FACTS ABOUT THE FISHER
by Bruce Hesselbach
There are several theories as to how the fisher received its name, an inaccurate one since it does not eat fish. It seems most likely that it received this name due to the similarity of its body shape to the fitch, a name for the European polecat. Occasionally, fishers are called fishercats because from a distance they may appear somewhat like a large cat. Up close, however, the fisher looks more like an otter or a very large weasel.
The fisher has dark brown to black fur. Growing up to three feet in length, it is a relatively large member of the mustelidae family which includes weasels, ferrets, polecats, minks, martens, and wolverines.
Because the favorite food of fishers is the snowshoe rabbit, it stands to reason that the fisher is an extremely fast predator. Fishers also feed on porcupines, mice, shrews, squirrels and birds. When available, they scavenge off dead deer. In populated areas such as Newfane, fishers can become predators of housecats allowed to roam outdoors.
Conservationists maintain that fishers are highly beneficial to forests because they help prevent the overpopulation of porcupines, which can result in major damage to valuable timber as well as damage to stands of maple used to produce maple syrup. Second only to the Catskills, Vermont is an area of the Northeast known for its large porcupine population. Since porcupines are protected from predators by reason of their sharp quills, they can and do become overpopulated unless their numbers are reduced by fishers.
Fishers are well adapted to life in trees but usually prey on porcupines when the porcupines are moving on the ground. The popular conception that fishers flip porcupines over and bite them in the stomach is a myth. The fisher’s low build, great speed, and sharp teeth enable it to kill porcupines by biting them repeatedly in the face where quills are absent. The fisher is so fast and agile that it rarely gets stuck by quills.
The fisher is known for its valuable and beautiful fur. However, in many states, trapping of fishers is illegal. In Vermont there is a short trapping season in early December. The price of fisher pelts peaked during the “fun fur” fad of the early 1980’s and today stands at a relatively low level.
Fishers tend to be most active near sunrise and sunset. They divide their time between activity in trees and on the ground. They often show preference for areas near streams. Their favorite environment is areas where there is a dense growth of trees and where snowshoe rabbits can be found. Fishers are rarely exhibited in zoos because they try to hide from visitors.
Fishers mate in late March but do not give birth until a year later. Once the cycle starts, however, females are almost continuously pregnant and give birth to a litter of two to three kits each year. Dens are made high in hollow trees. In the wild, fishers live up to ten years.
Because fishers are uncommon and secretive, sighting one can be a memorable experience. In Newfane, fishers have been seen near homes looking for mice or housecats. They are not overly choosy about their next meal. Nevertheless, fishers are a very beneficial and beautiful member of our wild community.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Roger A. Powell, The Fisher, Minneapolis, 1993.
Predator Conservation Alliance, “The Fisher,”
http://www.predatorconservaton.org
Milton Rugoff, ed., Wildlife of the Forests, New York, 1979.
Herbert Zim and Donald Hoffmeister, Mammals, A Guide to Familiar
American Species, Racine, 1987.
by Bruce Hesselbach
There are several theories as to how the fisher received its name, an inaccurate one since it does not eat fish. It seems most likely that it received this name due to the similarity of its body shape to the fitch, a name for the European polecat. Occasionally, fishers are called fishercats because from a distance they may appear somewhat like a large cat. Up close, however, the fisher looks more like an otter or a very large weasel.
The fisher has dark brown to black fur. Growing up to three feet in length, it is a relatively large member of the mustelidae family which includes weasels, ferrets, polecats, minks, martens, and wolverines.
Because the favorite food of fishers is the snowshoe rabbit, it stands to reason that the fisher is an extremely fast predator. Fishers also feed on porcupines, mice, shrews, squirrels and birds. When available, they scavenge off dead deer. In populated areas such as Newfane, fishers can become predators of housecats allowed to roam outdoors.
Conservationists maintain that fishers are highly beneficial to forests because they help prevent the overpopulation of porcupines, which can result in major damage to valuable timber as well as damage to stands of maple used to produce maple syrup. Second only to the Catskills, Vermont is an area of the Northeast known for its large porcupine population. Since porcupines are protected from predators by reason of their sharp quills, they can and do become overpopulated unless their numbers are reduced by fishers.
Fishers are well adapted to life in trees but usually prey on porcupines when the porcupines are moving on the ground. The popular conception that fishers flip porcupines over and bite them in the stomach is a myth. The fisher’s low build, great speed, and sharp teeth enable it to kill porcupines by biting them repeatedly in the face where quills are absent. The fisher is so fast and agile that it rarely gets stuck by quills.
The fisher is known for its valuable and beautiful fur. However, in many states, trapping of fishers is illegal. In Vermont there is a short trapping season in early December. The price of fisher pelts peaked during the “fun fur” fad of the early 1980’s and today stands at a relatively low level.
Fishers tend to be most active near sunrise and sunset. They divide their time between activity in trees and on the ground. They often show preference for areas near streams. Their favorite environment is areas where there is a dense growth of trees and where snowshoe rabbits can be found. Fishers are rarely exhibited in zoos because they try to hide from visitors.
Fishers mate in late March but do not give birth until a year later. Once the cycle starts, however, females are almost continuously pregnant and give birth to a litter of two to three kits each year. Dens are made high in hollow trees. In the wild, fishers live up to ten years.
Because fishers are uncommon and secretive, sighting one can be a memorable experience. In Newfane, fishers have been seen near homes looking for mice or housecats. They are not overly choosy about their next meal. Nevertheless, fishers are a very beneficial and beautiful member of our wild community.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Roger A. Powell, The Fisher, Minneapolis, 1993.
Predator Conservation Alliance, “The Fisher,”
http://www.predatorconservaton.org
Milton Rugoff, ed., Wildlife of the Forests, New York, 1979.
Herbert Zim and Donald Hoffmeister, Mammals, A Guide to Familiar
American Species, Racine, 1987.
