fishers

[Humptulips]

Thought I would fill you in on reporting fishers and what I learned about the future of delisting them.

I spoke to Jeff Lewis at WDFW. He is the Mesocarnivore Conservation Bioligist. Who even knew there was such a thing. Anyway he was very excited to hear from me and more so when I sent him pictures.
Jeff and someone from Olympic National Park, ( sorry I forgot her name) are the people to talk to if you catch a fisher. You can reach Jeff at  Jeffrey.Lewis@dfw.wa.gov or call (360)902-2374.  He wants to know when you caught or saw the fisher, where (As close a location as you can) your best judgement on the health of the fisher, a picture and some hair or scat from the trap if possible for genetic testing.

I added all this to the fisher reporting thread stickied at the top of the page.

Talked to him a bit about what it would take for them to be delisted. What a bummer! by WDFWs standards there will practically have to be one in every back yard. He said if they become abundant on the Olympic Penninsula then they would try and reintroduce them to the South Cascades. When they became abundant there then they could be downgraded to Sensitive.  But to actually get a season on them they are pretty much going to have to be in every corner of the state. At least all of W WA and the Cascades, probably NE WA too.

Anyway he's a nice guy who used to trap when he lived in New York. He wants to work with us so if you see or catch a fisher don't be afraid to give him a call.

[KFhunter]

Thought I would fill you in on reporting fishers and what I learned about the future of delisting them.

I spoke to Jeff Lewis at WDFW. He is the Mesocarnivore Conservation Bioligist. Who even knew there was such a thing. Anyway he was very excited to hear from me and more so when I sent him pictures.
Jeff and someone from Olympic National Park, ( sorry I forgot her name) are the people to talk to if you catch a fisher. You can reach Jeff at  Jeffrey.Lewis@dfw.wa.gov or call (360)902-2374.  He wants to know when you caught or saw the fisher, where (As close a location as you can) your best judgement on the health of the fisher, a picture and some hair or scat from the trap if possible for genetic testing.

I added all this to the fisher reporting thread stickied at the top of the page.

Talked to him a bit about what it would take for them to be delisted. What a bummer! by WDFWs standards there will practically have to be one in every back yard. He said if they become abundant on the Olympic Penninsula then they would try and reintroduce them to the South Cascades. When they became abundant there then they could be downgraded to Sensitive.  But to actually get a season on them they are pretty much going to have to be in every corner of the state. At least all of W WA and the Cascades, probably NE WA too.

Anyway he's a nice guy who used to trap when he lived in New York. He wants to work with us so if you see or catch a fisher don't be afraid to give him a call.

"by WDFWs standards there will practically have to be one in every back yard"

So they adopted the wolf plan for Fishers huh?     

thanks for the update

[snowpack]

Was the parky's name Patti?

[Humptulips]

Was the parky's name Patti?

I think so.

[boneaddict]

I've only seen one real well and a glimpse of another.   I thought they were pretty rare.  I've seen more Lynx than I have Fisher.

[onetrapper]

 Next time maybe you could reach in a get a pinch of hair maybe get him to poop for you while you're at it 

[wags]

Sorry to be a "Debbie downer" but I'm done with helping the WDF&W with anything. Been there - Done that. At least I'm done until they start work for consumptive user groups instead of against them. Sorry.

[snowpack]

I've only seen one real well and a glimpse of another.   I thought they were pretty rare.  I've seen more Lynx than I have Fisher.

You have a good chance of finding them on the peninsula.  The park and state did a big reintroduction program with (I think) around a 200 fishers from BC over a few years.  They had decent success breeding and spreading.  A lot of them left the park and hangout in the lower river valleys.  They seem to like to go to the fish hatcheries, I think they kill the otters that like to hang around not the fish.

[Humptulips]

I've only seen one real well and a glimpse of another.   I thought they were pretty rare.  I've seen more Lynx than I have Fisher.

You have a good chance of finding them on the peninsula.  The park and state did a big reintroduction program with (I think) around a 200 fishers from BC over a few years.  They had decent success breeding and spreading.  A lot of them left the park and hangout in the lower river valleys.  They seem to like to go to the fish hatcheries, I think they kill the otters that like to hang around not the fish.

They released 90 fishers over three years starting in January of 2008. They did spead out but I don't think anyone has a good handle yet on how succesfull their breeding has been. They did document some litters but most of the fisher never had tracking collars and those only had a battery life of three years.
I would have to see them killing otter to believe that. In the first place otter spend most of their time in water and fisher are not a water animal. In the second place a fisher would likely lose a battle with an otter. The telemetry I saw when they were tracking them showed no preference for hatcheries. They did  move down into the lower valleys and out of the park to a large extent. There really isn't much prey for them in the Park.
From what I have read they come to bait readily so if you have cat sets out I think it is just a matter of time 'till you catch one if you are on the Penninsula. I don't see the downside to reporting and helping out in a small way when we can. We have to release them anyway. Why not take a picture and report the location? I don't see a downside. The upside is good public relations if we can claim we helped fishers return to WA.

[CementFinisher]

 I don't see the downside to reporting and helping out in a small way when we can. We have to release them anyway. Why not take a picture and report the location? I don't see a downside. The upside is good public relations if we can claim we helped fishers return to WA.
[/quote]

 
The more documentation the faster the will lose their protections, also it may help show how aggressive and harmful they may be to the other species, leading to probable culls of their population in the future. the public relations is huge, for our misunderstood hobby

Very interesting hump thanks for sharing your catches.

[wags]

Most of you guys probably don't know this, but nearly 20 years ago we approached the WDFW with the idea that the WSTA would sponsor a fisher reintroduction. The WSTA used to have a very close relationship with trappers from B.C., we proposed getting fisher from B.C. trappers to reintroduce o Washington. We were rebuffed by the WDFW. I guess it became a good idea after the bunny huggers and the WDFW came up with the idea.

It's interesting to note that the State of Maryland with the 5th highest human population density in the USA (600 persons per square mile) has an expanding fisher population. Trappers there are allowed two per season. I pulled up Maryland on Google Earth and looked around the State. It's unbelievable how developed it is. Apparently fisher don't need pristine wilderness to thrive. I'm curious to see what kind of land use restrictions are proposed here in Washington in order to help out such a "sensitive species".

Don't get me wrong, I'm all for having fishers here, however, everything the WDFW does now has to do with either revenue generation or gaining more control over people and those peoples activities on their own property.

[Humptulips]

Mark,
Maybe not everyone remembers that but I do. Also when they were doing the feasablity study on the release of fishers WSTA voiced concerns about the effect fishers would have on marten on the Olympic Penninsula. Marten on the Penninsula are really on the edge and it was feared Fisher would finish them off because they have had an adverse effect on marten populations elsewhere. They completely ignored us and never even addressed our concerns.
So I understand your heartburn with them.
On the other hand fisher are here now and if we can help with monitoring it makes us look good and maybe gives us slightly more input towards delisting someday. Probably a long way off I know.
If we don't help it's happening anyway with us or with out us.

[JackOfAllTrades]

OK, so I'm sitting at my kitchen island that is topped with 12" granite tile. I know what 36" looks like...  What's just near the size of and looks just like a Fisher but could be some 'Maybe 6" inches shorter (including tail), than an adult female Fisher? I saw one this year, two last year in near the same area of the north Cascades/Okanogan.

-Steve

[JackOfAllTrades]

Apparently fisher don't need pristine wilderness to thrive.

Ask anyone in the San Juans where Otters live. 

-Steve

[lokidog]

Apparently fisher don't need pristine wilderness to thrive.

Ask anyone in the San Juans where Otters live. 

-Steve

All too often in my friggin' boat.     A month or so ago I saw 8 of them off our dock.  I need some otter traps.  But, haven't seen any sign for a while now.  They seem to have a big circuit, that's why we never have any decent surf perch around our dock I'm sure.   

[boneaddict]

Steve, I would guess Marten, but it would have to be in context of where and when I suppose.  Did you note any chest markings?   I guess possibly a big Bull Mink. 

I didn't think Fisher and Marten would clash too much, but I guess that's just  or niavity on my part.  I wouldn't think they'd occupy much of the same biomes, but that might just be my east of the mountains thinking.  To me, Marten have always been alpine or Mountain, and Fisher have always been Creek or bottoms. I guess there are always creeks on the mountain.   hmmmm

[JackOfAllTrades]

I guess that 'Martin' sounds a bit closer to what I saw up north... They just weren't as big as a Fisher. I didn't notice chest markings.

-Steve

[TeacherMan]

We saw one 3-4 yrs ago up above Bumping Lake up high elk hunting. I trap marten and this guy was about the size of an otter no mistaking it was a fisher.

[Humptulips]

Steve, I would guess Marten, but it would have to be in context of where and when I suppose.  Did you note any chest markings?   I guess possibly a big Bull Mink. 

I didn't think Fisher and Marten would clash too much, but I guess that's just  or niavity on my part.  I wouldn't think they'd occupy much of the same biomes, but that might just be my east of the mountains thinking.  To me, Marten have always been alpine or Mountain, and Fisher have always been Creek or bottoms. I guess there are always creeks on the mountain.   hmmmm

In the east where Fisher have been extending their range south the reports I have are a reduction in marten populations. Fisher are clear down in PA now.
Marten on the Penninsula were traditionally found in the lowland cedar country. The few guys I have talked to that have caught marten on the penninsula all caught them down low. They do live clear to saltwater in AK so not neccesarily a high altitude animal. Also the fishers when released here seemed to go everywhere, high ridges to tidewater.

[boneaddict]

That's cool to know.  Thank you.