Expanded Camera Setup Reveals New Sightings and Spring Hopes

Our fascination with the elusive fisher continues! After capturing several trail cam photos of this rare predator in in early December, we decided it was time to step up our efforts to learn more. We installed six trail cameras on downed logs scattered across a 40-acre stretch of our property, each positioned in an area we believed would offer the best chance for sightings.

Why focus on logs? Fishers are agile tree hunters, often using fallen logs as natural travel routes and hunting platforms. These spots are prime real estate for wildlife activity, and our hope was that we might catch more glimpses of the fisher in action. To keep our impact low and avoid disturbing the environment, we check the cameras only once a month.

This month’s check brought exciting news—fisher sightings on four out of six logs produced 7 new fisher trail camera photos! The photos show what we believe is a female, based on her size. Now, we’re watching for signs of a male in the area. If a male moves in, there’s a real possibility we could witness mating behavior and even see young kits this spring.

During the winter, female fishers lead solitary lives, often sheltering in hollow trees, logs, or underground dens to stay protected from the harsh elements. These secluded spots provide insulation and safety, making them ideal winter refuges. If a female fisher is preparing to give birth in the spring, she may continue using the same winter den or select another nearby site with similar protective features. Typically, maternity dens are located in large hollow trees or cavities, offering extra security for the vulnerable newborn kits. The choice of den is crucial, as it ensures the young are safe from predators and harsh weather during their early, dependent months.

Unveiling the Fisher: Secrets of Its Movement and Behavior

The fisher is a fascinating creature with unique habits that make it both elusive and captivating to observe. While it is most active during twilight hours, it alternates between 2-5 hour periods of activity and resting or sleeping in temporary dens as it roams through its territory. These periods of movement and rest allow the fisher to travel extensively across its home range, which typically spans around 1.5 to 3.0 kilometers (1 to 2 miles) in a 24-hour period. However, fishers are capable of covering significant distances—up to 30 kilometers (19 miles)—especially during mating season when they search for potential partners.

Fishers remain active year-round, a testament to their resilience in the wild. The only time they hunker down is during severe winter storms, when they retreat to their dens until the weather improves. Despite their name, fishers do not rely heavily on aquatic habitats. Although they are excellent swimmers, their activity is primarily ground-based. They are also skilled climbers but prefer not to travel from treetop to treetop. In fact, they only climb when necessary, such as when hunting prey or evading threats.

One of the most intriguing aspects of the fisher’s movement is how it runs or bounds with its tail extended above the ground, a posture reminiscent of a house cat. This behavior has earned the fisher one of its colloquial names—“black cat.” Because of this distinctive gait, fishers are sometimes mistaken for gray foxes or even other larger mammals when spotted at a distance or on trail cameras.

Understanding the habits and movements of the fisher is essential for anyone hoping to observe or photograph this elusive predator. As we continue to monitor our trail cameras, we’ll be looking for more clues about the fisher’s behavior, especially as spring approaches and the possibility of young kits becomes more likely.

The Secret Life of Fishers: Solitary Habits, Territory, and Raising Young

The fisher, a symbol of North American wilderness, is renowned for its solitary nature. Adult fishers lead largely independent lives, coming together only briefly for breeding. Unlike some other mammals, fisher pair bonds are temporary or nonexistent, and it is unclear if a single male mates with multiple females or remains monogamous for a season.

Each adult maintains a large home range to support its hunting and survival needs. Males typically claim territories spanning 10-26 square kilometers (4-10 square miles), while females generally hold smaller territories. Although the home ranges of males and females may overlap, those of the same sex usually do not. In areas with optimal habitat, fishers can reach densities of one individual per 2.6 to 7.5 square kilometers (1-3 square miles), a testament to their ability to carve out space in even densely populated environments.

Scent marking plays a critical role in the fisher’s communication system. They possess anal and other scent glands—such as those located on their foot pads—that help mark their territory and communicate their presence. Adults frequently urinate on tree stumps or snow mounds and rub their abdomens over these objects to leave their scent behind, likely serving as territorial markers or mating signals. While their exact function is not fully understood, these behaviors are essential for fisher interactions.

Fishers also use a range of vocalizations, including low chuckles, growls, hisses, snarls, grunts, and crooning sounds. These sounds are often heard during mating or aggressive encounters, though their specific meanings remain somewhat of a mystery.

Fishers use temporary dens except when caring for their young. Female fishers require large diameter trees with cavities to birth and raise their young. Maternity dens are often tree cavities 6-9 m (20-30 ft) above the ground, but may include holes in the ground or rock cavities. Hollow logs, stumps, brush piles, abandoned beaver lodges, and openings within snow banks are other places fishers rest or sleep.

Female fishers typically give birth in March or April, producing litters of 1-6 kits (with an average of 2-3). The kits are born blind and covered with fine gray fur, entirely dependent on their mother. For the first several weeks, the mother spends nearly all of her time in the den, leaving the young for no more than 2-3 hours each day to forage.

As the young mature, the mother gradually spends more time traveling to the edges of her territory in search of food. By the time the kits are 49 days old, their eyes open, and they are weaned around four months of age. Come autumn or early winter, the young fishers disperse to establish their own territories.

Female fishers are sexually mature by their first year, while males may also reach maturity at this time but often do not mate until their second year. One fascinating aspect of fisher reproduction is delayed implantation. Although mating occurs roughly 10 days after the birth of a litter, most embryonic growth is delayed until the final 30 days of the nearly year-long (327-358 days) gestation period. This unique adaptation ensures that fishers give birth at an optimal time in the spring, increasing the chances of survival for their young.

To find a fisher den, look for large, old trees with natural cavities, particularly in dense forested areas with a high canopy cover, as fishers typically use tree hollows for breeding dens. Look for scat or urine near the base of a potential den tree, as well as fresh tracks in the surrounding area, and evidence of disturbed debris around the potential entrance to the cavity; in winter, they may use ground-level shelters like hollow logs, brush piles, or spaces under rocks, which can be easier to spot in deep snow.

Fishers have the potential to live for at least 10 years, although their secretive habits and wild nature make them difficult to study in depth. As we continue to observe and monitor our trail camera footage, we’ll be keeping an eye out for any signs that the fisher on our property may have found a mate—and with any luck, we may even spot young kits this spring! Stay tuned for more updates on our fisher project.