Not a duck!

Capt. Brian Rhodes

Capt. Brian Rhodes

Well-known member
Pretty good size fisher, wearing his thick winter coat still!

He was out a ways, had to crop a bit.

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Great shots! They are awesome animals, do you see them often in your area? Looks like some groomed grass, inside the city limits? Yet another animal I have yet to see in the wild. I envy you.
 
The Wolverine in Alaska would have given it a real run for its money if it was in as good a focus as that one.......neat....give me some details.....

I spent several says this winter trying to get good shots of a Pine Marten.......never did but I did see finally get to see it...

Neat man....really neat.....

Steve
 
I wasnt aware of that .... thank you William. Looks like a big ole' male. Speaking of Marten, I wonder how many he has eaten. I take it you have alot of Porcupine in your area too?
 
Nope not on the turf, but good guess! Actually, that is from your old neighborhood, or should I say nightmare William!

No porcupine or marten here, I know they like to eat turkeys!

It is a very large fisher, you don't catch em' out and about like that often. It was early in the morning, I just happened to be driving down a quite road and he was working his way across the back of the field. Luckily my camera is always on the front seat!

And yes Steve, they are nasty little buggers. Teeth and jaw muscles like whoa!
 
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Hey Brian is there any way you could take a photo of the area you took those photos without disclosing the spot? And/or describe the habitat? They interest me very much, as does the rest of the Mustelidae family.
 
an animal that I would love to see......wasn't aware they occured in anything but "wild areas"..........

I go nowhere anymore without my camera......no where.....since I started doing that I see less neat stuff.....must be karma......

Steve
 
Cool, a mink on roids. I always enjoy fishing along rivers in the spring because the mink will be very active and not very scared. I've had them about step on my feet while fishing, not sure if I'd stand still if a Fisher was getting that close.

Tim
 
I was out cleaning bluebird boxes this morning and look who I see raiding a squirrel nest! I only have a point and shoot but snapped a few pics. This is a little more characteristic of their habitat from what I have found trapping them. Also, this one is rather large, as is Brians by the looks of it. The biggest one I've trapped I have mounted and he clocked in at 18lbs, this one was noticeably larger!!!
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Those are some great shots. An 18 pounder is huge for this critter. Bill, what would be the main differences with the fisher verses the pine marten? Have you ever trapped one of them?
Al
 
as my nephew would say.....

Twice while Grouse hunting here in Washington I've found "fresh" porcupine skins in what would be "prime" Fisher habitat and where if was anything but a Fisher the tracks would have been obvious, so I' know I've "been around them", just haven't seen them.....

One of these days I'll get lucky, look up, and see one staring down at me, or across the field at me, like these....

Neat stuff....I'll trade you a BIG ASS AMERICAN CROCODILE observation for one of those.....

Steve
 
There are no pine marten here in CT, and I have only had in hand taxidermied specimen. They are a a much smaller critter on average. From what I understand, pine marten and fisher do not really overlap much, as they fill the same niche. However a friend of mine who is working on a lynx project up in maine has caught both of them in the same neighborhood, so my understanding may be wrong!
 
haha steve.. no thanks! I'm good with critters that can eat me back!

Like Brian said, you just don't see these guys much, unless you trap. I have seen more in my traps, than I have alive running around. Between live trapping for research and furtrapping I have lost count of how many I've had in hand, but I don't think I've laid my eyes on more than 4 or 5 otherwise!
 
Those are some great shots of the fishers. Both of them! I have a friend who owns a farm in Connecticut and she tells me they don't see many turkeys since the expansion of the fisher range. I understand they were possibly introduced there. Is that correct or did they simply expand their range naturally?

Al, I have a picture of a marten that I took a few years back. If I can find it I will post it. Maybe John and I will spot one in May and get some new shots.

We have mink in the woods behind my house. One of my neighbors lost over 30 ornamental koi to the mink once they figured out they were easy pickings. I had to try to keep a straight face while he told me how upset he was. I was tempted to explain to him that it was nature at work but decided to keep peace in the neighborhood.
 
Paul, fishers were introduced into CT, in the early-mid 80s I believe, and VERY few of them, I will try to find out for sure but I think the actual number was 25 or 30. They have really taken off on their own, they really thrive here!! I hear ALOT of complaints about how the fisher have depleted the turkey population, but for the most part that is incorrect. Fishers number one food is squirrel, not turkey or their poults, however like any carnivore, they are opportunistic and certainly wouldn't pass one up. Lower turkey populations are more likely a sign of bad spring weather and habitat loss...or change of use, notice a lot more turkeys in suburbia these days? They aren't stupid, very few predators in backyards!! Plus all the birdfood you could want!!

By the way...I have been working with a turkey biologist for the past 3 years ;)

I also love to hear guys complain about how the fisher have ruined everything...they are certainly a scapegoat. I always fire back about how I love those $75 pelts haha.....of course they have dropped drastically the past 2 years.
 
Great shots Bill, that one appear to be male or female to you? Can't tell the size in those photos, the one Brian shot photos of is a male no doubt. Do you see them more along breaks in habitat? Such as pine/hardwoods, swamps/timber, thickets/mature woods, etc..
 
Great pics!
From what I understand, they have been re-introduced & have expanded in PA also.
Buddy of mine found one road-killed a few years back.
 
Gary, by shear size I'd say this is a male. If the one i have mounted is 18lbs...this guy is an easy 20+!!

Most of the ones I've trapped have been in fairly large woods, i always look for areas with a lot of blowdowns, they like to run on up them to hunt...picture a happy squirrel chewing away on an acorn and that thing comes flying off the nearest overhang!!
 
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