Saw a Fisher Cat

[My442]

I live in s.e. Mass., and over the past 10 years or so, we would hear a loud scream coming from the woods behind our house. I could never figure out what it was.

A few months ago, I was walking our 2 Akitas in the woods. All of a sudden they became very excited by something about 30 feet up the trail. The next thing I knew a large brownish black animal shot up a pine tree. I was thinking "Boy, I never saw a cat climb a tree that fast". When I got to the tree, I saw a fairly large animal with a long furry tail. It looked like a giant weasel with a really nice coat.

Come to find out it was a Fisher Cat, or a Pine Martin.

Pretty cool.

 

[chipsndust]

My:
We have them on our land here. We rarely see them, but I catch them on my game camera.
Thought you might like to see some pics.

 

[Thomas]

There common in our area,there nothing but souped up buzzsaw w/no fear.

 

[dave1949]

My:
We have them on our land here. We rarely see them, but I catch them on my game camera.
Thought you might like to see some pics.

Nice pics. I guess they are fairly common in the NE. My wife had an experience similar to My442's while walking our dogs. But that's the only time either of us has seen one.

What is the fisher in the second pic eating/pulling on - a racoon?

Dave.

 

[keegs]

442....you just solved a mystery we've been living with for some time now.

For two or three years we've been awakened during the night by a blood curdling screech...like some women's throat is being throttled. ...

There was speculation that it was a screech owl but any sounds I could find online of a screech owl didn't sound like this.

When I read your post it immediately occurred to me to find an audio file of a fisher and don't you know ...the mystery is solved.

I can't wait to tell my next door neighbor.

BTW this screech in the night is coming from the exurbs of New Jersey...go figure.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eLU_a-gDF9M&feature=player_embedded

 

[iplumb]

I have heard that noise here in Michigan. Never knew what it was. THX.

 

[chipsndust]

Nice pics. I guess they are fairly common in the NE. My wife had an experience similar to My442's while walking our dogs. But that's the only time either of us has seen one.

What is the fisher in the second pic eating/pulling on - a racoon?

Dave.

Dave:
That's a big gray squirrel the fisher has in it's mouth.

 

[chipsndust]

442....you just solved a mystery we've been living with for some time now.

For two or three years we've been awakened during the night by a blood curdling screech...like some women's throat is being throttled. ...

There was speculation that it was a screech owl but any sounds I could find online of a screech owl didn't sound like this.

When I read your post it immediately occurred to me to find an audio file of a fisher and don't you know ...the mystery is solved.

I can't wait to tell my next door neighbor.

BTW this screech in the night is coming from the exurbs of New Jersey...go figure.

YouTube - Screech in the night March 2009

keegs:
The screech you're hearing that sounds like a woman screaming may be a fisher, but the sound that's on the youtube video is a fox. Foxes also make other sounds, like barking and yapping, but the fisher's screech is higher pitched, and more like a scream than a growl.

 

[keegs]

keegs:
The screech you're hearing that sounds like a woman screaming may be a fisher, but the sound that's on the youtube video is a fox. Foxes also make other sounds, like barking and yapping, but the fisher's screech is higher pitched, and more like a scream than a growl.

Fox certainly makes more sense chip. And the wife and I are feeling somewhat relieved now since our dog spends lots of time outdoors.

This screeching sound in the night we hear always seems to come from a wetland area that abuts a small lake across the road from where we live. There are lots of geese and swans inhabiting the shoreline in this area which we think has attracted the red fox which have become pretty common over the past five to ten years.

YouTube - Fox Scream

Thank you

 

[Ductape]

I used to have them in the area where I used to live. I don't hear or see them near our house now. You are right...... their scream makes the hair stand up on the back of my neck. First time I heard one I thought a child was being murdered !!! After I lost a cat to one I did some asking around at the area taxidermy shop, as well as doing some internet research. I'm going to warn anyone with pets....... a six pound fisher will take down a sixty pound dog with NO problem. I fisher is the only animal that preys on porcupines....... they kill them by clawing the porc's face off without getting a single quill in them. If it were me, I'd kill any fisher on my property, given the opportunity. A fisher cat is not a cat at all, its part of the weasel family..... for anyone who was unaware. They are described as THE MOST viscious animal in the forest.