Is there an Arborist in the house?

[Wannabe...]

That's a person who studies trees, DD.

Back of my shop is loaded with nasty sweet gum trees. Most fully grown to maybe 20-36" trunks and 30-40' tall. I noticed the other day an area on one where the bark had sloughed off up to about 3' off the ground in an area and sort of dismissed it as Gottabe with a knife. Noticed the other day the bark had sloughed off in a new area on the same tree. Got to looking and the dang thing is now completely ringed and there's another tree with an area about 1/4 of the way around it looking the same. Up close, I didn't see anything to tell me an animal did it as the bark is in large strips with no chew marks that I can tell, so I'm thinking some sort of disease. The top of the tree still looks healthy for the most part with green leaves, although there are a couple of lower dead limbs on it. I know the fully ringed tree is toast, which I could really care less about except the height and location means I'll have to have it taken down for me. I don't trust myself with a saw when it could come down on the shop.

Any ideas what's going on? Honestly, I'd like to take all them nasty critters to the ground, but it would leave the entire back of my place bald and I could then see the neighbors and vice versa.

Wannabe...

[JDavid]

That is a new one on me, if you hadn't said there was no chew/impact marks I would have guessed animal/impact damage just from looking at the photos- I would agree with you that those trees are toast if ringed all the way around. I will ask my dad, he is a forester from way back, and see if he has any insight.

[jackb]

WB, sent you a pm

[Wannabe...]

BTW, the pics 5 - 7 sort of look like teeth or tool marks in the pics, but they are not gouges. Up close, it sort of looks like the leavings from where the bark sloughed off. Could be wrong, but don't think so.

Wannabe...

[duckhunter]

wb, get some tar, or special paint that is used when pruning large branches, and cover the areas.........tree should survive.

[duckhunter]

are there horses in the area??

smellshorsey: Why Horses Eat Tree Bark

[creekslick]

One of DD Bigfoots.

[DonDon]

WB, you near any creek at all? KINDA looks like a Beaver done got ahold to it. Hush Wayne before I send Triton up there to live with you

[4THETHUMP]

I agree lookslike bigfoot marking his territory .

[tritonman]

i ain't going up there, better call Mo or ES