Elk Sign? New Hunter Question

[mbrendzel]

This will be my second season elk hunting. After being totally skunked, last year, I spent a lot of time reading up. Last week, I decided to test my new knowledge and to see if I couldn't scout up some elk.

Well, I had some good success, spying 11 bulls in a couple of days. I came across some sign in the aspens (picture attached). Is this elk sign or deer? Is it sign of chewing on the bark or are these rubs? I'd be surprised if its rubs since all the bulls I saw still had their velvet on.

Thanks in advance for your help.

-Michael

[BareBack Jack]

I would say it's a porky,dose the chewing go all the way around?Little early for rubs.
BBJ

[mbrendzel]

Only on that tree did it go all the way around. All the other trees looked like the attached picture.

Thanks for the response.

-Michael

[BareBack Jack]

Yep that is a porcupine.

[lethalconnection]

Yah i would have to say its a porky cause the the loose of bark goes down to far for it to be a elk(in most circumstances) and just like the pic that mbrendzel showed it when elk eat the bark it looks kind of like when we take a bite of an apple plus there is rarely that much bark taken off a tree from and elk eating the bark or even scrapping.

[Flix]

Here are some elk sign pictures from my last scouting trip. Go ahead and compare them to what you saw and it should give you some idea:























Okay, I'm done now.

-- FLIX

[IfItRunsHuntIt647]

I think i would defiately have to disagree with everyone. Personally, i think that especially the second picture is from elk biting the tree. I have seen elk do that before, and if the marks are about head level for an elk i think that's exactly what it is from. I have also noticed that they can be higher on a tree from when there is snow on the ground. Porkys will eat around the bottom of a tree all around, but that second picture looks to me like elk. The only trouble is telling how fresh it is. Every time i have seen an elk do that is during late fall or winter when they are done feeding in the parks and having a snack on their way to a bedding area. Older chew marks will be black and maybe even higher in the tree because the tree is growing, but i have no idea how long that takes.

[Big Sky Scott]

Yep, Elk. Porkys chew lower to the ground . Porky bite marks more closely resemble those of a beaver's. Look nothing like those in the pic's.

[Elkcrazy8]

I would say porcupine at first glance. I decided to do an internet search just to see the habits of these little critters. I found that they do not only chew low, but also chew high up, as I remember they did on the cabin in NY when I was a kid. Porcupines will chew the under bark from the trees until the vegetation begins to grow, then the trees are no longer on their diet. If you are at higher elevations, I would say that the elk were already out of there at the time where they would be hungry enough to eat bark. Beavers will bite the wood itself, where porcupines eat only the under bark and concentrate on trees with cancre , which aspens are known for. They are almost like the keeper of the trees. The quill back gets my vote.

[Elkcrazy8]

another tall order