In addition to living trees, bears may mark utility poles, signs, fence posts and even buildings, but most markers are along well traveled bear trails and are easily visible. Now that the black bear has stepped away from the tree, you can see the markings on this small birch, most are lower in the tree, while others would have required the bear to stand on its back feet in order to reach high into the tree. That bend that you see in the tree is also something that bears like in a marking tree.