What killed my tree?

[TNTurkey]

This is a two year old apple tree that was doing well when I checked on it 2 weeks ago. Unfortunately I pulled it up to check to see if it still had live roots (not much) before I noticed that there was a hole in the tree tube about 2 1/2 feet off the ground (5' tube) and the trunk was girdled inside.
I'm thinking woodpecker?
Any ideas?
Thanks,
Phil

 

[mikmaze]

young bear, took a curiosity bite.

 

[dogdoc]

that apple tree will come back since it is girdled so high.

 

[TNTurkey]

Mikmaze,
It's interesting you should say that. We have a small bear roaming around. My guess is that he/she is one of a pair of cubs we were seeing last year with a big sow. The grass is in the picture is about knee high, so it is a small bear. Where the other two have been, I don't know. I would think that a bear would knock the tree down and bite all the way through. Sadly, I'm the one that knocked the tree down trying to do a necropsy. It was standing fully upright when I found it.

Todd,
Unfortunately, I pulled it up by the roots, so it probably won't come back. The roots were almost gone, so the tree may have died from some other problem.
Phil