Animal Inns

[Ron Scott]

Wildlife Cavity Tree. Tree marked with a "WL" is to be retained from cutting or damage on timber harvest area. If tree is cut or damaged by the logger, they are assessed $50.00 for damages. Sheffer timber harvest; 10/07.

[LOGDOG]

Great thread. The fawn on the steps and the baby owl - oh yeah and the baby coons in the tree are my favorites so far.


LOGDOG

[Ron Scott]

Rabbit in the Log Deck. This rabbit has made a home in our aspen pulpwood deck and has remained there during all the activity and noise on the landing. Sheffer timber harvest; 12/07.

[Jeff]

I really did, but I didn't mean to. :-\
  I had a dead hollow tree blow down on my property this winter, and part of it was still hanging in the air on another tree and it was dangerous, so I went out to cut it into firewood. I normally would have left it until I actually needed wood if it had not been hanging and it was in the way for driving on to the other end of my property. On the very last cut, I found out there was a nest of squirrels in it as one of them ran out of the hollow and back in. To my dismay I found that its sibling had been killed by the saw. When I stopped the saw, Mamma came running at me from another tree. She did a circle around me and ran up third tree and was threatening to come back at any moment. Tammy ran and grabbed the camera, we took a photo, a short video of a very angry squirrel, and then plugged up with leaf litter, some of the holes that were formed as the firewood sections rolled apart, and then left the area. The young squirrel looked like it was old enough that it would be able to handle the near eviction. Mamma on the other hand may not forgive me. The second photo was taken inadvertently during my hasty retreat.





http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q7TYdkEO0cM

[Sparty]

Easter Screech Owl:

This little guy was hanging out all day in a dead maple.  I took a picture while he was sleeping...



I tried to get closer for a better photo, but I woke him up.  He hid in the tree for a little while and then popped his head back up, rested it on the lip of the hole, and went back to sleep...

[jeffreythree]

I don't know what lives in it, but I think it is kind of funny.  Previous owner builds tree stand, kills tree in the process, creates animal magnet.

[Jeff]

Although nailing stuff to a tree aint good, I doubt if that killed the tree.

[OneWithWood]

There does seem to be a causal relationship with boards nailed between two big tooth aspen boles and tree mortality in my neck of the woods.  Cherry seems to decline rapidly after a nailing also.

[jeffreythree]

I counted 35 nails in one of those boards in my above pic and most had over 20, and judging by the pile of rotten boards at the base they have been replacing them that way for 10-20 years.  I bet several hundred nails could kill that tree.

[Ron Scott]

The tree stand may kill the hunter before the tree. ;) Not a very safe tree stand method.

[Tom]

Yes, and it fortifies my theory that people won't use one nail if six will work.  :D

[Mooseherder]

Came across a few Animal Inns this year.  This one was at a Beaver Dam off the ATV trail.





This one was created by some high winds but could become a possible Bear Den.

[tyb525]

Mooseherder, that last picture, is that birch? That looks like the mouth to a cave. Maybe you should poke around in there ;)

[Mooseherder]

They were mostly Fir Trees.  It looked a little like a gravel pit under there.

[tyb525]

Oh gosh, my bad, when I posted I had it in my mind that swamp donkey posted that. My bad : :D

[Ron Scott]

This downed hollow piece of the large white pine tree will soon be the makings for a new "animal inn" by one of the local forest critters.


 

[ashes]

On the timberland that I work, we are responsible to retain habitat trees of all kinds per our Habitat Conservation Plan. I completely agree with the idea. Usually those trees are of little value for timber, and much greater value to wildlife. Lately, the Thompson Big-ear bat is the latest animal that we have been on the lookout for. The trees they inhabit are large >48" with cavities that extend upward into the bole 3 feet. Of all the trees I have found that meet this criteria, I have never seen evidence of bats, although I am not allowed to look into the tree (DFW). The bats I've seen on our property have all been associated with homesteads. Still looking though!