Elkcrazy8

Here is a close up of the evident bite marks. Your first pic is not super clear, but it looks a little like the pattern on this tree from what I can see. On your second pic, the lines are evident in the top bare spot on the tree. And on the same pic, you can see in the bottom bare spot, the shape of his two front teeth with two parallel lines. If that were an elk, he would have some big buck teeth. Of course I guess that could be possible because we do have an avatar aroundof an elk with a horn growing out of the tophis head ;0)

MinnFinn

I learned something new today. I thought porkys only at pine tree bark. That's what I heard years ago they were so destructive on, especially White Pine. Butnow I read they feed on most any species of trees. Interesting.

Many years ago Fishers, the large member of the mink family, were introduced in N. MN to control the porky pop. They did that. Only rarely will we see one these days.

Big Sky Scott

Elkcrazy8 ~ Thanks for the info. and pics.... I stand corrected on my previous post about porkys just chewing on the lower parts of trees. You reminded me that they also chew on the upper limbs... should have remembered that. When I lived back East in Pa., those critters destroyed lots of beach trees, where most of the damage was around the base of the trees. They will chew on Eastern Hemlocks and White pines too.
I saw an old wooden out house one time that had almost the whole lower back side wall chewed to bits by porkys. Must have been because of the salts and other soaked in and dried up minerals left on the wood from years of human use.

I saw a real good photo of elk chew marks on some Quakies in one of my magazines recently, but can't seem to locate it right now . when I find it , I'll scan and post it here.

Elkcrazy8

Thaks big sky, I would like to see those pics. I am kind of an information junkie. I spent alot of my youth scouring the Adirondacks and remember an old logging camp that had been abandoned. The walls were almost totally destoyed in the cabin by the porkies. I also saw that they had quite an appetite for old matresses.

Big Sky Scott

Yep, I've seen them chew up T-111 plywood siding and aluminum skirting too! [:@]