Fisher Cats?

[A'sta at Hofstead]

How dangerous are they? My horse got spooked by what we think was a fisher cat on a trail behind our place. dd jumped off the horse (dd actually spooked the horse by being spooked!) the horse ran off and was fine, there were 2 adults there as well, one at the trail head and one with dd leading her. I wasn't there, but they said it was a med sized (smaller than our beagle) black furry animal with a snout.
Someone told my friend that they will attack and I am a bit nervous about using the trail no. Anyone know about these varmints?

[A'sta at Hofstead]

well this one looks cute actually

[Jim West]

I doubt it would attack humans. But be careful.They are cousin to badgers. Ive been told that for their size they pack a big punch.Also keep the cat inside.

http://home.mcn.net/~wtu/fisher.html
Fisher Wild Things Unlimited Rare Carnivores

[whistler]

Originally Posted by Hill Crest Farm

How dangerous are they? My horse got spooked by what we think was a fisher cat on a trail behind our place. dd jumped off the horse (dd actually spooked the horse by being spooked!) the horse ran off and was fine, there were 2 adults there as well, one at the trail head and one with dd leading her. I wasn't there, but they said it was a med sized (smaller than our beagle) black furry animal with a snout.
Someone told my friend that they will attack and I am a bit nervous about using the trail no. Anyone know about these varmints?

Assuming we are thinking of the same animal, you don't need to worry about being attacked. You are 10X their size and fishers are not suicidal animals. I have seen them many times while in the woods hunting. Without fail once they see you they scamper away quickly.

They certainly are neat looking though.

Whistler

[suburbanite]

They're in the spectrum that includes minks, weasles, badgers, with badgers being the largest in the group if I recall.

Their greatest potential for harm to a human is by spooking a horse. They won't go after you, they'd rather eat your cat, your chicken, or your lhaso-apso.

I think their main diet is rats and other vermin. So long as you have sturdy coops they're probably more benefit than harm to have around.

[ailsaek]

My husband's uncle was attacked by a fisher and cut up pretty badly. He had just been hunting and had a brace of rabbits.

[Beltane]

My dog got in a tangle with one a few months back ~ lots of little tiny pin-prick bloody marks all over his nose where the fisher's teeth were. I'm sure it wasn't looking for trouble ~ just didn't know there was a fast dog around to grab it. Happened just around twilight so it was hard to see.

[A'sta at Hofstead]

Well, my kitties go out weather I want them to or not so I hope they are ok. I worry about the trail down, there with the horse too..... Then there are the UFOs...... (see GC)

[fishhead]

Hillcrest,

That looks more like a mink rather than a fisher.

A fisher can definitely kill a cat but unless it's a really big one I can't see it attacking a horse unless cornered but even a woodchuck or muskrat will do that.

[A'sta at Hofstead]

Originally Posted by fishhead

Hillcrest,

That looks more like a mink rather than a fisher.

A fisher can definitely kill a cat but unless it's a really big one I can't see it attacking a horse unless cornered but even a woodchuck or muskrat will do that.

I got the pic from wicki after searching for Fisher Cat, so who knows?

[ginsengsally]

A fisher is a big weasel, that's it. It should be more afraid of you and your horses in their habitat than you should be of it. Reminds me of a story of a crazy lady in Lee NH not to far from me who said a fisher attacked her horse & chased it around the paddock. The picture she gave to the newspaper was a gray fox, not even close to looking anything like a fisher. Ah, city people moving to the "country" gotta love it.

[Ed Norman]

Yeah, and a little weasel is afraid of nothing. Friend of mine shot a bighorn and packed some meat down. He left his coat on the rest of the meat and when he went back up, found a weasel had taken ownership of the unclaimed property. It had peed all over his coat and wouldn't leave, and bit a hole in his new pac boots. It actually chased after him when he left with the last load.