Fishers by nature do not like open spaces and prefer tree cover or coniferous forests to dwell in. heavily wooded places like New England make an ideal habitat for Fisher cats.
New England Fisher cats are one of the largest members of the Mustelid family, which includes species like the mink, weasel, otter and skunk. These are noted nocturnal animals and therefore very hard to observe. They are however active during both daytime as ell as night time and that too, mostly during the time just before sunset and just before sunrise, when it mainly searches for food. Their cry is similar to that of a high pitched one of a child’s and therefore can sound very eerie in the nights.
The fisher cat second in size only to the river otter, and ranks amongst the largest members of the weasel family ever, to dwell in Massachusetts. These animals were displaced and their numbers dwindled many years ago, when the farmers cleared the forests and surrounding areas for agriculture. Fishers who are susceptible to trapping and logging were badly affected during this time and were forced to move out into other neighboring areas such as scattered locations in Pennsylvania, New York, West Virginia, and Virginia. However due to their departure from the aforementioned area, the porcupine population started swelling; and in order to control this menace, the people of New England re-introduced the fishers to curb the porcupine numbers. Nowadays, fishers can be found in virtually all areas or communities in Massachusetts, with the exception of Cape Cod and the Islands.
Until very recently, only rare reports of fisher sightings have been reported by the Massachusetts Audubon Society; however, since 2000, these sightings have increased substantially in number especially in areas of eastern Massachusetts. Reasons for this increase in number have been attributed to reforestation of land, which was previously reserved for farming.
There have been many wildlife laws in place which dictate the manner in which these fishers are to be captured in required to control their numbers and humanely destroyed. These laws have helped keep a check on their habitat and numbers.
Fishers are reserved by nature and are solitary in their mannerisms. They are not known to hunt in groups and are only seen in groups during the mating season. These animals will never den near human dwellings and normally keep their distance from humans.
Even thought their numbers have increased in New England area in US, fishers are hardly a threat to humans even thought they are known carnivores. Fishers prefer snowshoe hares, mice shrews, carrion, etc, and have been known to eat fruit and berries too. It is one of the few animals, which can attack, kill and eat a porcupine!
The population density is known to be one per 2.6 – 7.5 sq. km, but can be as low as 1 per 200 sq. km. The daily movement is observed to be 1.5 to 3 km in a day, but this distance is known to vary given the weather conditions. Fishers walk on the soles of their feet and can climb and swim very well. The fisher paws, have, on its soles large surfaces to help it run on snow without sinking in easily. If its disturbed by any creature or anything, fisher cats tend to arch its back like a cat and is known to hiss, growl, snarl or spit as well as give off an offensive odor!
The fishers are known for their thick fur coats, which provide good insulation against the cold and inclement weather.
Noticed that our cat Alvin was all atwitter on the screened -in porch this PM. Saw a what I think was a Fisher Cat go from under the car to edge of the wooded embankment behind the house, here in Agawam Ma.About 3ft. long, short legs, very furry, dark brown and heavy body. Small head and like a skunk; Cat like movements.
We have heard weird screeches (fox?) in the past at night, never thought it would be a Fisher until I heard the sound on-line at a website. Needless to say Alvin will be staying in the house. That thing could come through the screen after him! Noticed that the squirrels aren’t about today.
Broad Brook (East Windsor) Connecticut
We lost 2 cats over the winter. Had just heard from a neighbor that they also lost a cat and another neighbor had lost 2 more. A Fisher had been seen in the area. No kitties are safe around here.
I think that i have a fisher cat in my back yard. I hear its screech a lot and I’m worried that they will hurt my dogs. but i am hoping that they stay away from us.
We have had several cats missing in our rural neighborhood of Watertown, Ct. A Neighbor saw a fisher kill a mother fox and then go after all her kits. Another neighbor has reported strange sreaming in the night. Twice my cat has been attacked during the day. We thought it was probaly hawks.. How do you keep an outside cat (we rescued her) in?
Have been hearing them recently near our house in North Attleboro, MA. Heard one screeching just outside the bedroom window the other nite…pretty unsettling. We have a wooded area behind our house with some wetlands. Today just before 8PM, about 100 feet away I saw at least 2, maybe 3 fishers sitting on a large brush pile. I clapped loudly, they looked at me, one screeched at me and they ambled off. Haven’t seen too many squirrels lately come to think of it.
I’m down here in Springfield PA, about 12 miles outside of Philadelphia, and I definitely think I have a fisher cat in the woods behind our house. There’s no mistaking that frightening screech. Based on the number of posts it looks like there are a lot of them out there….
hi I live in north Andover and saw a fearless fisher cat in my backyard. He was very close to the deck and finally ran away as we yelled. Anything we can do to keep them away?
We have at least 2 Fisher Cat’s living on my property, though have only seen them together one time. Nightly sightings are very common – expecially at sunset. Last seeing was last night.
where do you live?
I heard that bonechilling scream in the woods behind our suburban home this week. We live about an hour north west of Philadelphia in western Montgomery County, PA.
Heard one for the first time around 3am last night, creepy !!! I live in North Smithfield, RI
Around 9:15 P.M. driving on 6A towards Orleans, I spotted 3 fishers crossing
6A towards Robinwood (subdivision of homes). This is next to Nickerson St. Pk.
First I thought they were otters, but they could be Fishercats, both tend to
undulate as they run, they looked black from the glow of my head lights. Could
have been heading to the little pond (Owl Pond) or into the park.
Saw a black, large fisher in my backyard this morning. I came out on the deck, looked down and there it was, about to enter a wooded area on the property. It looked at me and ran away. Long black bush tail was sticking straight out behind it. I live across from a marsh and have small wooded areas in my neighborhood together with lots of rocks and ledge, in Gloucester, MA.
Heard and saw a fisher cat in our yard last night. Kept us up for about 45 minutes with its loud screaming noise. Caught various glimpses of it but it looked more like a fox than the internet pictures I’ve seen of the fisher cat. Anyone know if fox make that same screaming sound?
Our neighborhood has been kept up many nights by a fisher cat. Last night it screeched from 11:30pm until 6AM this morning! Not much sleeping going on around here! One night last week it was right under our bedroom window! I saw it one night last week about 9:30 pm as I was walking my dog. It was crossing the street, stopped and starred at me and I just ran back into the house with Jake… My husband saw it the next morning on his way to work at the end of the street…..It was noisy last year but now seems a little out of control. It is about 3 1/2 feet long including tail…….any ideas?
Plymouth, Mass.: Have fisher coming through my yard last year and now this year. Screamed this morning at 4am for bout an hour. Moves fast. Never let my little dog or cat out at night, and never alone.
First time we heard that scream, it woke the whole house up………creepy!
Now we’re used to it!
Just heard one screeching in the Fox Hill area of Holden tonite.
Saw a fisher this morning around 6 am in New Britain, CT. Have had several in my backyard looking for squirrels, but this one was brown and very large. He was running across a field, across the road and into the woods, but kept a very wary eye on me the whole time. This is my 4th sighting this year, but still haven’t heard the scream.
I saw a very large Fisher Cat on my farm in West Townsend, MA at 7:00 am this morning. I would say it was a male, because he was about 4 ft. long.
I saw my first large fisher cat last Friday on the hill behind my house (Sutton, NH, we just moved in) at 4 in the afternoon. I got several nice pictures of him as he walked down the hill screaming like crazy. This one was dark, with a silver stripe down his back and some red on his face–a beautiful creature. And no, it wasn’t a fox as we have those too. I showed the picture to my knowledgeable neighbors who identified it as a fisher cat, albeit with unusual markings. His scream was chilling. I’m glad I heard it in broad dayllight!
I’m a woodswalker but had never seen a fisher until last year. My adult daughter and I had been exploring Pierpoint Meadows in Dudley, MA and were walking back out on a narrow, wooded path. A large black fisher popped out onto the path about 50 feet ahead of us. He seemed very curious about us but not threatening. Before my daughter completely freaked, he leaped back into the brush. I realized what the weasel-looking creature was and grabbed a large stick from a pile that was on the side of the trail. We cautiously walked by were he had disappeared only to have him pop out again about the same distance ahead of us! I beat the the ground with the stick, which didn’t seem to faze him, but the fisher finally vanished back into the woods. We wasted no time and ran to the car. As we pulled out of the parking area, he came out of the woods on the opposite side of the road to see us off! I can’t say if it was the same fisher we saw all three times, but it was certainly inquisitive!
Found fresh fisher prints by by mom’s barn….her sheep and minature horse were attacked last night. Horrid claw marks and gashes under their bodies. The sheep is in rough condition. The horse did not make it. Fisher cats are serious predators and will take down livestock.
I just took the dog out for a short walk . It is 8:30 in Nahant, a small community on the ocean North of Logan airport. I have heard this scream, like a woman or a child crying and suspect it is a fisher. It is very disconcerting. How could a fisher get out here?
I live in Peabody Ma. in a pretty central location but do have woods in the back of my yard and boy last night I was woken by the sounds of the fisher! I really didn’t know what it was until now and I could hear it killing something which I think are the bunnies in my yard! So sad but is there anything we can do so that they will relocate?
I live in Chaplin, CT. I heard a fisher cat in the woods next to my house today at about 3:30 in the afternoon. Really eerie sound – I didn’t know what it was at first.
My four chickens were out of their pen and I only saw two hanging around the edge of the woods, which made me think I lost two. luckily I found them taking a dirt bath in the front garden.
I think it’s time to get a dog…
I live in Proctor, VT and about 15 minutes ago i was taking my dog out to go to the bathroom and all of a sudden i hear this loud screech so i told my dog to get back in the house. I ran in the house to get a flashlight to see what it was and it was a fisher cat right out back of my house with a black and white cat in its mouth…it scared the crap outta me after the dog started barking and made it run away. My boyfriends cousin lives up the street and has 2 cats and one of them is black and white. I talked to him and he said his cats werent inside so i was thinking that it possibly ate his cat…but then we have neighbors 2 houses away that have 3 black and white cats…this is the 4 time i have heard and seen the fisher cats out back of my house in almost 2 weeks…they are bad around here! My mom lost one of her cats like maybe a month ago from a fisher cat! And people wonder why i have a dog instead of a cat.
I live in Ft. Washington, MD and I was sitting outside late one night and I heard this sound like it was a little kid in the woods screaming. I jumped up to see what it was. I ran into the house to get a flashlight and the light hit its eyes…i wondered what it was. The next day, I was sitting on the swingset and looked up and noticed a big nest in the trees and this big otter looking thing in the trees. I ran into the house and googled what I saw and it came up “fishercats: and this was the same thing I saw. I’m in total shock…I have NEVER seen or heard about this species EVER. I can’t stop doing research on them. How in the world did they migrate to Maryland?!?!
I was in Essex Mass on July 4th and one suprisingly jumped in front of our car and walked down the street before scurrying under a fence. Of course it was the one time I didn’t have my camera…
Driving Rt. 18, Eastbound In South Weymouth (MA) this afternoon, I passed a dead Fisher Cat on the side of the road. I reported it to the police officer nearby. It was huge! May have been hit trying to cross Rt. 18. It confirmed my suspicion that an animal who rushed by me, hose in hand while in my backyard last August, was indeed a Fisher! It ran right by me, and under my deck! I opened both doors and let the hose rip! It was the scariest animal I’ve ever come that close to! Be careful, and if you care for your animals, keep them in after dusk.
I live on a lake in Smithfield, RI and all week we have heard screeching all night long from across the lake. Last night I heard it all night long,but this time it sounded closer, so I jumped out of bed, went out on my deck, and I heard screeching as well as growling and grunting like an angry bore. I couldn’t se him but I couljd a;mopst feel the steam an spit coming out of his mouth. I ran back in and locked my door…He probubly was under mu deck, and I wasn;’t taking any chances….
I’m in Madison, CT. About 6:30 this evening, saw what I first thought was a cat walking along the edge of the yard. It then ran, but had a more up and down movement, kinda like pouncing. Then noticed it had a longer body, almost like a ferret. It was black and I think it had some gold flecks in it. Could this have been a fisher cat??
We have had sightings of fishers around where i live. My father saw one down the road one time. a few years ago, we had a kitten disappear. Now i think it could hav ben a fisher.We have a watershed down the road, and recently walking to the bus stop i saw something that i thought was an otter in it. We went to the zoo today, and they had an interactive station and it had a print and picture of a fisher cat, and it looked like what i had seen in the watershed. i came home, and googld it, and this site said that they can swim, so i believe that that is what it was.
I just heard a bunch of eerie screeches in the backyard, thought it was a child screaming for help. Happened at regular intervals for a few minutes then stopped, and started up again. I live in Holliston……. and it’s about 2 AM, never heard this kind of thing before. Sounds like it could be a fisher cat, good thing I don’t have any small pets.
Just like Holliston, I have been hearing eerie screeches in the night. Thought it might be a fisher cat and listened to the sound on a website to verify. Also I smell a strong odor around the same time that I hear the screech. Last night it was very pungent. Is this the fisher cat too? I’m glad my cats come in at night. I live in Landaff, NH and the screeches are usually after midnight.
Here in Belchertown MA we are hearing the Fisher Cat everynight. They are about the creepiest thing to hear when you do not know what it is. They wake me up out of a deep sleep. We are finally just getting used to the blood curling high pitched scream-screech-bark.
We live in West Warwick, RI and have heard this ungodly screeching sound in the night for the past few weeks. One night it sounded like it was in our front yard under a bedroom window. We could not see it but it appeared by it’s screeching sound to be proceeding up the hill and across the street into the neighbors yards. We had a grey cat that had been coming by our house to see our indoor spayed female and for the past week or so he has not been coming around. My husband thought one night he heard a cat cry and then the screeching sound. The neighbor next door said it is a fisher cat and said he saw it in his back yard. Now I am more caucious getting in and out of my car now, especially at night for fear I will meet up with him. Interesting readings about this animal.
I have been re-searching fisher cats. What a great tool the web site is. I work in a group home in Old Lyme Ct and two of my co-workers saw a fisher cat in our yard while sitting on the raised deck. I have never heard of them before. But found them to be very interesting.Thanks for all the info and great pictures. I love nature and grew up on a farm in Minnesota and have seen and heard of many animals. I wonder do they stay in one area during there life-span.
We live in VT and have been having fisher cat sighting up and down our road all summer. Yesterday, a large fisher came out of the woods and attacked a huge wild turkey in our yard…in broad daylight. My dog went crazy and the fisher ran off. About 20 minutes later, it crept out of the weeds and grabbed the dead turkey by the head and dragged it into the woods. We can still hear the fisher growling and screaching just at the border of the trees.
My husband and I saw one slip into the bushes by the Charles River near Soldiers Field Road near Harvard Square. Weird looking beast. I had no idea they were so numerous and so near cities.
I think we have been up all night due to a Fisher Cat now that I am reading this blog. We live in an area of Sutton MA where cats have been going missing all summer. I was awoken by our dog going crazy. I heard the shrill shrieking and wouldn’t let her out. It continued for over an hour. I got online to research, and I found this blog. It explains everything! Yikes.
I had a fisher cat run across my front yard in Glastonbury, CT this past weekend. There is noticable decline in the number of squirrels and chipmonks around lately. I haven’t heard any sounds from the fisher cat. It was the first time that I had seen it around.
Beware East Longmeadow, Ma. They are out there! My girlfriend saw one walking in our backyard walking,then climbing a tree. Our neighbor just lost his cat. The cat would stay out late at night but would never leave the front yard. This is in the area of Fernwood Drive.
My sweet, gentle kitty has been missing since mid-June. I’d tried so hard to keep him in, but he got out and did not return.
I postered the neighborhood, walked all over, trying to locate him.
Yesterday I spied a large black squirrel-like form loping across my neighbor’s back yard. I’d never seen one before , but I knew instantly that it was a fisher.
I hope my sweet boy died quickly. I know now that he’ll never be coming home.
I had never thought that a fisher would live in a suburban neighborhood. But there are woods across the street. I guess that’s all it takes.
I HAVE NEVER HEARD ABOUT FISHER CATS BEFORE UNTILL RECENTLY. ON CAPE COD YOU BETTER BELIEVE IT, THERE AROUND. WE HAVE HEARD THE CAT FIGHTING SOUNDS IN THE NIGHT. MY HUSBAND WAS WATERING THE LAWN AT DUSK WHEN HE SAID THE CREATURE HE SAW WAS ALL FURRY WALKING LIKE ON HIS FOREARMS, LONG SNOUT, SMALL EYES,AND LONG TAIL SLINKING ACROSS OUR SMALL NEIGBHORHOOD INTO THE SMALL WOODEN AREA ACROSS THE ROAD.WE HAVE AN OLDER CAT THAT WILL NOT COME INSIDE AT NIGHT NO MATTER WHAT YOU DO. HE RUNS AWAY AND WE ARE IN OUR MID-AGES. OLDER CATS LIVE IN OUR NEIGBHORHOOD WITH OUR NEIGBHORS NERVOUS ALREADY ABOUT COYOTE, FOXES, AND SKUNKS. LOAST ONE TO A COYOTE ATTACK, ANOTHER CARRYING BABIES THAT NEVER RETURNNED, AND ONE WHO SEEMS TO BE WILD IN A SENSE BUT WE JUST HEAR ABOUT HER.
WE HAD RECENTLY BENN TOLD FROM WHERE OUR DAUGHTER LIVES IN BREWSTER AREA THAT A FISHER CAT LIVES IN THE NEIGBHORHOOD AND HAVE TO KEEP YOUR PETS INSIDE AT NIGHT. BUT, IF THEY ARE ACTIVE IN WITER DAYTIME, THAT DOESN’T MAKE US ANYMORE AT EASE. SHE HAS HAD HER CAT WITH US FOR A FEW YEARS AND SHE HAS A CHANCE TO TAKE HER CAT, YET WITH THESE CREATURES ABOUT, IT’S AN STICKY SITUATION. HE HAS BEEN LATELY THAT WE WANT HIM GONE. HE NEEDS TO LIVE SOMEWHERELSE AND SHE CAN TAKE HIM. I DO NOT WANT HIM DEAD WHEN HERE! IT’S SO UPSETTING.
We lost a cat to a fisher two years ago, and now have two indoor cats. however, the fishers are driving us nuts every night between 3 and 4 a.m., and they seem to know there are cats at our house – maybe because they sometimes sit on window sills behind our screens.
One of our neighbors has shot and killed two fisher cats after one of his cats was killed. Rather than open fire, I have called Division of Wildlife, DEM, pest control companies, etc. and have found that NO ONE can help us. We live in an area where the neighbors are willing to get together and have traps set on their properties – hoping to reduce the number of fishers somewhat. No way can I find someone to set the traps – they all say they won’t mess with this animal because it is so vicious.
If anyone has any ideas, pls share. We have a rather large black lab who seems to get agitated when he goes out at night – we think he smells the fisher, but we’re worried he might be attacked, too. Tired of living this way!
A neighbor in Adams MA saw one this past week. At least the mountain lion has company!
I live in Vermont and I lost my beautiful siamese cat to a fisher last week. The other neighbors are reporting lost cats as well. My kitties like to go outside and have a cat door but it was always closed after the cats were brought in just before dusk, so I thought they’d be safe. I was wrong. I have a large dog that keeps an eye on my free range chickens, and they haven’t been bothered at all. I guess fishers think kitties taste better than chickens . I am prepared to shoot the damned thing or things if I ever see them.
we had a outdoor cat disappear without a trace a year and a half ago. our beloved cat mango disappeared six days ago. our community has lost a few cats. the suspect is: a fisher. this was our favorite cat in the world. we live in turner maine and we live at the end of a street. the area we live in is heavily wooded. i wish i had a gps on mango so i could at least know what to tell my wife……RIP MANGO ..you will not be forgotten and i wish you could have been here to see our two babies grow up.
we love you mango. you are the best can i hope you come home.
my boyfriend and i were driving home last night and one came out of a bush right next to our car we thought it was a cat, but it had to long of a tail and then we thought it was a racoon but it was most deff a fisher. Two of my cats have died too.