Tree Manipulation/ Wood Structures: What Is The Evidence?

[Guest lightheart]

I think they use the manipulated live limbs to hide their hunting blinds and resting areas too. I have noticed this recently. But of course this is at ground level.

[MIB]

Interesting!

 

I'm drawing a blank on where I read it, but I read about someone following a flat, well stomped path in the Redwoods of Northern California up to a very large redwood tree.  The bark on one side of the tree was (roughed up unusually? polished smooth unusually) suggesting frequent passage up and down the trunk.   Some ways up, side branches blocked the view from below so it wasn't possible to see what was or wasn't up there.  

 

On one hand, it's hard to imagine 1000 pounds of biped going up some trees without doing severe damage, but .. maybe it's all in technique and careful tree selection.   Seems definitely worth keeping an eye upward.

 

MIB

[salubrious]

Hmm. In the Pine Barrens of New Jersey its common to see fairly large groups of branches and brush up in the trees, looking like a huge nest. I always attibuted them to storm activity...

[Guest WesT]

That's an interesting idea indiefoot. This next pic was taken in August of 2012 in another area of interest. This teepee structure was found off trail.

 

 

Upon review,  I'd say they wouldn't make good spears for hunting or defense. In paleolithic symbology the teepee means "temporary shelter". So you might be on to something. I think they might also be used to mark a temporary shelter site.

 

Last time out we noticed a tree that was totally stripped of bark and had a nice lookout/vantage point about 12ft up. We've also noticed tree's with bands of bark about 6in. wide missing with no claw marks to indicate cat or bear.

 

[Wheellug]

with bark missing, its possible they are eating the outer flesh of a tree... possilbe... 

 

As far as structures.. the one thing that dissuades me from thinking people did it are the larger timbers that are used. 

 

Some structures use small limbs, trees.. some use rather large ones that I do not feel can be done by people.  

[indiefoot]

The technical abilities seem to vary from group to group. At a previous study area I saw more sophisticated use of materials. When I began gifting non food items I discovered that as much rope as I put out walked off. Probably 25, 50ft pieces over all. Somewhere along the line they had figured out uses for it is my guess.

 

[Sunflower]

Look for limbs that have been bent down and are still alive, that is a giveaway of something being hidden. These are nothing elaborate, just a few "pole" type pieces that go from horizontal limb to horizontal limb. A platform with manipulated live limbs bent to hide it.

 

Yes, saw lots of that in Mississippi on the road where our friend lives.  There were so many we lost count in one particular area.

[Guest lightheart]

Sunflower are you seeing the pole platforms as well or did you mean you are seeing a lot of the living branches woven into structures?

[WSA]

I'm sure it is not lost on those who hide in trees that the average human looks up into the canopy only rarely.  It wouldn't take much to avoid detection up there, just a minimal screen or, as has been reported, sidling over to the opposite side of the trunk.  

[Sunflower]

Sunflower are you seeing the pole platforms as well or did you mean you are seeing a lot of the living branches woven into structures?

 

Living branches arched and pinned.  Saw a miniature structure in a pic from the same area.  It could have been a hiding place for little ones IMO.  It definitely looked as if someone put them there purposely.  However, at the same place but another area there was a brush pile for a later burn.   The lady took a pic and in that brush pile was a hand reaching out.  She did not see it at the time and if her dog had not been there sniffing I don't think she would have thought that much about the pile.

[Guest lightheart]

Interesting!

 

I sometimes get the feeling that certain things I am seeing have been made by little ones in imitation of what they see their parents doing. 

 

Wes, I have seen a teepee structure identical to that. I

Edited March 26, 2014 by lightheart

[NCBFr]

First I agree with the premise of this thread that tree structures are the least compelling evidence of BF.  1 in a million things happen every day in the woods when millions of random events happen every hour.  Couple that with people loving to play games for no reason and you get results that often look out of place but can be explained if you spend enough time analyzing the situation. However with that said, you do see some unexplainable things if you look hard enough.  My favorite is a type of wood that does not exist in the vicinity jammed in to a tree crook and pointing in a direction like a sign post. 

 

Here is one that I continue to scratch my head over:

 

 

What makes this interesting is the logs in the shape of an X weigh well over 1,000 pounds each and it was far enough in the woods that no heavy equipment could have got there without leaving major tracks through the brush.   The chances that the tree fell over, a 10 foot section broke off, split down the middle, and then bounced back up the hill and landed in this perfect X beside an area that is a perfect bedding down location defies all statistical explanation in my book.

Edited March 27, 2014 by NCBRR

[Guest WesT]

Wes, I have seen a teepee structure identical to that. I

Out of curiosity....  what else did you find that day?

[Guest lightheart]

Wes that is the only time I have ever noticed a teepee.

 

This one was so carefully fashioned. it used a crook in one of the poles to anchor it in place. The poles were tightly braced with just the right angle to take advantage of the crook in the one. This was a recent find so I will attempt to find it again and take a picture.

 

As far as other finds that day, I was continuing to observe bark being stripped off of 2 foot wide pine logs. These are huge heavy logs that were lifted to move them about six to eight inches.

 

To clarify I have seen logs and poles leaned against another log to make a teepee but have never seen just a perfect tripod -like structure.

[WSA]

I though Stroud's recent "Survivorman" episode filmed in Canada showed and discussed some very intriguing wood manipulation evidence. His choice of host and guide for that episode is definitely going to raise some debate, but the tree breaks were consistent and one very large tree structure was also very interesting.

 

One thing that wasn't made clear to me in Stroud's narration was what was the orientation of the tree breaks. He noted that they were all broken off in the same direction (leaving aside the fact that wind also does that) but he also mentioned how they "pointed" in the same direction. So, I ask, what side is considered to be the "pointer" side? Is it the direction the top of the tree points to, or is it the crook formed by the broken pieces showing a "point?"  Apparently, there was some history in this area of some trappers who claimed a boundary was marked by a SSQ to show which side they claimed, and which side they ceded to the trappers. It was not clear in the video I saw which was which, and how the tree breaks showed that.  

 

Stroud did a good job of running down the list of natural processes that might explain these trees. He certainly has the experience to know, if any have seen his Survivorman episodes, you know that about him too. One thing though I think he failed to consider was the possibility that the large teepee structure could have resuled from deadfall on top of deep snow. Once that snow melted, the tops of the trees would have stayed hung, the butt ends would have fallen to the ground, and Eureka! Sasquatch teepee. This observation of course ovelooks the context of the history of the area.