Guide to the Cultural and Natural History of the Four Soldiers Path

Bears and Beech Trees

Bears use their large claws to climb high into beech trees for beechnuts and can
sometimes be seen resting in a tangle of treetop branches.

As you walk along the Four Soldiers Path you will wander through a number of stands of beech trees. The smooth, light gray bark of the American beech sets it apart from many of the other trees in the forest. In winter, beeches are easily seen with their golden brown leaves clinging to their branches. Beech trees reproduce by sending out shoots that grow from established root systems, creating clusters of new trees.

Along with beech trees, black bears are common in the area traversed by the Four Soldiers Path. They eat mostly a plant-based diet to maintain their hefty figures—males average 300 pounds, females average about 150. As seasons change in New Hampshire, so does a bear’s food source. In April, food is scarce; but, after months of winter dormancy, bears eat sparingly on young vegetation until their digestive systems adjust. Late spring and summer months provide the now insatiable bears with all the berries they can eat, beginning with wild strawberries, then raspberries, blueberries, blackberries, and elder berries. They also enjoy the occasional beetle or slug.

To help fatten up for its winter repose, a black bear’s diet changes in the fall to dogwood fruits, cherries, and wild apples, but their favorite food is beechnuts. The prickly outer bur seems like an unlikely temptation for any creature, however, the shiny, pale brown beechnuts found inside are relatively high in fat and are a much desired source of calories.

While looking at the smooth bark of a mature beech tree, you may see sets of scars on the trunk. These are bear claw marks. Bears use their large claws to climb high into beech trees for beechnuts and can sometimes be seen resting in a tangle of treetop branches—sometimes referred to as bear nests. To build these nests, bears will bend and break the beech branches, then weave them into a platform that provides the beechnut-sated bear with a safe place to relax.

Bears aren’t the only community members that benefit from beech trees. Beechnuts are a favorite of mice, squirrels, and raccoons as well. Turkeys, grouse, and other birds gobble up beechnuts, and they often roost high in the beech trees—unless the bear gets there first.

Note: Coming up Four Soldiers Path from Pasture Path, stop just after the second major logging road and look at a large beech tree, 15 feet off the trail to the left. A bear’s nest is high in its branches.

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