I do not know where you live, but here in Tulsa, OK, the markers can last a long time, but I re-write the names on the markers each year. It is so hot here that I water often, and I think the sun must do something to the writing. I am not familiar with labels or other methods that you are writing about here. I will look them up. I have 156 roses, and have them all marked using the pencil that the company sends. My problem is that we do not have a sprinkling system, and I knock them over with the hose, or step on them. I also think that roaming little animals step on them. By about three years, it seems that the metal on the stake parts begin to rust and come off. We have had few days this summer with temps under 100. We have broken all kinds of records for heat and drought. If you live in a state with decent weather, you might have more success than I have. Sammy

Dear moontraveler, When you used the word "hybrid" it is hard to know what you mean exactly, a hybrid normally referring to a cross between two separate species, but I have a hunch that you are referring to SEEDLING paw paws, as opposed to named cultivars. In answer to WHERE folk get or buy their trees, we'll I've just had shipped to me (in L.A. Calif.) 7 highly touted cultivars from a wonderful nursery in Oregon called One Green World... They came in by fedex in special packing boxes, ALL perfectly secured by ingenious methods, all without the slightest damage. These were the varieties Mango, KSU-Atwood, five Peterson-Paw Paws (Susquehanna, Shenandoah, Wabash, Potomac, Allegeny). I have three 3 ten year olds I bought at a local nursery that don't offer these any longer -- Sunflower, Rebecca's Gold, Wells) I happen to live in citrus country, very, very hot and dry in the Summer which is NOT a Paw Paw friendly venue, but I babied these trees like noting else I've ever grown -- shade cloth all summer for five years, six inch mulch, misting stands, AND letting my hose run at very low pressure just about all day when the temperatures reached 110 degrees plus...they are ten feet tall now and need no sun protection, the leaves not even burning, and a pretty impressive crop of delicious fruit...which I have a hard time getting others to taste. The Peterson cultivars are supposed to be highly superior, much bigger than what my fruit I get now, these ready to fall of or e picked with first week of September. I simply LOVE this fruit and have ten all inter spread amongst their more tropical cousins, cherimoyas and Atemoyas, which thrice here if you water them enough. Hope I have been of some help, Guy

Thank you Brady. The cuts look clean, not ragged, which is why I first thought my husband has been cutting them off, but he swears he hasn't. We have a large lot (1/2 acre), but live in the city, so it's not deer. The little trees are in our fenced backyard along a fairly shaded southern fenceline area. Our neighborhood has WAY too many squirrels and rabbits, but I haven't noticed any critters I'd suspect of doing this. The trunks on the damaged trees are between 1/2 and one inch in diameter. If I'm ever able to grow the trees to maturity, it will probably only take the squirrels a couple of years to discover the fruit. They pick everything from the 3 plum trees, 3 pear trees, 2 peach trees, 2 apple trees and mature pecan tree currently in our yard. I would suspect the neighbor, but they don't spend much time in their yard or appear interested in gardening.

It's definitely not a cat species as typically they don't register claw marks. I'm no expert but based on your location, the size of the tracks and the pattern of the gait, my best guess is a Fisher, or Marten. Fisher more likely because of the size of the track and overlapping prints...and especially the pic of the tracks where it jumped the fence. Many times if the snow is deep enough, you'll see the tail impression in the snow. Google Fisher tracks in the snow for comparison.