Fisher Kits Caught on Camera in Murrysville

We’re thrilled to share the latest development in our ongoing effort to monitor fishers in Western Pennsylvania this past week, our trail cameras in Murrysville captured video footage of a mother fisher traveling with two kits. This is a major milestone in our project and confirms that fishers are not only present in the area but are also successfully breeding here.

Over the past several months, we’ve documented multiple fisher sightings through our strategically placed trail cameras, but this is the first time we’ve captured clear evidence of a mother with her young. This footage provides undeniable proof that a breeding population has established itself locally, a sign that these elusive predators are thriving in the forested corridors of Westmoreland County.

Video of female fisher with kits

Fishers, once extirpated from Pennsylvania due to over-trapping and habitat loss, have made a remarkable comeback thanks to reintroduction efforts and the natural regeneration of forests. Our latest finding adds to the growing body of evidence that these animals are not only returning but reclaiming their role in the local ecosystem. Stay tuned we’re excited to see what else we can learn from this secretive species as our project continues.

Early Fisher Encounters in Murrysville

Back in summer 2024, our trail cameras in Murrysville captured one of the first fishers recorded in this area in decades an elusive milestone for the PixCams wildlife project. On September 12, 2024, we shared images of a fisher scurrying along a fallen log, poking its nose into the trail camera a sighting so rare that it felt like an unexpected gift on “Christmas morning.”

That initial capture marked the resurgence of this species in Westmoreland County. The fisher, estimated at around 36 inches long, represents Pennsylvania’s second-largest member of the weasel family and is renowned for predating on porcupines.

Evidence Builds Over Time

Fast forward to January 3, 2025, our team logged another series of ten photos taken at the same location firmly confirming that this wasn’t a one-off visitor but a resident making repeated visits to the area.

Around December 2024, cameras placed on six downed logs across our Murrysville property recorded fishers on four of them, indicating a stable, local presence probably a female part of a re-establishing population here.

These findings were picked up by local media, including CBS Pittsburgh, highlighting how our non-invasive, strategically placed trail cameras are providing rare insights into the presence of a species once thought extirpated from Pennsylvania.

What This Tells Us

• Recolonization is happening: Data suggests that fishers are no longer just passing through they’re residing and potentially spreading in suburban woodlands.
• Trail cameras are invaluable: These remote recording devices are essential for monitoring shy, primarily nocturnal species like fishers.
• A recovery story: Thanks to reintroduction efforts in the 1990s and natural expansion from adjacent states, fishers are now reestablishing robust populations across Pennsylvania including areas like Murrysville.

Nature’s Most Unusual Pregnancy

Fishers have one of the most unusual reproductive strategies in the animal kingdom, a process known as delayed implantation. While mating typically occurs in late March or early April, the fertilized egg doesn’t immediately develop. Instead, it remains in a suspended state within the female’s body for about 10 months before implantation occurs. This means although fishers mate in spring, actual fetal development doesn’t begin until January or February of the following year.

Once implantation happens, the embryo develops rapidly, and after a short gestation period of only about 30–50 days, the female gives birth in late March or early April almost exactly a year after mating took place. This delayed reproductive cycle ensures that kits are born in early spring when conditions are most favorable, with rising temperatures, longer days, and increasing food availability to support both the mother and her young.

This reproductive adaptation is especially fascinating because it allows female fishers to time births without the need to adjust their mating behavior each year. The strategy also gives females ample time to recover from the demands of raising one litter before starting the cycle over again. Despite mating soon after giving birth, the next litter won’t develop for nearly a year, creating a seamless and energy-efficient reproductive rhythm.

At birth, fisher kits are blind, helpless, and weigh less than 40 grams, but they develop quickly under the care of their mother, who raises them alone. The young stay with her for about five months, gradually learning to hunt and becoming independent by fall. By then, they’ll have developed the agility and stealth necessary to navigate dense forests and hunt small mammals, birds, and even porcupines, a unique specialty among North American predators.

The combination of delayed implantation and precise seasonal timing makes the fisher’s reproductive cycle one of nature’s more remarkable examples of evolutionary adaptation. It’s a reproductive rhythm perfectly in sync with the seasonal dynamics of their forested habitats.

Fisher or Mink? Spotting the Elusive Forest Phantom

Fishers are among the most elusive predators in Pennsylvania’s forests. Despite their name, fishers don’t fish but they are stealthy, solitary, and highly adaptable members of the weasel family (Mustelidae). Their range has expanded in recent decades, and they are now found throughout much of the northeastern U.S., including remote wooded areas of western Pennsylvania. An adult fisher typically ranges over an area of 5 to 15 square miles, depending on habitat, food availability, and sex with males covering much larger territories than females.

Many people are surprised to hear that fishers are active in our region. We’ve had several reports from viewers claiming to have seen a fisher near their property or on a trail camera. However, in most cases, these sightings turn out to be the more common American mink. Both animals share a similar low-slung body and glossy dark fur, which can make identification tricky especially at a glance.

Video of a fisher on a log

Video of a mink on the same log

To help clear up the confusion, we’ve captured a unique side-by-side comparison on one of our trail cameras: a video of a fisher and a mink crossing the exact same log. It’s a perfect chance to see just how similar and how different these two species can be. This comparison can help viewers become more confident in identifying these shy forest dwellers when they appear.

A Rare and Remarkable Discovery: Breeding Fishers in Murrysville

While a single trail camera capture of a fisher is exciting in itself, what we’ve witnessed recently goes far beyond a lucky sighting. Confirming the presence of a female fisher with two kits in the Murrysville area is a major step forward in understanding the species’ presence and behavior in western Pennsylvania. It’s not just evidence of a lone traveler passing through, it’s proof of active breeding and a small but vital foothold for this elusive predator in our local ecosystem.

Breeding pairs and especially the presence of kits are critical indicators of a healthy, sustainable population. Fishers require large, undisturbed tracts of forest to thrive, particularly for raising young. Their return to areas where they were once extirpated is a testament to both conservation efforts and the resilience of Pennsylvania’s wild spaces.

At PixCams, we’re incredibly fortunate to have documented this rare behavior, and we’re thrilled to be able to share it with our viewers. This kind of discovery helps deepen our understanding of the wildlife that shares our region and reminds us why it’s so important to protect and observe these animals responsibly. Keep watching, because you never know what might show up next on the trail.