Question

Tree Damage   I have an office in Nashville, TN that sent me this picture of tree damage.  I don't think this damage is caused by deer, but there are a lot of tracks in the area.  What else might this be?

Answer
Sean:
This damage is quite old.  There appears to be a significant amount of decay beneath the bark.  No way to tell from your photo what the original issue was here.  The advanced decay can cause the bark to fall off on its own.  I would doubt if a deer was the original reason for this area on the tree.  If anything, deer may have used this area as a rub rather than direct feeding.  Decay often starts from a wound in which the bark is damaged, allowing bacteria/fungi to enter and intiate decay.  This process is often slow, yet progressive.  From your image, the level of internal decay is significant enough to warrant tree removal and replacement.

Regards
Steve