Black Bear Whammy Tree

 

 Bear Whammy Tree –  Yes , there is such a thing  as a bear whammy tree! Seeing my first whammy tree ( in video ) was a real surprise and eye opener. The tree was literally  beaten up I had two questions after seeing this. What  happened to the tree and why? What happened is shown in the video,  and why.? A “ Bear Whammy Tree” is another means for bears to use  trees communicating their presence in an area. A whammy tree is  visual sign along with  scent marking . Whammy trees are made anytime of the year. I have several other videos that time stamp this activity  in July and  September.

 

Summary – Camera Trapping has helped me learn  about bear behavior and  the three types of bear marking trees used to communicate. Over the last few months, I have found more bear marking trees. It will be interesting to see what’s instore for 2025 learning more about Massachusetts Black Bears

 

Jim

Video 1 – Bear Bite Tree  https://youtu.be/JyxLAjBSKiw

Video 2 – Bear Scent Marking Tree  https://youtu.be/97Mp_MBfiUo

Video 3 – Bear Whammy Tree  https://youtu.be/hNFnAfmVtt8

 

Bear Scent Marking Tree - Massachusetts

 

Video 2 -This  Black  Bear Scent marking tree with ritual trail passing at its base are good examples showing  different black bear age groups that use the same marking tree throughout the year. The camera trap watching this tree was triggered forty-two times in 2024. The compilation shows  a good age mix of bears  scent marking  on the same tree. Most visits occurred between May and August. Bears will scent mark all year long with the highest activity  typically during the mating season.

This is the second of three videos sharing my experiences learning about “ Bear Marking Trees” in Massachusetts

I’ll share the third video next week

Massachusetts. Browning Elite HP4

https://youtu.be/97Mp_MBfiUo

Jim