Facts about the Fisher
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.
What is in a name?
In creating a trail system in the Newfane Town forest, we tried to run the trails past interesting waterfalls, boulders and other scenic features. To help people find these features, we named them. Some of the names that were given are as follows.
Philura Falls -- named after Philura Moore, the founder of our town's library. These falls are in a steep gorge and hard to see from the trail. We are considering a side trail to help make them more accessible.
Cheerio Rock -- named after Newfane resident Eugene Field who hosted a popular radio show, Cheerio, from 1927 through the 1940's.
Laura's lookout -- a spot on the Golden Gateway trail which has a scenic view of Newfane Hill across the Rock River valley. A former Commission member discovered this spot on snowshoes and routed the trail past it. Thereafter, we installed a bench here so that people could rest and enjoy the view.
Schoolhouse Brook -- Originally we did not know the name of the stream in the forest that generates so many pretty waterfalls. We called it "Town Brook" for want of a better name. However, research of old deeds revealed that its name is Schoolhouse Brook due to the proximity of an early town school.
The Mushroom Road -- named because of the copious mushrooms found in the forest.
Chaos Junction -- When we first created the White Fern trail, this was an intersection where people were frequently having trouble figuring out where the trail went. Now that the trail has been worn into a path, and the sign has been installed, we hope we have all that chaos under control.
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