# Any one heard of a Fisher? Info & pics below.



## GlockSpeed31 (Sep 7, 2006)

I was speaking with an older man yesterday and he said that a neighbor of his had killed one of these in his chicken coop. They had never heard of one of these in GA before, but maybe they are slipping in on us. 

This is the description of what they are with some pics: The fisher is a stocky, dark brown member of the weasel family and is about the size of a large house cat or raccoon. It has short ears, short legs, a low-to-the-ground appearance and a long bushy tail. It is often confused with the marten, which is smaller, lighter in color, has a throat patch, a shorter tail and more pointed ears. The fisher has retractable claws that allow it to climb and be maneuverable in trees.

The fisher once roamed over most of the forested portions of Washington below 1800 meters. Recent work suggests that fishers have been extirpated from large areas of their former range in Washington.  Based on a paucity of recent records, the fisher is considered one of the rarest carnivores in Washington. It has been listed as Endangered by WDFW. It is also a candidate species under the federal Endangered Species Act. 

A recently formed partnership between the WDFW and NW Ecosystem Alliance has formed to study the possibility of reintroducing fisher to Washington.  After a series of studies have been conducted, we may know where fishers would be released in the future.

The roadless areas of the Loomis Forest, in conjunction with the adjacent wilderness and wildlands provide the combination of habitat, solitude and protection this species needs to survive.


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## Racor (Sep 7, 2006)

Always thought those were Northern/NorthWest critters. If I remember correctly I thought they eat mostly fish, crawfish, etc. But a nice chicken coop might be tempting!


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## WTM45 (Sep 7, 2006)

They are protected here in CT.  Have seen a few.  They are pretty fierce critters!


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## 11P&YBOWHUNTER (Sep 7, 2006)

I HIGHY doubt that he killed one of these.  I have not even seen them in Broome County, NY, which is 990 miles north of Savannah GA.  They are northern critters and desire cooler temperatures, such as I!!  I have killed a few in Maine while trapping up there and they get much bigger than Mink, which would be a better canidate for around these parts.


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## Adirondacker (Sep 7, 2006)

Hunted, hiked, and fished in the Adirondack Mts. of northern NY for almost 30 years and saw one. Total encounter lasted about 2 minutes. Watched it ramble through the hardwoods as I sat a deer watch on a rock face.  If I remember right they we one of the few animals that ate porcupines. Pretty fierce too if I remember correctly.


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## Chippewa Partners (Sep 8, 2006)

Having trapped in fisher country for many years in Minnesota I doubt that your buddy's buddy's buddy had a fisher in his poultry barn.

I would bet my hunting knife that it was a MINK.

We had 22 chickens killed last year on my farm by a mink.

Now, as a matter of fact and information, the Tennessee Wildlife Resource Agency, (TN's DNR) has established a successful reintroduction of the fisher in the Catoosa Wildlife Management Area which is 138 miles as the crow flies from where I am typing this in Alpharetta.  The program has been going for several years now and the biologist in charge of the reintroduction is very pleased.  Fishers were trapped in both Wisconsin and Michigan and brought to TN for the reintroduction.  Fishers are easy to trap and are great scavengers as well as being the worlds best squirrel hunters, well, maybe not as good as a marten but that is debatable.  Maybe, just maybe, some of those fishers have branched into Georgia.


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## Randy (Sep 8, 2006)

You never know.  My dog killed a ferret that got in his pen one night.

I heard an awful noise and went to investigate.  The ferret was almost dead from being attacked by my dog.  Now mind you I live in the middle of nowhere with my nearest neighbor a mile away.  Anyway I had to finish it off and threw it over in the woods off to the side of the yard.

2 days later a neighbor from 2 miles away comes by looking for her "pet" ferret.  I was not there but my wife tells her that our dog killed one 2 days ago and told her where I threw it.  My wife says this girl goes over and finds the ferret and picks this stinking rotten magget infested thing up and carried it off in her arms crying.

So you never know what you might find in your yard.


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## doenightmare (Sep 8, 2006)

Thanks for the happy story Randy.


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## rip18 (Sep 8, 2006)

Fishers are pretty neat animals.  I saw one for all of about 3 to 10 seconds in northern Minnesota a few years ago.  

It is unlikely that a wild fisher would be found in Georgia; an escaped fisher could happen, but it is more likely that it was a mink or an escaped ferret...  Still really neat though!! (Unless it is your poultry house....)


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## GeorgiaGlockMan (Sep 8, 2006)

I saw a black ferret looking weasle critter bouncing accross the forest floor at about 50-60 yds out last year.

No binos so I didn't get a real close look, but it was odd the way it "inch-wormed" when it ran.


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## duke13 (Sep 8, 2006)

I saw a black one walk by me while deer hunting about 25 or more years ago up in PA. Pretty cool critter


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## Throwback (Sep 8, 2006)

It was a mink. They (fisher's) don't live here. The old man was confused. 

Of course, there is an outside chance some idiot caught one up north and brought it here, but I doubt it. 

Also I can't get the pics to pull up. Were they pics of what he was talking about or pics off the internet?

I have a neighbor that had about a dozen chickens/ducks, etc, killed in one whack by a mink. He caught it and disposed of it. He is a long time trapper. 

Here's wikipedia's page on them, FWIW. 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fisher_(animal)



> The fisher is found from the Sierra Nevadas in California to the Appalachians in West Virginia and north to New England (where it is often called a fisher cat), as well as in southern Alaska and across most of Canada. Fishers are present in low density in the Rocky Mountains, where most populations are the result of reintroductions. There is recent evidence, however, that a Montana population persisted in a refugium despite extensive fur trapping in the area during the 1800s and 1900s. Fishers are most often found in coniferous and mixed forests with high, continuous canopy cover.



T


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## Paymaster (Sep 8, 2006)

doenightmare said:


> Thanks for the happy story Randy.


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## Nicodemus (Sep 8, 2006)

I`d bet new money that was a mink. They have a mean killer streak. 
As for a fisher, I`d make a VERY good trade with anyone who has a top grade fisher fur they want to get rid of.


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## the HEED! (Sep 8, 2006)

believe they are kin to the Martin correct?


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## rip18 (Sep 8, 2006)

Yep, fishers are Mustelids & so are kin to marten, wolverine, mink, river otter, sea otter, various weasels & stoats, skunks, etc.


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## BWCA (Sep 8, 2006)

nicodemus said:


> I`d bet new money that was a mink. They have a mean killer streak.
> As for a fisher, I`d make a VERY good trade with anyone who has a top grade fisher fur they want to get rid of.



What are trading for a fisher fur?


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## Nicodemus (Sep 8, 2006)

BWCA said:


> What are trading for a fisher fur?




Several of my handmade items. You wouldn`t happen to have one, would you?


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## BWCA (Sep 8, 2006)

No not right now but but my friend up in Mn is a trapper and might can get you one in the future.


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## Nicodemus (Sep 8, 2006)

BWCA, if he can get me a prime winter fur, I`ll make it worth both of ya`lls time. If you will, tell him to just case skin it and dry it raw. I`ll tan it myself.

Thanks


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## Fishin & Hunting (Sep 8, 2006)

*Saw one this year*

Was in central Ontario in July fishing.  Saw one running along the rocks on the bank for few seconds.  Bigger than I thought they would be.

Lived in MN for 22 years and never saw one there.


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## Arrow3 (Sep 8, 2006)

nicodemus said:


> BWCA, if he can get me a prime winter fur, I`ll make it worth both of ya`lls time. If you will, tell him to just case skin it and dry it raw. I`ll tan it myself.
> 
> Thanks



Nick sounds like he wants one pretty bad...


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## Nicodemus (Sep 9, 2006)

Yessir, I want one purty bad!   In addition to a fisher, I want a wolverine fur just as bad!


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## gordon 2 (Sep 9, 2006)

Nic, perhaps if you cantacted Maine trappers, DNR or taxidermist a prime fisher could be in your hands before you know it. 

Lots of them in Canada, but crossing the border with em is a paperwork chore because they are protected in some places in the US and the customs folks get in a tiffy... I have seen them on ebay.... Alaska taxidermists get them at will, perhaps you can try them...

Gordo


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## Coastie (Sep 10, 2006)

This is a bit off topic, but.  
They were reintroduced into northern Wisconsin when I was a kid in the 50s. They have made a good come back in some areas and are now considered a nuisance by a lot of hunters since they like to eat Grouse as well as a lot of other critters. They were reintroduced to help get rid of some Porcupines which had also been protected for years. The pulp wood industry folks were up in arms about the Porcupines being protected since they in turn were killing a lot of trees. The Porcupines had been protected because the state legislature had decided some years before, that Porcupines being so slow and easy to kill, would make a fine meal for anybody lost in the woods and starving to death. I guess they hadn't bothered to find out that even as big as the north woods of Wisconsin was at the time, that we had very few folks getting lost and starving to death in them. It seems every time somebody tries to reintroduce some species or protect them with no plan as to how to manage them, we end up with other problems.


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## holadude (Sep 10, 2006)

We have them in Northern PA.  every couple years or so, someone hits one on the road and it makes the papers.


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## Chippewa Partners (Sep 10, 2006)

If you want to buy a tanned fisher, a timber wolf, an elk hide or even a wolverine give these guys a call.........
or if you just want to buy afew traps, this is the place!!


http://www.minntrapprod.com/about.php


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## Hawkeye (Sep 10, 2006)

Hey you never know, In Miami Fla we have everything running around , including monkeys, Baboons,Huge anacondas , pythons, Boas,Iguanas, crocs, gators ,possums, coons and this is just inside the city.
wolves and mongooses, so you never know what somebody my have release up that way.


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## Nicodemus (Sep 10, 2006)

Thanks for the info ya`ll. I`ll check it out.


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