Fisher Den?

[Sturg]

I came across a set of tracks in the snow which I think were fisher tracks.  I followed them for a couple hundred yrs and it led me to an opening under some tree roots.  Inside the opening was a large pile of scat.  Obviously an animal(s) has frequented this location over time.  Have any of you trappers out there that seen similar dens? Do the males den?  There was a strong musty smell coming from the opening.

 

 

There was a large pile of elongated light brown pellets about a half inch in length.(see below)

 

 

 

[delcecchi]

If you google "fisher scat image"  there are a lot of picture.   I'm thinking yours doesn't look like them.   Most of theirs look like they have hair in them, like other carnivores that I have seen.   Never seen a fisher, though.  

 

Sometimes may have porcupine quills in them.  Ouch!

 

[Sturg]

I would agree with the need of hair in the scat.  Rethinking this suggests this was maybe a snow shoe hare hideout.  I guess what threw me off that idea was the fact there were no hare tracks in the area. I assumed snowshoe hare scat would be rounded pellets like domestic rabbits but perhaps a different diet yields different results.  I haven't seen any hare tracks all winter in the area.  Maybe the fisher had caught the hare earlier in the season and was now rechecking the spot for another hare taking up residence.

[swamptiger]

Could be coon or skunk den,