Animal walking around stepping on things? Thunderstorm?

You might try putting a short cylinder of wire fencing around the plant to provide some protection and support.

With a tug, they came off. That's not from a vertical force (foot print, klutzy person or dog or deer). When that happens usually half the cambium is still attached.

Are there teeth marks on the bottom...little bitty paired teeth marks?
I don't remember the range of prairie gophers, but could they be the problem? If they are, they're still there. And continue to be hungry. That's why you need to look at the character of the broken surfaces really closely.

How did you bury the bud union?

Wind. I lose a lot of soft new canes that way.

I agree with Ann. If they came out with a tug, that isn't normal mechanical damage. It's probably something with teeth, and the teeth are probably still around and still hungry.

It does sound like some kind of burrowing animal. I had a Duchesse de Brabant that one day was leaning to the side and on closer inspection had been completely gnawed off at the roots. We were able to walk away with the whole plant, minus the roots of course.

Ingrid

Thanks for all the replies. I'm tending toward wind damage because we've had a couple thunderstorms lately and strong wind is a common thing anyway. Also this Spring we had 7 inches of rain in 4 days (which is unheard of here). All the roses grew like mad--lots of soft new canes. William Shakespeare 2000 had many 4 ft+ canes. He's never been that big. The damage seems to be on all the roses with the longest canes that were in more exposed areas and are less than 3 years old. I have 3 Linda Campbells with 5 ft canes right by the house that are fine. All the roses are own root. I think I will do the wire cylinders for some support. Thanks again!

Dearborn, I believe it could be wind. I had one winter when the voles struck with a vengeance and I had to prune many of my large shrub roses down to (and some below) the ground. John Cabot sent out tons of new canes from the sides of that old woody center. Just about the time the new canes reached 4 ft. tall, we had a thunderstorm roll through and I found all that beautiful new growth laying on the ground, just barely attached. Straightening the canes up was enough to detach them all and I could have kicked myself for not having braced them earlier with some kind of support until they hardened off. That set poor JC back 2 years.
I think it's the angle of the new canes sprouting from a rose that is so severely pruned that makes them weakly joined at first and I believe you're right on with your wire cylinders - good luck and hope you don't have any more lost canes!

Anne

I agree with Anne. I had this happen this spring after a big storm. I also have dogs that eat any type of vermin - so I really doubt my case was from animals - my dogs will smell them out anywhere.

This too shall pass! :)

Carol

I just pulled a lanky cane off MY Wm Shakespeare 2000 that did the same exact thing. As far as I know, we don't have a vole problem. But this happens at least once a year to any number of my roses. I chalk it up to wind rock and too much rain.