Fisher
Scientific Name: Pekania pennanti
The term "fisher cat" is a bit of a misnomer; fisher are a member of the weasel family, more closely related to otters and marten, and resemble an oversized mink with a stouter neck. The are typically all brown, occasionally with a white chest patch. Unlike mink, they have lighter brown hair interspersed with dark on the head, neck, and shoulders that gives it a grizzled appearance.
Adult size: 30-47'' nose to tip of tail, with the tail accounting for half the length and females smaller than males.
Weight: 3 to 13 lbs with males (7-13 lbs) much larger than females (3-7 lbs).
Life span: 10 years
Maturity: Females are mature and breed their first year, while males generally wait till their second year.
Litter size: 1-6, usually 2 or 3 young
Fun Fact:
Fisher are one of the only animals that regularly prey on porqupines. They eat the entire animal leaving behind only larger bones and the hide full of quills.
Diet
Fishers are omnivores and generalists. They consume a variety of small to mid-sized animals and carrion, as well as hard and soft mast such as acorns, nuts, cherries, apples, and berries. Favorite prey items include snowshoe hares, shrews, voles, mice, and red and flying squirrels.
Habitat
Fisher are found in a variety of forest types (mixed, deciduous, and conifer) but generally prefer conifer and mixed forests that are closed canopy with lots of cover. They avoid logged and open areas, especially in winter.
Behavior
Fishers maintain home ranges that vary by population density and habitat ranging from 1 to over 15 square miles, with females averaging smaller home ranges than males. They may also travel large distances to find prey. To capture prey, fisher will sometimes use a method of running through dense brush to flush prey before chasing them down.
Fishers are largely solitary except for the breeding season. They den in hollow trees and logs, rocky areas, under dense brush and in underground burrows; however, dens used for rearing young are usually above ground in tree cavities.
Fisher are active throughout the winter except during harsh weather.
Reproduction and Life Cycle
Fishers have delayed implantation with a long gestation period over much of the year with most embryonic growth happening in the last month. Young are born in March and April and dispersal of young occurs around their fifth month by the fall or early winter.
Population Status
Historically fisher populations were low by the 20th century from deforestation and hunting and trapping pressure. Today populations are considered stable or increasing in parts of their range.
Viewing
Fishers can be seen in wooded areas in regions where they are common, sometimes even in forested areas just outside of suburban zones such as the Albany Pine Bush.
Range
Historically fishers had been restricted to the central and western Adirondacks by the 1930s due to deforestation and hunting and trapping pressure. Currently, fisher are found in the northern, eastern and southeastern parts of the state and have recently been expanding to repopulate the southern tier in south-central and south-western New York.
For more information on Fishers in New York please visit the NYSDEC page here.