New York Status: Not listed
Federal Status: Not listed
Description
The fisher is a large, dark, long-haired member of the weasel family. Their stature is relatively low to the ground, with short legs, small ears and a well-furred tail. The color of their fur varies from dark brown to nearly black. Females and juveniles usually have a more uniform color, and males will have a blonde or grizzled appearance due to multi colored guard hairs around the neck, upper back and shoulders.
There is considerable evidence of dimorphism between the sexes, with males weighing between 7 and 13 pounds, and females between 3 and 7 pounds. Total lengths for males range from 35-47 inches, and females, 30-37 inches.
Fishers have large, wide feet with five toes on each foot and semi-retractable claws. This makes them well adapted for walking on snow, climbing trees and grasping and killing prey. They are capable of rotating their hind feet nearly 180º, which allows for a headfirst descent from trees. As with all members of the weasel family, both sexes have large anal scent glands which may be used to mark territories or attract potential mates.
Distribution and Habitat
Found exclusively in North America, fishers inhabit a band of forested and semi-forested land from coast to coast and prefer extensive closed canopy forests. In the east, they range from Virginia north to Quebec and the maritime provinces of Canada. They use deciduous, coniferous and mixed forests. Historically, their numbers experienced a severe decline during the late 1800s and early 1900s due to over-exploitation and loss of forested habitat due to unregulated logging and the clearing of land for farms. Reintroduction programs have proven to be effective in restoring populations, along with regulation of trapping opportunities and the initiation of reforestation programs.
Fishers were extirpated from large portions of New York, with the exception of the Adirondack Mountains. The Adirondacks remained the core of the species range in New York until a restoration program was undertaken by the DEC in the mid-1970s. Between 1976 and 1979, 43 fishers were live-trapped in the Adirondacks and Vermont and relocated to the Catskill Mountains. DEC staff monitored this newly restored population through track surveys, observation reports by trappers and other members of the public, and reports of road kills and other mortalities of tagged animals. By the mid-1980s, the population was secure enough to sustain limited trapping opportunities and the first season in the Catskills opened in fall 1985. As populations continued to expand, additional seasons were opened in fall of 1988 in the lower Hudson Valley. By fall of 1989, fisher seasons encompassed much of eastern New York, including all of the Northern Zone, the Taconics, Catkills, and Hudson Valley (except Rockland and Westchester counties). A trapping season in the Mohawk Valley was opened in 1990, and the season has remained consistent across northern and southeastern New York since that time.
In recent decades, fishers have continued to expand their populations across central and western New York. The source of this expansion may be animals dispersing from the Adirondacks, Tug Hill, and Catskill regions, as well as northern Pennsylvania. DEC, in partnership with the New York Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, initiated research to determine fisher occupancy in central and western New York in 2013. As a result of this research, a 6-day trapping season was opened in portions of central/western New York.
Fishers do not currently exist on Long Island, nor are they documented in historical records to suggest they once occupied the area.
Food and Feeding
Fishers are dietary generalists. They eat a wide variety of small to medium sized mammals and birds, and a variety of hard and soft mast such as beechnuts, acorns, apples and berries. However, they have been considered a specialist in that they are the only known North American mammal that succeeds in killing and consuming porcupines. They will consume the entire animal, leaving nothing but a quilled hide and a few of the larger bones.
Other prey items include rabbits, squirrels, mice, shrews, and carrion from large mammals such as whitetailed deer. Carnivores such as bobcat, coyote, red and grey fox and some raptors serve as competition for prey items, and fishers have been documented to travel over a hundred miles over the course of a few weeks in order to meet the demands of their dietary requirements.
Reproduction
Fishers reach sexual maturity in their first year of life, and females may be receptive at that time. Implantation of the fertilized embryo may be delayed until the following season, thus accounting for their first litter being born in their second year. Reproduction peaks in late March, and breeding may occur as late as May. Average litter size is 2-3 young, and kits are born partially furred with closed eyes and ears, essentially helpless at birth. Weaning occurs within 8-10 weeks, and dispersal of young may occur by their fifth month, as interfamilial aggression begins by the onset of autumn.
Behavior
Fishers use a variety of structures for year-round denning purposes such as the natural cavities found in older trees, hollow logs, cavities in rocky outcrops, brush piles and underground burrows. Dens used for birthing of young are usually found in hollow sections of trees, high above the ground.
Fishers lead a solitary lifestyle except for brief periods during the breeding season. They have been found to be active at any time during the day or night. Males generally have larger home ranges than females, and their territories seldom overlap that of other males, suggesting territoriality between the sexes.
Predators and Disease
Fishers have few natural enemies, with coyotes and bobcats likely being the most important predators. Trapper harvest and automobile collisions likely account for the majority of fisher deaths across their range. A few species of tapeworm, intestinal roundworm, and flatworm have been identified in fisher, and their effects on health are minimal. Rabies and distemper have been described in fisher in New York State but are a minor source of mortality in the wild.
Fisher Management Plan
The New York State Fisher Management Plan (PDF) was completed in December 2015. The plan describes the goals, objectives, and strategies that will guide DEC's actions and decisions related to management of fisher populations in New York over the next ten years (2016-2025). The plan advances two primary goals for managing fisher populations in New York: (1) Maintain or enhance fisher populations in all areas of the state where suitable habitat exists; and (2) Provide for the sustainable use and enjoyment of fishers by the public.
The plan summarizes existing data on fisher populations and defines more specific objectives and strategies for Northern, Southeastern, and Central/Western New York including proposals to adjust current fisher trapping regulations and establish new trapping opportunities in some parts of the state.
A draft of the Fisher Management Plan was available for public review and comment in February-March, 2015. DEC received comments from more than 300 individuals and organizations and all of the input received was considered in the development of the final plan. See the Assessment of Public Comment on the Draft Fisher Management Plan (PDF) to review the comments submitted and DEC's response.
Changes to Fisher Trapping Seasons
The Fisher Management Plan formed the basis for regulatory changes to provide sustainable fisher harvest opportunities in many areas of the state. The original regulatory proposal to implement these changes was published in March 2015, and during the 45-day public comment period the department received comments from about 90 individuals. See the Assessment of Public Comment on Fisher Trapping (PDF) to view a summary of the comments submitted and DEC's response.
Based on the comments received on the plan and the proposed regulations, the department revised the proposed regulations and released them for public review and comment in May 2016. During the 30-day public comment period the department received comments from 45 individuals. See the Assessment of Public Comment on Fisher Trapping Revised (PDF) to view a summary of the comments submitted and DEC's response.
