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I think I caught a Fisher Cat on my game cam?

Started by Piston, November 18, 2013, 03:44:40 PM

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Piston

Does this look like a fisher cat to you?  I've only seen one in the past, back about 9 years ago when I was bow hunting but it didn't come close enough for me to get a real good look.



  

 

(Date and time are obviously wrong)
-Matt
"What the Lion is to the Cat the Mastiff is to the Dog, the noblest of the family; he stands alone, and all others sink before him. His courage does not exceed his temper and generosity, and in attachment he equals the kindest of his race."

POSTON WIDEHEAD

The older I get I wish my body could Re-Gen.

isawlogs

 I would be more likely to think it is a Marten then a fisher, it looks to have a lighter coloured coating where as the fisher would be uniform in colour.
A man does not always grow wise as he grows old , but he always grows old as he grows wise .

   Marcel

JJ

It could be pine martin.
It is hard to tell since size and face are hard to see.


red oaks lumber

looks like a fisher, if you zoom in you can see his tackle box and fishing pole :D
the experts think i do things wrong
over 18 million b.f. processed and 7341 happy customers i disagree

JohnM

Hard to say Piston, nothing for us to scale it to for size.  I've seen a fisher once while hunting.  There is no doubting what you're seeing, they are much larger than martens.  I've also found a porcupine skin on my property, needless to say those fisher can be nasty little buggers. ;D
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thecfarm

isawlogs could be right. Google both,I did. You want images by the way.  :)  I have never seen a pine martin. I kinda think they are more up where John lives.
Model 6020-20hp Manual Thomas bandsaw,TC40A 4wd 40 hp New Holland tractor, 450 Norse Winch, Heatmor 400 OWB,YCC 1978-79

Chuck White

Nothing for comparative size.

Built more like a Pine Martin than a Fisher though!

A Fisher usually have a humped back whereas the Pine Martin is usually more streamlined!

NOTE: Some places they refer to a Fisher as a "Fisher Cat" others just call them a fisher!
~Chuck~  Cooks Cat Claw sharpener and single tooth setter.  2018 Chevy Silverado and 2021 Subaru Ascent.
With basic mechanical skills and the ability to read you can maintain a Woodmizer  LT40!

ReggieT

Quote from: JohnM on November 18, 2013, 06:55:19 PM
Hard to say Piston, nothing for us to scale it to for size.  I've seen a fisher once while hunting.  There is no doubting what you're seeing, they are much larger than martens.  I've also found a porcupine skin on my property, needless to say those fisher can be nasty little buggers. ;D
Wow...didn't think they could take out a porcupine...impressive indeed!! smiley_hanged

Clark

Considering how dark it is I would say fisher.  Pine marten are more the size of a mink and this thing looks bigger than a mink. If it were the size of a mink you would barely see it's legs but they are plainly visible.  I have no doubt it is a fisher.

Clark
SAF Certified Forester

Piston

The reason I believe it's a fisher is because there is a lot of "talk" about them in my area.  They are nasty little critters!  Or at least they have that reputation.  We've had 3 cats and all of them disappeared over a short period of time.  I believed it to be a Fisher that killed them but of course I don't really know.  Although, whatever it was, I'm grateful.  :D

This is what wiki has to say about them...
QuoteMales and females are similar in appearance but the males are larger. Males are 90–120 cm (35–47 in) in length and weigh 3.5 to 6 kilograms (8–13 lb). Females measure 75–95 cm (30–37 in) and weigh 2–2.5 kg (4–6 lb). The fur of the fisher varies seasonally, being denser and glossier in the winter. During the summer, the color becomes more mottled, as the fur goes through a moulting cycle. Fishers prefer to hunt in full forest. While they are agile climbers, most of their time is spent on the forest floor. They also prefer to forage where there is fallen dead wood on the forest floor. Fishers are omnivorous and feed on a wide variety of small animals and occasionally fruits and mushrooms. They show a preference for the snowshoe hare and are one of the few predators able to successfully hunt porcupine. Despite their name, fishers seldom eat fish.

Here are a couple other pics that I got on the game cam, maybe it will help with "scale" but probably not, but just for fun.....


  

  

  

  

 
-Matt
"What the Lion is to the Cat the Mastiff is to the Dog, the noblest of the family; he stands alone, and all others sink before him. His courage does not exceed his temper and generosity, and in attachment he equals the kindest of his race."

Resolute

Information about Fisher's from VT Fish and Wildlife at this link -
ww.vtfishandwildlife.com/vtcritters/animals.cfm?cat=mammals&species=Fisher

RynSmith

I don't know what it is, but I would be excited to have one on my game cam (if I had one of those  ::))!

Roxie

Cowboy Bob is looking over my shoulder, and he's impressed with the buck!  He said those antlers would look good over the fireplace.   :)
Say when

bill m

Fisher, we don't have pine martens in Massachusetts.
NH tc55da Metavic 4x4 trailer Stihl and Husky saws

JohnM

Quote from: bill m on November 19, 2013, 07:33:34 PM
Fisher, we don't have pine martens in Massachusetts.
Piston's got land in NH too.  Not sure where the photo was taken but guessing MA since you said you lost the cats.  Time heals all wounds, P. ;) ;D ::)

Range maps say you don't have fisher in MA either though they do 'dip' closer than marten.  My vote is still marten. :)
Lucas 830 w/ slabber; Kubota L3710; Wallenstein logging winch; Split-fire splitter; Stihl 036; Jonsered 2150

Corley5

My parents saw a pine marten in the red pines in our yard a couple years ago.  That's about the time the red squirrel population plummeted  ;) 8)  I still only rarely see a red squirrel so I'm pretty sure the martens are still here  :)
Burnt Gunpowder is the Smell Of Freedom

Piston

Quote from: Roxie on November 19, 2013, 05:52:30 PM
Cowboy Bob is looking over my shoulder, and he's impressed with the buck!  He said those antlers would look good over the fireplace.   :)

Over MY fireplace that is!  :D
-Matt
"What the Lion is to the Cat the Mastiff is to the Dog, the noblest of the family; he stands alone, and all others sink before him. His courage does not exceed his temper and generosity, and in attachment he equals the kindest of his race."

Piston

Quote from: JohnM on November 19, 2013, 08:56:59 PM
Piston's got land in NH too.  Not sure where the photo was taken but guessing MA since you said you lost the cats.  Time heals all wounds, P. ;) ;D ::)

Your right John, this is from MA, Upton, MA to be exact.  As far as time healing all wounds, it didn't take long  :D

I just thought to look on the MA fish and wildlife page, which I should have thought of earlier  ???
From here: http://www.mass.gov/eea/agencies/dfg/dfw/fish-wildlife-plants/mammals/fisher-in-mass-generic.html

QuoteHabits

Fishers are shy and elusive animals that are rarely seen even in areas where they are abundant. They can be active day or night and tend to exhibit crepuscular (dawn and dusk) and nocturnal activity in the summer and diurnal (daytime) activity in the winter. They remain active year round and do not hibernate. Their preferred habitat is mixed forest with heavy canopy cover as they tend to avoid traveling in large open areas. They commonly use hollow logs, stonewalls, tree cavities, and brush piles as resting sites.

Just cracked the case...it had to be a fisher, according to the Mass Wildlife website there are no Marten's in MA like Bill said.

QuoteAmerican Marten:
Extirpated. Formerly central and western Mass. Last known record, Worcester County, 1880. One vagrant from a Vermont release was taken in Worcester County in 1992. A 1993 Worcester County record is believed to be an escape from a fur farm.

QuoteFisher:
Statewide except Dukes & Nantucket counties. Range expansion into Barnstable County first confirmed in 2006.

...However, it looks like the only other thing it could be is a Mink?  Does it look like a Mink?  I don't think I've ever seen one. 
-Matt
"What the Lion is to the Cat the Mastiff is to the Dog, the noblest of the family; he stands alone, and all others sink before him. His courage does not exceed his temper and generosity, and in attachment he equals the kindest of his race."

doctorb

Been following along.  Sounds(and looks) like a Fisher to me.  Only seen one time by me - in Canada.  But I have seen Mink many times there.  This is definitely NOT a Mink.  Way too big, shape of the head is different, and the tail is way too large in both diameter and length to be a mink.
My father once said, "This is my son who wanted to grow up and become a doctor.  So far, he's only become a doctor."

bill m

We have quite a few fisher in my area. Seen their tracks a lot behind my house and where I bow hunt. My B.I.Ls girl friend saw a fisher from her tree stand 2 weeks ago.
NH tc55da Metavic 4x4 trailer Stihl and Husky saws

Piston

Quote from: bill m on November 21, 2013, 07:35:46 AM
My B.I.Ls girl friend saw a fisher from her tree stand 2 weeks ago.
The only time I've seen a Fisher in real life was in my tree stand.  It was just before sunrise and I heard something coming down the hill, sounded like a squirrel in the leaves or something similar, and I slowly looked over, saw the Fisher coming my way, then about 30 yards away he circled a clump of hardwoods and went right back the way he came.  I wish I had my SLR Camera with me at the time! 
The tree I was in at that time, is only 100 yards away from where this pic was taken, in fact if you look in the day time pics you can see the stone wall in the background, it's just on the other side of the stone wall.  That was a good 9 years ago.



Quote from: doctorb on November 21, 2013, 06:10:18 AM
Been following along.  Sounds(and looks) like a Fisher to me.  Only seen one time by me - in Canada.  But I have seen Mink many times there.  This is definitely NOT a Mink.  Way too big, shape of the head is different, and the tail is way too large in both diameter and length to be a mink.
Thanks Doc, I say this case is closed  ;D   Fisher it is.
-Matt
"What the Lion is to the Cat the Mastiff is to the Dog, the noblest of the family; he stands alone, and all others sink before him. His courage does not exceed his temper and generosity, and in attachment he equals the kindest of his race."

JohnM

Quote from: Piston on November 21, 2013, 07:55:03 AM
Thanks Doc, I say this case is closed  ;D   Fisher it is.
Despite overwhelming evidence to the contrary, my inner NFL ref/defense lawyer/politician still says marten. ::) ;) ;D  In truth though it's neither here nor there, the fact is it's just plain cool what you can see with those cameras.  I put a friends camera on the gut pile of my last deer (4yrs ago :() and got over 300 photos (3 shot busts of course) in 3-4 days.  The only things that ate it were crows, ravens and 3 bald eagles (two grown and an immature).  Didn't get one other pic day or night of any other kind of animal, skunk, raccoon, coyote, nothing.  Thought that was pretty unusual/cool.

(I'm hoping for more pics of 'it' Piston showing a light bib on the front. ;))
Lucas 830 w/ slabber; Kubota L3710; Wallenstein logging winch; Split-fire splitter; Stihl 036; Jonsered 2150

Clark

Quote from: JohnM on November 21, 2013, 10:01:08 AM
(I'm hoping for more pics of 'it' Piston showing a light bib on the front. ;))

Which would prove that it's a fisher, right?  Many fisher have a white spot on their chest, some don't.  Marten tend to have a more orange area on their chest.  Succumb to the evidence, it's a fisher.

Clark
SAF Certified Forester

JohnM

Quote from: Clark on November 21, 2013, 04:06:06 PM
Quote from: JohnM on November 21, 2013, 10:01:08 AM
(I'm hoping for more pics of 'it' Piston showing a light bib on the front. ;))
Which would prove that it's a fisher, right?
Not from what I've been reading/looking at.  From Wiki:  "American marten usually have a characteristic throat and chest bib ranging in color from pale straw to vivid orange."  "The underside of a fisher is almost completely brown except for randomly placed patches of white or cream-colored fur. In the summer, the fur color is more variable and may lighten considerably."

Quote from: Clark on November 21, 2013, 04:06:06 PM
Succumb to the evidence, it's a fisher.
In the famous words of one Luke Skywalker, "Never.  I'll never turn to the dark fisherside."

(This is a tough horse... ;D)
Lucas 830 w/ slabber; Kubota L3710; Wallenstein logging winch; Split-fire splitter; Stihl 036; Jonsered 2150

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