JF Griffin - Index

JF Griffin - magazine - Index

Wildlife Profile FIsh Er
Return of a Native
The fisher (Martes pennanti) is one of
the larger members of the Weasel Family
(Mustelidae) with a long, slim body (20-
25 inches) and bushy tail (13-15 inches).
On average, males weigh more (6-12 lbs.)
than females (3-7 lbs.). Fur is dark brown
to nearly black with white-tipped hairs
over most of its body, producing a somewhat
frosted appearance. Similar species are
the smaller marten (head and body 14-17
inches, tail 7-9 inches), which has a buffcolored
patch on the throat and breast, and
the larger wolverine (head and body 29-32
inches, tail 7-9 inches), possessing yellowish
stripes on the sides and rump. Neither
marten nor wolverine are historically native
to New Jersey. Dark-colored domestic cats
could easily be mistaken for a fisher, particularly
under poor light conditions.
Common names for fisher include black
cat, fisher cat and pekan (French). The
name fisher probably comes from its superficial
resemblance to the European polecat,
sometimes called fichet or fitche.
Most female fisher breed for the first time
at 12 months of age and produce their first
litter at 24 months, after a 327-358 day gestation
period. The long gestation includes a
10- to 11-month period of delayed implantation,
which limits litters to one per year.
Litter size averages 2.8 (1-6 young) and
birth occurs in March/April.
Breeding occurs soon after
birth of the current year’s
litter.
Fisher are opportunistic
predators, and are famous
for their ability to prey on
porcupine which have few
other predators. However,
fisher do occur in areas
completely devoid of porcupine.
Snowshoe hare is the
most common prey item;
also consumed are grouse,
rabbit, squirrel and shrew,
as well as plant material such as fruit, nuts
and berries. Mice, voles and birds are important
components in their fall/winter diet
and reptiles, amphibians, bird eggs and insects
are eaten when available during spring
and summer. Fisher also consume carrion,
especially in winter when other food items
are less available, and easily may be lured to
a site baited with a beaver, deer or moose
carcass.
Fisher prefer areas of extensive mature
forest (tree diameters greater than 10 inches)
with more than 50 percent tree canopy
cover. Fisher are adept tree climbers and can
rotate their hind limbs, similar to squirrels,
thus permitting a headfirst
descent. However, fisher
are mainly terrestrial except
while in conifer forests or
when harassed. Temporary
dens are selected from a variety
of protected sites while
the adult moves about its
home range of 6 - 8 square
miles. Maternity dens are located in hollow
trees.
In the northeast, fisher historically occupied
an area extending from central Quebec
south to Virginia, including northwestern
New Jersey. They were a common resident of
the coniferous and mixed conifer/hardwood
forests. By the early 20th century, logging
operations and unregulated trapping reduced
the species’ range, particularly along
the southern edge. Since then, fisher have
reoccupied much of their historical range
following reversion of the
landscape back to forests,
along with protective measures
to regulate harvest
levels. In many areas, fisher
now occupy habitats once
considered unsuitable, including
second-growth
forests fragmented by agriculture
and suburban development.
Nearly 200 fisher were
re-introduced in northern
Pennsylvania a decade ago.
South-central Pennsylvania
has also been colonized by fisher expanding
from West Virginia, where they were
introduced in the late 1960s. A trap-andtransfer
project undertaken by New York
between 1976 and 1979 re-established a
By Andrew W Burnett, Principal Biologist
fisher population in the Catskill Mountains
by the mid-1980s.
With increasing populations in adjacent
states, fisher now appear to be moving into
New Jersey. As of April 2008, six confirmed
fisher sighting have been reported in New
Jersey. Since October 2006, Charles Kontos,
a student at the University of Montclair,
“captured” three fisher with a trail camera
in Stokes State Forest, Sussex County, as
part of his graduate research
project. Kontos
also collected several scat
samples later verified
as fisher by the Rocky
Mountain Conservation
Genetics Lab in Missoula,
Montana. These scat samples
have been genotyped
(a genetic analysis) for comparison to other
regional fisher populations. Warren County
resident Ralph Corvino photographed a
fisher on his property in 2004. These animals
are believed to have originated from
the Catskill region. Fish and Wildlife has
received several unconfirmed reports from
the public since fall 2006.
At present, there is no open fisher trapping
season in New Jersey, but Fish and
Wildlife biologists are interested in fisher
sightings. To report a fisher sighting, complete
a sighting report form from our Web
site (www.NJFishandWildlife.com/forms.
htm#other) or e-mail Fish and Wildlife biologist
Andrew Burnett at Andrew.Burnett@
dep.state.nj.us and type “fisher” into the
subject bar. Attach any photos with a detailed
description of the animal’s behavior
and location.
To assist in fisher identification, consult
a field guide such as: Burt, W.H. and
R.P. Grossenheider, ed. 1976. A field guide
to the mammals of North America north of
Mexico, 3rd edition (Peterson Field Guide).
ISBN 0-395-24084-0 (pbk.).
RefeRences
Whitaker Jr., J.O. and W.J. Hamilton, Jr. 1998. Mammals of the Eastern
United States, 3rd edition, pp. 438-442. cornell University Press.
IsBn 0-8014-3475-0 (cloth).
strickland, M.A., and c.W. Douglas. 1987. Fisher. In: M. novak,
J.A. Baker, M.e. Obbard, and B. Malloch, eds., Wild Furbearer
Management and Conservation in North America, pp. 530-546.
Ontario Ministry of nat. Resources and Ontario Trappers Association.
70 | New Jersey Fish & Wildlife Digest Buy your license or permit online at August 2008
2008 Hunting and Trapping Issue www.NJFishandWildlife.com