Has anyone ever encountered a Fisher?

[mixxedbagg]

I've stumbled on them on a couple of occasions while out in the woods. Most of them in the Chippewa National Forest, but I saw the same one twice in St. Croix State Park of all places....at total surprise.

[DonBo]

I see them pretty often in the St. Croix River bottoms in NW Wisconsin. Rumor has, the DNR planted them here years ago to control the porcupine population.

I watched one dig up and then roll in some TP I had buried a week earlier.

[Grayfox]

I had a male bound past my stand last Saturday morning and hopefully he sticks around a few more weeks until trapping opens. My youngest and I both got fisher tags this year.

[CO1978]

I have encountered one two yers in a row from the same deer stand while bow hunting. This was in Douglas County.

[swamptiger]

Quote:

Rumor has, the DNR planted them here years ago to control the porcupine population.

Fishers were protected by the state when I was growing up in the 60's - $50 fine to take a fisher back then, if I remember correctly. I don't remember for sure if they were imported by the state to control porcupines, or if it was the marten they imported, but I do remember we had a good fisher population in the far northern part of the state back then, and very few martens, which has changed in recent years - I see a lot more martens these days. I've trapped quite a few of them over the years, and I have a very healthy respect for a live fisher.. They are easily confused with martens and even mink by people who aren't familiar with the various species, but fishers are generally much larger than either a marten or a mink, and very aggressive.

Nice mount..

[CPRBASS]

My dog tree'd one grouse hunting last weekend.

[Cooter]

Have seen several over the years - one time while fishing I watched one cruise past on the bank then come back about 5 minutes later with a baby grey squirrel in its mouth. Repeated that 2 other times. Also watched one sniffing around up in oak trees, must have been looking for porkies.

Trapped one a couple years ago, forgot to apply the past 2 years

[crothmeier]

nice avatar cooter, i havent got my calendar yet.

[Wes Ellis]

Does having a Fisher hat and tanned pelt count?? I started seeing fisher about 15 years ago . My mom and dad live about 20 miles north of Aitkin , Mn. We didnt know what we were seeing ?? They are so sly. We enjoy seeing them do there thing in the woods . I live North of Brainerd , Mn. We are seeing fisher around there .

[Dave S]

The other night John WWG and myself had two on the shore as we were heading back down stream lastnight after doing some EYE fishing. ( At least I think thats what we saw ) Sure didn't look like coons, to long and slender and solid coloring with no rings.

If you were fishing the MN River near the South Metro, I'm guessing what you saw was more than likely an otter than a fisher.

[goblueM]

never seen one alive, but my uncle and i found a dandy roadkilled one last september up near Ely

[Here-Kitty-Kitty]

never heard of otter in the burnsville area, then again never heard of fishers here either. I'm sure it wasn't an otter tho, but you never know huh.

[jkahler]

I had one walk across the trail in front of me while grouse hunting about 3 years ago. Hoyt Lakes area. We didn't know what it was until we looked it up online.

[Dave S]

never heard of otter in the burnsville area, then again never heard of fishers here either. I'm sure it wasn't an otter tho, but you never know huh.

The CO's that have assisted me in safety training have commented on the increase in Otter numbers in the area from the Metro area south. A friend who traps said he caught one a few years ago by Belle Plaine and turned it into the CO. They're here, just not seen very often.

[Ralph Wiggum]

never heard of otter in the burnsville area, then again never heard of fishers here either. I'm sure it wasn't an otter tho, but you never know huh.

I've seen a few otter on the MN river in the 35W-169 stretch this year. At first, I thought they were beavers, but there is no mistaking them when they get out of the water.

[Buck_Story]

Quote:

Rumor has, the DNR planted them here years ago to control the porcupine population.

Fishers were protected by the state when I was growing up in the 60's - $50 fine to take a fisher back then, if I remember correctly. I don't remember for sure if they were imported by the state to control porcupines, or if it was the marten they imported, but I do remember we had a good fisher population in the far northern part of the state back then, and very few martens, which has changed in recent years - I see a lot more martens these days. I've trapped quite a few of them over the years, and I have a very healthy respect for a live fisher.. They are easily confused with martens and even mink by people who aren't familiar with the various species, but fishers are generally much larger than either a marten or a mink, and very aggressive.

Nice mount..

Thanks for the info, I did not know the history behind them. And yes, I agree, the one I encountered seemed aggressive!

[Here-Kitty-Kitty]

Wow thats cooler then seeing a fisher in my opinion.

[Ferny]

Blue, I saw one last year while loading up after grouse hunting in St. Croix Co. I caught a glimpse of it trotting through the woods then it popped out on the road as I was leaving. It was totally black like your pic with no brown on it. It didn't want to mess with the truck I had no clue what it was either until I Googled it.

They're Cool,

Ferny.

[pikerliker]

I've never seen a fisher but a few years ago I got to watch a Pine Martin eat off of a deer gut pile that I had left the previous day. It was pretty cool. He would approach a few bounds, stand on his hind legs and look around (I'm assuming for the thing that killed the deer - me) working his way to the gut pile, then he would move in rip off a piece and retreat about 30 yards to eat. This was repeated several times until I had another deer step out that I shot. I looked down and Mr. Pine Martin was long gone! I probably gave him a heart attack! I really enjoyed watching him though.

~piker