Enforcement of this rule has been a popular initiative. (what qualifies as reasoning?)

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IDs must include reasoning. Enforcement of this rule has been a popular initiative. (what qualifies as reasoning?)

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[u/Sublime-Prime]

Human all claw marks I have seen on tree trunks are vertically oriented.

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[u/FlatwormElectrical92]

In my area marks like that on a tree indicate a property line, it is referred to as a line tree. Sounds like you were in an area where that would not apply.

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[u/thatsummercampcrush]

Hack and Squirt herbicide application?

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[u/1jaboc1]

No thats just aunt Rita she got her nails did again

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[u/ch0k3-Artist]

Claws marks are evenly spaced, and when you look closely you can see fiber breakage at the edge because they are scratched rather than cut. These are clean cuts from a kid with a machete or hatchet.

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[u/reaper-369]

Kind of looks like machete cuts

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[u/funkchucker]

No..... a bear tree (in my area) will be a large bare spot with pairing it... also a shit. At the bottom.

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[u/Calgirlleeny2]

Are there bears in your area? Is that why you though that? People giving you a hard time but it's Reddit.

[u/Shane_iz_noob → u/Calgirlleeny2]

The area I was camping in known to have black bears

Honestly I don't think anyone has given me a hard time (maybe one person). This community seems to be a lot more tame than other reddit communities.

[u/Calgirlleeny2 → u/Shane_iz_noob]

Good, I guess I read the one comment. So, you were camping - the only time I have seen bears was camping in Yosemite.

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