Fraying question

[Mossypaw]

I have an area of natural re-gen close to the house. Mixed but mainly Scots pine about six foot tall. Quite a bit of fraying by a buck recently, mainly on trees below six foot, up to a height of about two ft to three ft.

Today though, I noticed a larger tree had been stripped to a height of about five ft six.

Locally most of the mature stags have cast and new growth started, younger stags still casting. So I was wondering if this was a buck standing on his hind legs ?

 

[Shootgun]

This is what the roe buck does at this time of the year...

 

[Mossypaw]

This is what the roe buck does at this time of the year...

Yes, but to nearly 6ft on an established tree ?

 

[@theroedeerguy]

Yes, but to nearly 6ft on an established tree ?

Given the height I would be more inclined to be viewing this damage as bark stripping by Reds over Roe but it’s difficult to say without being there on the ground to look for other indicators.

What is the ground like at the base of the tree?

Is any of the vegetation consistently trampled?

Regards

 

[Mossypaw]

Very little trampling, not the softest of ground though. Vegetation not flattened.

 

[Freeforester]

It's a sign!

When a rebel with a bit of a mission in mind gets going, and his head gets itchy in these warmer days, he will get such a tree and put his weight into it, bending the tree over, thus making it look like you've got a stag thrashing about. That it's now mid April suggests to me that it isn't an older animal, which would be already clean, probably a 3-4 tyear old at most. He may have reason to put such an effort in, but be thankful he isn't already dead, because he intends to keep others out of the wood, and has declared as such.

Shoot him by all means, if that is what you want, but watch thereafter what happens to the other trees after you do! If you don't, he'll patrol each day and make sure no others set up shop, so his signal is in fact a sign that he intends to minimise damage in these parts.

If in doubt, give him the benefit of the doubt, and report back!

A camera or two here or there may help, or have a seat with the thermal, if you want to study him.

Unfortunately they favour the smell and soft bark of the native Scots pine over say sitka which is not so favoured, they are a bit unpleasant to brush your head with! Only way to reduce the fraying is actually to shoot more females and reduce density next season. One thing is certain, if he gets removed, others will replicate the process, but on fresh trees.

Count how many trees he frays, and plant double that amount in the autumn if the losses are of concern, it'll still be cheaper than killing him now.

 

[Shootgun]

Yes, but to nearly 6ft on an established tree ?

Yes, as been said above, they are bending the tree down to the ground.

I'm shooting a block of forestry with no reds, sika or fallow present, and i've seen the same every year.

 

[Pete6.5]

Stags do fray when they are just about to cast. I see a bit of it start again about now.

 

[sikamalc]

Sometimes a buck will bend a small sapling over by walking forward onto it and then fraying it.

 

[bogtrotter]

Looks more like bark stripping by a stag.

 

[Moray Outfitting]

I would suggest a stag too..J

 

[Mossypaw]

 

[foxdropper]

Roe bucks will stand on their hind legs to fray as well and this is what brings the sapling over .Seen it few times here .Get a trail cam up as it’s an interesting one .Sure looks like velvet stuck to the sap .

 

[Cottis]

Dog looks guilty to me

 

[Mossypaw]

Counted the damaged trees last night. Over about 3/4 of an acre, there was nearly 30 saplings with trunks about 1” frayed to waist height. Then there is just one, more mature about 2” diameter, stripped to nearly 6’. No sign of teeth marks that I can see.
@Cottis she always looks guilty.

 

[sh1kar]

I would assume as deer don’t have top teeth that bark stripping starts lower base of sapling and bark stripped upwards as grasps edge with top pad. If stripping is messy and top down I assume fraying. In my experience deer like to start a fray on branches thrashing head side to side to get velvet then when in tatters later rub front of antler and forehead in the sap of the main stem
S

 

[Roebuck9]

Sometimes a buck will bend a small sapling over by walking forward onto it and then fraying it.

I agree I think it is as sikamalc says.

 

[Smokedude]

+1 for the dog

 

[dartmoordog]

+1 for the dog

Yep, I agree. He looks a sneaky bugger to me.

 

[Run Old Stag.]

It must be some roe buck to bend over a 2 inch diameter tree and fray it to 6ft. Young red stag not yet cast.