Easrern wa Fisher

[UBA]

Seen my first fisher today!! While hiking back to the truck, down an open sage ridge, it jumps out of a large bush and stands there at about 10ft. It stared at me for a few seconds then turned and walked away. The whole thing lasted about 15 seconds but, felt like a full minute. Standing there dumfounded, a million things went through my head while i tried to process what the hell I was looking at. The wind was rolling down the ridge and I was making tons of noise the whole hike down yet it didn't care whatsoever. Pretty awesome now but at the time I was preparing for hand to hand combat with a dog badger like skunk raccoon demon weasel creature from outer space. I have no idea what it was thinking but I couldn't  of drew my weapon fast enough to save my face from destruction. 

[Skyvalhunter]

Got pics?

[Norman89]

If you would please swing over to the trapping page and there is a sticky for reporting  Fisher sightings. There is another release date coming soon to have a few more Fisher kicking around soon!

[pianoman9701]

My neighbor in NH supplied our Inn with eggs. He had about 200 laying hens. He cornered a fisher who was munching on some of his birds one morning and it didn't work out well for him at all. Horace had bites all over his face, throat, hands, and arms. He was a mess. Don't corner a fisher.

[ThomMedic]

Friends from Connecticut and Rhode Island told me about their recent encounters now that they have inhabited that area. The animals were described with very creepy  behavior especially their vocalizations, and very aggressive. Why did this state introduce them, was it to keep the wolf packs in line, or the Mazama Pocket gophers from over populating the state? 

[Norman89]

They are endangered here Washington used to be a home range to many Fisher but they don't come down from Canada anymore so we have very few left. Trappers are helping to get them re introduced and looking for a sustainable population in hopes of getting them delisted. I trap myself and I hope to someday get to trap them here in my home state but that reality is a long ways off. I think there have been like 70 or so released in the last few years and a few have been killed in one way or another so maybe by this next release we will have about a hundred in our state if things go well. Bruce vandervort on here is the president of the Washington state trappers association he is the head of knowledge on Fisher in our state

[Naches Sportsman]

A few people I know who are involved with the cascades carnivore project have seen them on their cameras they place out up high in the winter mainly in the central cascades. I know a biologist who was working in the North Cascades this summer collecting information, but he didn't tell me if it was for small carnivores or not.

I have heard conservation nw has cameras out too.

[ThomMedic]

They are endangered here Washington used to be a home range to many Fisher but they don't come down from Canada anymore so we have very few left. Trappers are helping to get them re introduced and looking for a sustainable population in hopes of getting them delisted. I trap myself and I hope to someday get to trap them here in my home state but that reality is a long ways off. I think there have been like 70 or so released in the last few years and a few have been killed in one way or another so maybe by this next release we will have about a hundred in our state if things go well. Bruce vandervort on here is the president of the Washington state trappers association he is the head of knowledge on Fisher in our state

Thank you for the info.

[Humptulips]

Friends from Connecticut and Rhode Island told me about their recent encounters now that they have inhabited that area. The animals were described with very creepy  behavior especially their vocalizations, and very aggressive. Why did this state introduce them, was it to keep the wolf packs in line, or the Mazama Pocket gophers from over populating the state? 

So, why are they reintroducing them?
Because there is money available. Back in I think the early 90s WSTA floated the idea of reintroducing them. We wanted another furbearer that had been native to the area. We had no money however and found little interest in the project. We forgot about it but then CNW got interested and provided some seed money for a feasibility study. When the study came out we found ourselves opposed because no consideration was given to the effects on our coastal marten population. We still were interested in fisher just not on the Olympic Peninsula until further study.
That all fell on deaf ears because the seed money triggered availability of Federal grant money. If they can get grant money they will take it and spend it.
Currently they are on the State Endangered species list and under study for Federal listing. USF&WS recently denied a request to list Pacific Fisher. The Center for Biological Diversity filed suit and a judge recently ruled in their favor and sent it back for reconsideration.
If Federally listed it provides and avenue for further lawsuits by CBD, most likely to designate critical habitat but possibly to prohibit trapping in critical habitat areas.

[Norman89]

Thanks Bruce

[pianoman9701]

I'd be shocked if there'd ever be a trapping season for fisher in this state. The DFW and the Governor's office have become far too cozy with the animal rights crowd and the money it brings to the left's political campaigns. Frankly and sadly, by the time fishers reach recovery goals in WA, I'd be very surprised to see trapping still legal. We slide closer and closer to CA each and every election.