We have an screened front porch and yesterday where visited by a fisher. We live in Maine. We saw it on the porch. We don't want to harm the animal but they are said to be the most vicious animal in the Maine woods. We make a racket everytime we go out on the porch now. But it still makes me a little nervous. We have quite a bit of firewood stored on the porch and the dogs keep sniffing around it. I am hoping he has gone off not liking being to close to people but find it strange it would come around our house as they are very rarely seen. I have lived in Maine over 30 yrs and my husband all his life and have never seen one up close. If anyone is wondering what a fisher is it is like a weasel and very mean if he doesn't have a way of escape. They will kill a cat very easily and could hurt a human or any animal very easily.

RenieB

-- Irene Burt (renienorm@aol.com), November 14, 2001

Answers

sure fire way,, kill it, call a trappe, fisher pelts are worth a good chunk of change

-- stan (sopal@net-port.com), November 14, 2001.

Irene -- Now, normally, I'm a live and let live kind of person. However, fishers need to be exterminated. ESPECIALLY if you have children around (even occasionally). If the dogs are sniffing around the woodpile I'd bet my last dime that that's where it has set up housekeeping. Get rid of it as soon as you can. Best way (IMHO) is to shoot the thing, but whatever you do, get it gone.

These are quite possibly the most dangerous vermin I've ever seen. I'd rather have a wolverine around than a fisher.

-- Tracy (trimmer31@hotmail.com), November 14, 2001.

IANAE (I am not an expert). However, my understanding is that animals which are normally shy losing their fear and just wandering around in plain sight can be caused by rabies. I'd get the animal dead quickly, and I'd keep the dogs away from any possibility of being bitten in the meantime.

-- Don Armstrong (darmst@yahoo.com.au), November 14, 2001.

Don -- with most animals, I would agree that that is true -- any time an animal shows a lack of fear it's a sign of bad things. With fishers, they're so incredibly aggressive and fearless that they just go where they please. If they've taken a shine to your yard, too bad for you. The ONLY way to get rid of them, in my experience, has been to kill them. They don't "relocate" well -- or if they do, they take a piece of you to remember you by.

-- Tracy (trimmer31@hotmail.com), November 14, 2001.

fishers can definitely get a taste for cats.here in central ontario we have lost two cats to fishers and a third was badly injured.we were forced to get a trapper to live trap three of them on our property.he says he relocated them but i think otherwise.the fishers in this area,although bold,still have a fear of people.i came within fifteen feet of one once and as soon as it saw me it made a hasty getaway.their populations seem to go in cycles as none have been seen for over a year.

-- tim elliott (telliot4@cogeco.ca), November 14, 2001.

Never heard of one before but doens't sound like I would want to meet one either. Can you call your local game warden or animal control person and have them set a trap to get it away from your place ?? Good Luck !!

-- Helena (windyacs@npacc.net), November 14, 2001.

Renie, get someone to trap that fisher. Rabies is considered to still be at epidemic levels in wildlife here in Maine and any wild animal that loses it's fear of humans should be considered to be potentially rabid. It's not worth your life. There are many trappers here that would love to nab a fisher. Call a local gun club or talk to your town's animal control officer or call Fish and Game and get a name or two to call about trapping in your area. Good luck!

-- Sheryl in Me (radams@sacoriver.net), November 14, 2001.

We did call the game warden and they weren't much help just said it would probably go away. But, I know if a racoon is coming openly around people it is probably rabid and this is my concern. We are thinking of getting a trap of some sort. We haven't seen anything of it today but that woodpile makes me nervous. Thanks for all the input.

RenieB

-- Irene Burt (renienorm@aol.com), November 14, 2001.

Shoot it! We lost a dog a few years ago. She was on a long run wire in the back yard while we were gone for the day. When we got home she was in pieces all over the back yard. Every one said that the only thing that would kill like that (just to kill and not to eat) would be a fisher. Good luck.

-- Colleen (bean@northwoods.net), November 14, 2001.

You say, "They will kill a cat very easily and could hurt a human or any animal very easily....We don't want to harm the animal but they are said to be the most vicious animal in the Maine woods."

Well, if you don't want to harm the darling little furball, maybe you should wait until it maims/kills one of your critters or one of you. Then we'll see how you feel about it.

-- ~Rogo (rogo2020@yahoo.com), November 15, 2001.

You can purchase, or even rent at no charge in some counties, Hav-a Hart traps that live trap the offending critter, then you can re- locate the critter many miles away at no danger to you.

You don't have to kill every critter that wants to "share" your territory with you, there are ALWAYS non-violent ways to deal with it that are also safe and effective.

Shame on your Game Warden for not being more helpful, he/she would not last long in office around here!!!

-- Annie Miller in SE OH (annie@1st.net), November 15, 2001.

Annie -- the key word there is "share" -- fishers don't share. They attack at any given opportunity. If there are children around, I would not take a chance. Normally I'm a live and let live person -- I don't like to exterminate anything that isn't bothering me -- but unfortunately fishers aren't one of those creatures that are more scared of you than you are of them. They kill just to kill. I wouldn't take a chance with my children, my livestock, or myself.

-- Tracy (trimmer31@hotmail.com), November 15, 2001.

Ok this is what we are doing. We are putting one of those traps out and then if we catch the thing we are calling the game warden to take care of it. I don't want to get near the thing. If necessary hubby will use the double barrel 4/10 on it. The dogs have stopped sniffing around the wood and maybe the thing has gone back in the woods. But will put out a trap anyway to make sure.

Renie

-- Irene Burt (renienorm@aol.com), November 15, 2001.