Fisher Pix

[Super Star!]

I have been getting alot of messages on what a fisher looks likes well here they are they are in my bear bait.  enjoy

[Fawkinnae]

These are great photos.

[Super Star!]

yes now if i can only get them to put there paws in my traps i can take better pix then 

[Super Star!]

finaly got the first one for the year. Griz was there to take a nice pic that i will post soon..

[GRIZ]

Ya it was nice having one in the traps. Having never done it b4, I wanted to learn a bit about them. I did learn a bunch and it helped that we found some other fisher tracks in the woods also.

As usual when trapping I'm eagerly in a hurry so it took me a bit to remember not to follow someone so close while in the brush. After getting slapped in the chin the lips and the nose a few times by some brush on my cold nearly frozen skin, I did remember to back up a few more feet.

Well we did seem to forget about the cold once we found that fisher awaiting, firmly held by the back foot. He didn't have alot of sets out but managed that fisher, an otter and a mink. Before leaving he gave me a jar of his coon bait to try out. Well b4 I even took off I had to give it a whiff, I think it'll work pretty darn good.

On the way home I run my sets and got a mink a possum and nearly another coon. This coon was on the shoulder of the road and didn't leave after I passed him. He was as usual in the cold moving real sluggish. Grabbin my trapping shovel I decided to persue him through the catails. Then all of a sudden I couldn't see them moveing where he was going anymore. It also dawned on me that in the thick cattails this trappin shovel did me no good and there is a posibility this critter could be sick. Not really knowing where it was at anymore anyhow I decided to give up on the short chase b4 it became another trapline tale.

[LLtaxidermy]

How much are you getting for the fishers?

[Super Star!]

.

[LLtaxidermy]

He paid you 100.00 to mount it for you?

[Super Star!]

no no  if i bring him another one for him to have he will mount the one i brought in and pay me 100

[LLtaxidermy]

That's a pretty sweet deal. What do you need for one frozen whole?

[GRIZ]

Well since that day out with SS on a fisher line, Ive been keeping an eye out for sign around here. Only 3 have been reported beeing accidently caught round here in the last 10 yrs. Well that was enough for me to know at least there was a chance of finding some sign.

Find sign, yes I did. The first sign I found was when trailing a bow shot deer that went about 3/4 of a mile. Kinda got me excited and the next day I went and followed it's tracks for along ways, just to learn more about thier habits. The next time was kinda a fluke as I was driving down the road and seen some kind of tracks that were on top of a snow covered tree trunk that fell over. Slammed on the brakes an backed up got out for a closer look an shur enough fisher tracks.

Now I'm thinkin this is pretty cool as it appears there is starting to get a foothold of a population round here and maybe in a few yrs will open the trappin season on them round here. Well we don't have the mass of big woods like they do up north but the woods we have will provide for them anyhow.

Now since that 2nd time finding sign I've went out a few days just driving around an lookin at woods (that looked like fisher country to me) and have found sign of fisher(prolly) in all but 2 of them. I never even got out of the truck until I seen something that looked like it could be. The reason I said prolly is because sometimes the snow conditions were so it was difficult to identify tracks for certain. When finding something that looked promissing I'd get out do further investigating. Most of the time the sign indicated what I think to be fisher but sometimes the grey fox couldn't be ruled out either. We have a few greys around but VERY VERY few.

With all I've found around here if my observations are correct we have alot more of them around here than anyone has thought. So why hasn't more been accidently caught? Well with the terrain round here like it is most people don't set traps in places where they could accidently get one. Basically not many traps are set in the woods. We don't have a grey fox population worth going after and most of the coon are caught near creeks bordering corn fields.

I've tried to be open about my observations but in most instances can rule out the other animals. Dang I wished a guy could live trap them just to find out.

[Super Star!]

I have went back to the spot were i got the two this year and there has been more passing by. I think that with the season only being one week this year and so close to deer hunting, i think they found a unclaimed deer or gut pile and camped out maybe. That bag of cherrys i had hanging in the tree was torn to shreds. and there was track all over looked like they where there more than one night... as far as a season down by you griz i think it may be a while. They cut are season sort. thinking that the population is down. Griz if you want to see what the track are find sighn and put out a trail cam with something that they will eat in front of it. come back in a week and see what you could have trapped...         peace ss

[Faceman]

From what I have read in the past is that few people have ever seen these critters. I was reading up on them because my family and I saw one while camping a few years ago and no idea what is was. then the next year camping in the same spot we seen another one. From what I read these things are pretty vicious.

[Super Star!]

I have stood about 2 feet away from them in a trap. I would have to say they are not happy to see you but not to mad. A badger on the other hand watch out.. i would not want one to come after me............ I always take extra caution when takeing traps off or animals i have dispatched. for some reason i think they are going to have one last burst and bite me..

[thunderpout]

We have a bunch of em where we deer hunt near Nevis MN.  Those babies definatley have an attitude.  Had one chase me into a deerstand once. Have had a few run ins with em.... If they got as big as a dog, you'd never get me in the woods! Nasty!       -thunderpout   

[GRIZ]

I thought about the trail cam but that wouldn't be as much fun. Oh well guess it'll have to do.

Yea I noticed ya were careful about animals when takin them outta traps. Maybe thats why ya don't have any trapline tales. When ya mentioned badger did I ever mention I've been bit by them more than once. Not a big deal really if ur gonna get bit give em somethin to bite on like the heel of ur boot. Don't hurt that way.

[Super Star!]

We have a bunch of em where we deer hunt near Nevis MN.  Those babies definatley have an attitude.  Had one chase me into a deerstand once. Have had a few run ins with em.... If they got as big as a dog, you'd never get me in the woods! Nasty!       -thunderpout   

 

[Super Star!]

Griz
i have been bit by  mink.coon and a beaver the beaver was the worst i bout cryed man did that hurt right in the leg. through the knee boots and all.. after that day i am very cautious... 

[GRIZ]

Been bit by nearly everything cept beaver an coyote. Never once blood was even drawn cept by a mink one time. Like I said if ur gonna get bit give em somethin to bite on. Oh never been bit by a skunk either as I don't get close enough for them to have an opportunity.

[Super Star!]

Griz you dont put skunks down with a 3 foot injuection pole and some acetone???

[GRIZ]

Nope. I've done it with a 6 footer and paint thinner. I don't know what good it done me. By the time I was done I could have just as well rolled in the stuff.

[Super Star!]

griz i have never had a skun spray me when i have put him down.(now that i say that my day will probly come)  i move very slow and watch for his tail. if it starts to raise i back away and try from a differnt side. I inject 2 oz of acetone in them and within seconds they are done..

[GRIZ]

Well it ain't that they spray me. It's when I romove the essence. The bottle or syringe or something else leaks, maybe breaks,tips over in the truck, etc. Don't make a difference as it all ends up stinky in the end. I should start doing it again as that stuff can be worth some dough.

Say this started off on fisher pix, so now where is the picture of you and ur fisher. Yea the one that the marvelous photoghapher took.

[Fawkinnae]

I gotta say this is a blast reading the chat between you two trappers. Great thread.

[Super Star!]

Griz

the pix never turned out good enofe to post..... do not know what happend. musta got wet or to cold. it was like 17 that day wasnt it?
I have only tried to collect the stink one time and it took me a 2 weeks to be able to sleep in the bed........