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3/20/2016
Fisher
the Vischer Ferry Fisher
I got a "nice" picture of a rare species this week. Not the most tasteful photo, but I needed to document for my frightened neighbors. They were fearful of an attack on their cats, dogs, or worse on their person. This guy was discovered hit on the road the night after I plodded through the back woods behind their houses. Did I flush him out of hiding? Anyway it was an interesting coincidence and what else do I have to do. I'd never seen a Fisher before. It's primary range is Canada but has been expanding in recent years. It's part of the weasel family bigger than the Pine Martin but smaller than the Wolverine. This one was over 2 1/2 feet nose to tail.
This video will attest to the boldness and viciousness in it's attack of a Rhode Island woman.
Also called a Fisher Cat, the boy needed rabies shots after his back porch encounter.
Here is an excellent video capture of the blood curdling screams they make. They sound unmistakably terrifying, but in all fairness they are probably like most animals that just want to be left alone.
Back in Virgil, we were fur trappers for some years for kicks. At our house auction in 2005, I considered taking one of our Victor muskrat traps as a souvenir but, hey, if I took one of each memory I'd end up like a hoarder. After Dad died, one of the first things I did was to disarm one of these set traps in the cellar. Dad was protecting his wood supply from rats, but I didn't want Mom to stick her hand in there.
1957 Muskrat Trapping Season video PG13 gore
During my fur trapper phase we had to cross barbed wire fences to plod up the Babcock Hollow. Dad captured the action on his cell phone. He also caught some mink back then. Not sure if he caught any beaver or other critters. I illustrate the posterio-anterio transverse dissection of the cutaneous membrane to separate the skin from the muscle to preserve the integrity of the pelt. Then turn it inside out over a stretcher to dry. At the end of the season we'd ride over to a Whitney Point or Binghamton furrier to get a few bucks for each hide.
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