Boobytrap?

Went down the woods again this afternoon but no sign of my deer.
However, I did find the remains of WW2 gun batteries hiding amongst the undergrowth and then this tree which had been chopped to within an inch! It was well off the beaten track so I am left wondering why? The woods are used by local schools for various exercises so maybe it was a study in how long a tree would survive, or was it a trap?
I left it as it was but will enquire with the park authority tomorrow.