Fisher Cat?
 

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Is this a fisher cat? If so, what are my options?


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Yes.
Technically the name is a Fisher.

What seems to be the problem?

Sure looks like one! They are mean little suckers!

Dan

Not sure if there is one. He was watching me fish off the dock this AM. It’s also where the grandkids play and swim


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Not a danger to humans, but small pets and birds (chickens) are on the menu. Usually very shy, lucky to see one in the open.

Actually I was a bit startled. Stayed there a few minutes. Credit the wife for some great photos


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Be somewhat careful as wildlife can be sick or react in ways that we do not expect.

That actually looks more like a mink to me. Look up mink v fisher on the web to learn the difference.

If that’s a mink, you’ll know it from the ‘latrines’ it creates. These are places it poops each night - very stinky and annoying given the creature’s diet. Requires gathering it in a shovel and throwing it in the woods each morning lest you be smelling it all day.

We’ve had them periodically - especially over the last three-four years. They seem to like our breakwater. We called a NH wildlife expert about removing them some years back. We were advised that they usually move on to their next hangout after three or so weeks. Sure enough, we’ve generally found that to be the case.

One thing we’ve done to discourage them, is to liberally spray diluted peppermint oil around our docks, breakwater and their latrines every night. This definitely appears to help them decide that a new spot is needed sooner than later.

It could also be a muskrat which we’ve also had. These tend to hang around for a longer period of time and they lack the unpleasant byproducts common with mink. We don’t mind muskrats. You generally tell the difference by their tails which, in the muskrats case, are hairless.

Fisher cats are larger and usually very reclusive and forest-based; so if your new ‘friend’ seems to be hanging around your waterfront. It’s probably a mink or muskrat. Funny thing is that we once had a fisher cat raise its young under our front porch in CT - very strange behavior indeed for this animal.

It very well could be a mink. If we could see its body and tail a little better it would be much easier to tell as their faces are very similar….

Dan

We have mink in and around our breakwater and the rocks along the shore. When the grand-kids were young and a small fish flipped off the hook on the breakwater, a mink darted out and grabbed the fish.

That sure looks like a mink. A fisher sighting is very rare and one would not pause for a photo shot.

Alan

Looks like a mink to me. I believe fishers hang out in the woods, not on the waterfront.

In 59 years on Bear Island I have seen one Fisher. It was in a tree in the middle of the island. Noticeably bigger than a mink.

I saw one a few years ago in my Meredith neighborhood climbing a tree. It was fairly large, at first, I thought it was a bear cub.

Our mink lives in the rocks under the dock, but has been seen swimming and playing off the breakwater when kids were swimming & playing in the same area. Also seen a couple of times running across the docks with a fish in its mouth, headed home. We assume feeding the youngsters. Family speculates about mink vs. muskrat. No evidence of latrine smell. as described earlier.

Thanks, Descant. In my prior post I said ‘mink’. I meant to say ‘otter’. Otters have the latrines. You don’t want otters. Appreciate you making me aware of that mistake.

My minks are clean.

A couple of years ago I saw a large fisher chase a chipmunk across my yard. Both were fast. The chipper climbed a tree and survived. I never saw a chipmunk climb a tree before.

Otters have different features.

Near the water is probably a mink rather than a fisher (young fishers look like mink as they have not gained the body weight and size).

I think the only way to determine mink compared to fisher kit would be the tracks.

Minks have webbing and non-retractable claws. Fisher, even kits, would retract their claws and have no webbing.

Fishers don’t like humans. A fisher wouldn’t stay and watch you.