Hi, 

It could have been deer rubbing antlers or perhaps a squirrel chewing the bark. You should definitely remove the protection as it is getting too tight around the trunk and starting to cut into the bark. It can gridle or choke the flow of nutrients and water in the tree and cause top die back and ultimately death. 

Alternatively you can get some fencing material, either chicken wire or another material and put it around the perimeter of the mulched area. It would also be beneficial to re- mulch the area and make it a little larger. 

The scratches that are higher up on the tree seem to be fine. and should heal. The large area at the base that is damaged looks as if it is drying up, so just remove the plastic and wires and watch to make sure that area is dry and not growing fungus (which could indicate wood decay). 

If you haven't been watering, it would be helpful to water the tree about every 1-2 weeks until we have a hard frost. This will help the tree recover and protect the roots from drying out over the winter. You can refer to our Watering Trees and Shrubs page for more guidance. Just be sure to check the soil about 6 inches down and feel if its moist before watering again. You want it to dry out mostly in between watering. 

Emily