"wayne.deloach" wrote:

We have an 8 year old Macintosh apple tree that has been bearing
beautifully for several years. Now, this winter, we see that
something (rabbits we suspect) has eaten the bark off 6-8 inches up
from the ground. Is there any hope for this tree? Any way to save
it? Any advice will be greatly appreciated.

If when other fruit tres nearby are leafing and blossoming but yours
isn't then your tree is kaput. But meanwhile I'd place a barrier
around the trunk to deter whatever ate it from continuing... should
have fenced the minute you noticed, even before posting here.