I'm thinking we've got beavers....

Well, I'm thinking we've got beavers in the area, although I haven't seen hide nor hair of them (nor have I seen any dams, dens, etc.). This is at least the third newly planted tree I've seen that has been gnawed in half. I bet the beaver was pretty disappointed not to be able to drag away his little tree to use because these were wired to posts for support!

At any rate, they've wrapped some of these skinny trees with wire to discourage the little fellows. I don't know why they wrapped some and not all, but that seems to be the way it goes around here. Maybe they ran out of money for wire for this fiscal year....