This picture of a small beech tree was taken on our field trip to Russell, New York. The surrounding habitat is a hardwood forest with dense lower vegetation near this tree. Beech trees are one of the few deciduous tree species that keep their leaves during winter months. I was drawn to this picture due to the scraping of the bark on the outer layer. I come from a hunting background and I have learned and seen from firsthand experience that deer will replicate similar markings on trees during the fall and mating seasons. This is more of a hypothesis that a deer caused this mark and it is strange that it looks so fresh even though deer lose their antlers annually.