Globe article on Fisher Cats

[B the Hiker]

http://www.boston.com/news/science/...rned_fishers_are_back_on_prowl/?p1=News_links

People might find this interesting. Not hugely informative, but it is what it is.


Brian

 

[spider solo]

Interesting article, at least it gives a "heads up" that the Fisher did not go extinct. Like other things I would think they are showing up in less than ideal habitat for fishers, but then again we haven't left them a heck of a lot of choices.

I would think they kill cats from time to time, much like dogs do come to think of it.
We have lost cats on occassion over the years, who knows where they wind up, coyote & fox will get them, but I was surprised to find Great Horned Owls have cats on the menu. ( actually they have quite an extensive menu)

This year a family of hawks were raised near the house and folks were saying "oh they are going to kill your cats better watch out"..after doing some homework I realized they were more interested in mice and squirrels.

Much as I like our cats I saved one article estimating the annual loss of birds from cats killing them was somewhere around 10 million.

Kinda puts things in perspective...

 

[Taconic]

I saw a fisher on my street late at night a few months back. It scared the hell out of me, because it first appeared as two orange disks glowing in the dark. When it stepped into the light, what it was became clear.

I'd never seen one that big. It clearly wasn't pleased to see me. It advanced to maybe 15 feet and then stared at me. I gave it a wide berth since I didn't particularly want those teeth in my calves.

It's very easy to see how something like that can take out a cat. Or even a smaller dog.

 

[TenPeaks]

There have been fisher cats in my town long before I moved in several years ago. They are very secretive and I feel lucky seeing one when I do, which is usually about once or twice a year. I've seen their tracks in my yard in some sandy spots and when there's light snow on the ground and once I had one screeching just outside my bedroom window in the middle of the night. Talk about creepy! That's enough evidence for me to tell my neighhbors to keep their pets (I don't have a pet) indoors.

 

[brianW]

I had someone from MassWildlife speak to my environmental science class a few years back. when the topic about fishers and cats the lady asked "What do you call a cats bell on its collar?" ............"the dinner bell"