I think I saw a fisher on the top of Mt. Hurricane on Tuesday. Black body and tail, bigger than a domestic cat, I would say twenty plus pounds. Is this a common sighting, or can I be confusing the fisher with another animal?
Fisher Cat
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sardog1
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You probably did see a fisher (cat) from your description.
They grow 'em big in these here parts (probably from the steady diet of household cats that shouldn't be out at night ....). I suspect that a twenty pound fisher is very rare in most of its range, but I saw one the other day that approached that weight. One of my mammalian guidebooks describes a couple twenty-pounders measured in Maine several years ago.
I saw my first one deep in the BWCA in MN many years ago. At the time they were as emblematic of wilderness to me as wolves. It's still a pleasant shock to the system to know that I live among them now -- my wife has seen them in the neighborhood.
They grow 'em big in these here parts (probably from the steady diet of household cats that shouldn't be out at night ....). I suspect that a twenty pound fisher is very rare in most of its range, but I saw one the other day that approached that weight. One of my mammalian guidebooks describes a couple twenty-pounders measured in Maine several years ago.
I saw my first one deep in the BWCA in MN many years ago. At the time they were as emblematic of wilderness to me as wolves. It's still a pleasant shock to the system to know that I live among them now -- my wife has seen them in the neighborhood.
Sugarloafer
New member
I've seen them frequently around my house in Ipswich, MA, which abutts 10 acres of woods.....20 lbs would be about right and they are definetely nasty looking !! 
stu
New member
Fisher @ the "Log Cabin"
Several years ago we had a Fisher encounter at the RMC's Log Cabin on Lowes Path. We were actually feeding it and it would approach to about 10 yards without spooking!
Stu
Several years ago we had a Fisher encounter at the RMC's Log Cabin on Lowes Path. We were actually feeding it and it would approach to about 10 yards without spooking!
Stu
Skyclimber
New member
Pine Martens can also be seen on Summits and places around. One Winter at Times Square we had four there, that greeted us. All they wanted though, was food.
giggy
New member
There is also been sightings in northern Rhode Island - (people I know)
I've seen them a few times, more often in Southern NH than Northern NH. Once, on Carr Mtn. I watched one cross the trail 20 yards in front of me. I thought it was my black lab, who was running around. Needless to say, I was quite amazed when it smoothly climbed a tree. I had never seen my dog do that....
After initially thinking it was a bear cub, I settled on it being the fischer. They have a tendancy to be mean, so I coralled my dog and leashed her for a while until we passed the area.
They can usually disappear pretty quickly, too. They hit the scrub and their gone.
After initially thinking it was a bear cub, I settled on it being the fischer. They have a tendancy to be mean, so I coralled my dog and leashed her for a while until we passed the area.
They can usually disappear pretty quickly, too. They hit the scrub and their gone.
dms
Active member
I live in Atkinson, NH, and we are fortunate to have a "resident" fisher in the 30+ acres behind our house, we see it every two to three months going through the back of our yard. Last fall I had a face to face meeting, it was wonderful, the fisher was very calm, it just quickly changed direction, picked up it's pace, and went about it's business. Plenty of chipmonks around for some nice snacks!
Rugger
New member
I saw one last night in Pelham, NH about 100 yards from Mass border. I've seen more in the last two years in Southern NH, Northern MA than I did growing up in Vermont.
hikeritz
Member
I spotted a pair of 'em in the woods behind my neighborhood in Hopkinton MA a few years ago. I recall thinking they were pretty neat looking and watched as one climbed a few feet up a tree no more than 30 feet away and stared at me. Then I realized I didn't know where the other one had gone. All I could think of was the raptors in Jurassic Park, so I picked up a big stick and slowly backed away until I spotted the other one. A bit unnerving, but definitely a cool encounter. I checked out some info on them and was impressed to find that they're one of the few known predators of porcupines. According to one thing I read they flip them on their backs and disembowel them. Now that's a hardcore predator!
Skyclimber
New member
My goodness. I hope it didn't kill the cat!
sierra
Well-known member
I train on Mt.Liberty and have seen one a few different times on the Whitehouse trail, personally I love them.
woodstrider
New member
Fisher
I saw one once- it ran across the road (RT 2 in the Adirondacks). I think that they are rather shy so seeing one is a treat. The one sighting at the RMC Cabin by Stu was most likely one that became used to people or should I say people food. I saw a pine marten at the Wolf Jaw leanto that did the same thing- it would approach to within a certain distance- but only if there was a food offering.
They belong to the same family as skunks, badgers and otters. In North America there are 18 members of this family. 87 world wide.
I saw one once- it ran across the road (RT 2 in the Adirondacks). I think that they are rather shy so seeing one is a treat. The one sighting at the RMC Cabin by Stu was most likely one that became used to people or should I say people food. I saw a pine marten at the Wolf Jaw leanto that did the same thing- it would approach to within a certain distance- but only if there was a food offering.
They belong to the same family as skunks, badgers and otters. In North America there are 18 members of this family. 87 world wide.
gaiagirl
New member
They're everywhere now, so long as there is even a small patch of woods and enough prey. They used to be thought to be a animal of the undisturbed woods, but that's hardly the case. A study done at Middlesex Fells right outside of Boston some years back (maybe 8 to 10 years) proved that they were there in VERY large numbers, when it was questioned whether they were actually there at all. I've seen one in back of a large, ugly subdivision in North Andover, in a patch of woods that's maybe 15 acres interspersed with vernal pools. I also saw one very up-close at Salisbury State Reservation in Massachusetts right by the road out in the saltmarsh. I got out of the car to take a picture, because I couldn't believe my eyes, when the thing (a good sized male --- you can tell because the head is almost bear-like in males but not females) began to pick up speed and head toward me !!!! I got back in the car pretty quickly and never did get the picture .
!!!! I got back in the car pretty quickly and never did get the picture .
una_dogger
Well-known member
Wow what a cool sighting!
There is also a fisher at Kanape Brook in the Catskills that I've seen when doing field work for my former job. Same job put up a bunch of motion sensitive cameras all over NY CT area to find out what critters are living in suburbia and they got a great shot of a Fisher on the UCONN campus in Storrs CT!
Lucky you! Seeing a Fisher and hiking up Hurricane in one day!
There is also a fisher at Kanape Brook in the Catskills that I've seen when doing field work for my former job. Same job put up a bunch of motion sensitive cameras all over NY CT area to find out what critters are living in suburbia and they got a great shot of a Fisher on the UCONN campus in Storrs CT!
Lucky you! Seeing a Fisher and hiking up Hurricane in one day!
frytz
New member
una_dogger said:Wow what a cool sighting!
Same job put up a bunch of motion sensitive cameras all over NY CT area to find out what critters are living in suburbia and they got a great shot of a Fisher on the UCONN campus in Storrs CT!
There were a lot of other critters on the campus at Storrs! Some of them went to high school with me!!
Fred
Jaytrek57
New member
Ok...RI just got a little "cooler".
On my morning walk through the woods (YMCA camp) with my dog Jackson he started to chase something.
Normally, I assume it is deer. He will chase them for a while till he loses them.
But this morning, cutting right in front of me, this Fisher Cat crosses the path and heads up a tree. Jackson was falling him at a distance and watch it go up the tree.
We watch it for a few minutes then left. Jackson then runs back into the woods and starts barking. I go in a few yards and see what he is barking at, and it is a baby Fisher Cat on a branch not 5 feet off the ground.
Jackson wants to play, and it seemed the baby did as well, but alas I got us both away from mom and baby pretty quick.
It has been tough for me moving to RI from the Boston area...but this morning at least...it was pretty cool.
Peace
On my morning walk through the woods (YMCA camp) with my dog Jackson he started to chase something.
Normally, I assume it is deer. He will chase them for a while till he loses them.
But this morning, cutting right in front of me, this Fisher Cat crosses the path and heads up a tree. Jackson was falling him at a distance and watch it go up the tree.
We watch it for a few minutes then left. Jackson then runs back into the woods and starts barking. I go in a few yards and see what he is barking at, and it is a baby Fisher Cat on a branch not 5 feet off the ground.
Jackson wants to play, and it seemed the baby did as well, but alas I got us both away from mom and baby pretty quick.
It has been tough for me moving to RI from the Boston area...but this morning at least...it was pretty cool.
Peace
SAR-EMT40
Well-known member
Skyclimber2971w said:
I am sure he didn't kill him. They were just fooling around, like predators and prey do.
Keith
SAR-EMT40
Well-known member
frytz said:
I have worked as an EMT at several of the Spring breaks and other events on the Storrs campus. You have no idea the things I've seen.
Keith
