![]() ![]() It has 5 clawed toes, with the innermost toe (toe #1) being small and set back. The front track usually measures about 2 1/4 to 4 inches in width. Better for one’s own survival to overestimate rather than underestimate danger. Suffice it to say that the tendency for humans to exaggerate the size and ferocity of wild animals is likely an adaptive trait. The latter is a fascinating topic in and of itself, but outside the scope of this article. I think overestimates are common partly because of the animal’s fluffy coat and long tail, and partly because people tend to overestimate the size of wild animals in general, especially predators. A typical guestimate is 20 pounds, and I’ve heard excited reports that “it must have been 50 pounds!” However, the largest fisher on record weighed about 20 pounds and the average fisher is much smaller. I say “only” 5-12 pounds because many people who are lucky enough to catch a glimpse of this secretive predator estimate its size as much, much larger. Weighing in at only 5-12 pound, on average, this medium sized mustelid (member of the weasel family) has a long slender body, long tail, and short legs. So take some time to familiarize yourself with fisher tracks and sign before your next sojourn into the snowy woods, and you might just get to see the action of this forest dwelling creature. You get to see a lot in a short period of time. It’s a generalist predator that searches for small mammals in the nooks and crannies in trees, under roots, and between rocks, and once in a while you may see evidence of a fisher kill site – perhaps a squirrel tail. It winds through the forest, often from from the base of one large tree to that of another, occasionally pausing to scent mark, and occasionally to climb a tree and then jump down. ![]() The fisher ( Pekania pennanti) is one of my favorite animals to track in snow because it does a lot within a relatively short distance. ![]()
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