Cat safety, fisher cats, bears (Brattleboro, Jericho: house, rent, art)

[ab8mi]

Originally Posted by mountainme

If anyone still wants to know some real information about the fisher...its latin name is martes pennanti, look it up in Wikipedia...it IS a native species to North America and Vermont. I am a wildlife biologist and worked on a fisher project in college. They are a forest carnivore so if there are no trees- no fishers. The main reason fishers are seeming to be more populous in places like Vermont these days ( I grew up in Dorset) is that there are more forests near towns. Used to be more farms/logging way back in the day but there are more trees in VT now than in the early part of 1900's, so because of this fishers, coyotes, bears all NATIVE animals to Vermont are coming back. Same with Moose, they migrated back from Canada/Maine. Interestingly they even migrated back into the Adirondacks (one was found wandering through Troy, NY in the early 90's) where they haven't been for a very long time. So while they may be "pests" they are native and a sign of good land/forest heath.

Back to fishers, they are typically Very shy of people but in the Northeast where they are living near towns they are becoming habituated to people. They typically eat rodents, though when I was live trapping them we used chicken for bait. They would I think be deterred by a dog if you have one in the yard (not an ankle biter) and secure screen windows. They are very clever w/ paws like a raccoon and part of the weasel family, most closely related to wolverines and pine martens. I could go on with my science babble but will spare you all...

Very good info thanks for taking the time.

[lesliegrace]

Originally Posted by mountainme

If anyone still wants to know some real information about the fisher...its latin name is martes pennanti, look it up in Wikipedia...it IS a native species to North America and Vermont. I am a wildlife biologist and worked on a fisher project in college. They are a forest carnivore so if there are no trees- no fishers. The main reason fishers are seeming to be more populous in places like Vermont these days ( I grew up in Dorset) is that there are more forests near towns. Used to be more farms/logging way back in the day but there are more trees in VT now than in the early part of 1900's, so because of this fishers, coyotes, bears all NATIVE animals to Vermont are coming back. Same with Moose, they migrated back from Canada/Maine. Interestingly they even migrated back into the Adirondacks (one was found wandering through Troy, NY in the early 90's) where they haven't been for a very long time. So while they may be "pests" they are native and a sign of good land/forest heath.

Back to fishers, they are typically Very shy of people but in the Northeast where they are living near towns they are becoming habituated to people. They typically eat rodents, though when I was live trapping them we used chicken for bait. They would I think be deterred by a dog if you have one in the yard (not an ankle biter) and secure screen windows. They are very clever w/ paws like a raccoon and part of the weasel family, most closely related to wolverines and pine martens. I could go on with my science babble but will spare you all...

I have lurked on the Vermont forum for months; it is the first forum that I ever visited on city-data. I don't think I have ever posted anything here before, though. Since fourth grade U.S. geography class (back in the 1964-65 school year ), I have wanted to move to Vermont! Since I live in Texas, I don't imagine my dream will ever be fulfilled, but it's still interesting to read about your lovely state.

I read this fisher cat thread a month or two ago and was fascinated. I had never heard of such an animal. When I first read the posts, I thought the fisher cats were an inside joke among the Vermonters, and that they didn't actually exist! (I thought you guys were teasing the gullible flatlanders, of which I am one.) Then I thought they might be kin to bobcats or panthers!

Finally I did a little research and found out that they are martens; I guess I've never heard of them because I've never lived anywhere except Texas (although I have certainly heard of wolverines yet have never visited Michigan). Maybe it's too hot in Texas for fisher cats or their relatives to want to live here!

[ab8mi]

Originally Posted by lesliegrace

I have lurked on the Vermont forum for months; it is the first forum that I ever visited on city-data. I don't think I have ever posted anything here before, though. Since fourth grade U.S. geography class (back in the 1964-65 school year ), I have wanted to move to Vermont! Since I live in Texas, I don't imagine my dream will ever be fulfilled, but it's still interesting to read about your lovely state.

I read this fisher cat thread a month or two ago and was fascinated. I had never heard of such an animal. When I first read the posts, I thought the fisher cats were an inside joke among the Vermonters, and that they didn't actually exist! (I thought you guys were teasing the gullible flatlanders, of which I am one.) Then I thought they might be kin to bobcats or panthers!

Finally I did a little research and found out that they are martens; I guess I've never heard of them because I've never lived anywhere except Texas (although I have certainly heard of wolverines yet have never visited Michigan). Maybe it's too hot in Texas for fisher cats or their relatives to want to live here!

The funniest things about the University of MI Wolverines is that MI has no real Wolverines

[lesliegrace]

Originally Posted by ab8mi

The funniest things about the University of MI Wolverines is that MI has no real Wolverines

I didn't realize that! I had always heard Michigan called "The Wolverine State," and I have seen pictures of wolverines that look really vicious. I figured if fisher cats were half as mean as wolverines, they would be trouble.

[harry chickpea]

Wasn't the last Catamount killed in Vt in the 1800s, even though UVM has the Catamount as a mascot? Which somehow reminds me of a radio ad I recently heard offering the "Pro Crappie" fishing boat.
"Say, that's a nice boat Joe, what is it?"
"Crappie."
"You don't say. Looks nice though."

[KoZmiC NinJa]

Originally Posted by harry chickpea

Wasn't the last Catamount killed in Vt in the 1800s, even though UVM has the Catamount as a mascot? Which somehow reminds me of a radio ad I recently heard offering the "Pro Crappie" fishing boat.
"Say, that's a nice boat Joe, what is it?"
"Crappie."
"You don't say. Looks nice though."

If you Google "catamount sighting, Vermont" a lot of stuff
comes up about recent sightings. The Rutland Herald just
had a letter about a sighting on Rt. 7 just outside of
Manchester but I couldnt find it using their search engine.

[Dockside]

I just have to throw in my two cents since it seems funny that people are alarmed by wild life in the very place that one would hope would have wild life! And while I (unfortunately!) cannot count myself as a Vermonter, we have gone up for part of every summer for about fifteen years - and stay in the same place, a wooded mountain top area. I may have seen a fisher cat at night once near the woodpile (something had glowing eyes!) but other than local dogs, nothing. Meanwhile here in a suburb of New York City, we have coyotes, rabbits (being eaten by coyotes), fox, weasel, groundhogs, wild turkeys, deer, hawks, all frequently seen by neighbors or myself - and my two little dogs nearly got chomped by coyotes in our yard.

[Vt girl]

Originally Posted by harry chickpea

Fisher cats indiginous? I think not. I grew up in central Vermont and we didn't have any. There are very strange things going on in the state. We rarely had bears forty years ago - my uncle once shot a bear and the entire town was invited to a church supper just to have a taste of it. Now they are more of a pest in the Montpelier area than the legislators. We rarely had moose, except in the northeast kingdom. Those moose that did come into central Vermont were - how to put this delicately? - high on mating hormones, happy to meet cows, and not as bright as a drunk thirteen year old boy.

Deer, 'coons, skunks, some muskrats and assorted field rodents. That is what we had. No coyotes, no fisher cats, bear, moose, wolves, aardvarks, wild llamas, buffalo, pit bulls, or other re-introduced pests.

Vermonters of old would have dealt with the fisher cat problem directly, and on a personal basis, preferably with the expenditure of a single small caliber shell in the middle of the night, studiously unnoticed by good neighbors. The residents today seem to wonder if they are expected to put out tablecloths and candles for the dining pleasure of the local fauna.

It'll take a kid or two getting mauled to bring folks back to their senses, and even then the animal rights groups will object. But, FWIW, domestic cats don't belong outside. Those of us who grew up there knew that a barn cat had a lifespan of about a year or two at best, while the family pet cat in the house would live for fifteen years or more.

Fisher Cats do prey on House cats JUST HOUSE CATS not kids or dogs and a fisher cat has been knowen to go through a storm Window to get to a house cat and they make a hell of alot of noise at night, I have 4 cats 3 are indoor cats and 1 is indoor or outdoor and so far he has come home everyday and there are Fisher Cats in my area

[nhyrnut]

About 20 years ago there where lots of fisher cats in the Northeast kingdom. When I was a kid I remember my grandfather shooting one in the house, because it chased one of the barn cat's inside. Riffle right next to his recliner took a whole 2 seconds for him to see the head and shoot it, from the time it came in the door. Almost felt bad for anyone trying to break in. LOL Bear have always been abundant by Hardwick, and Cabot. As far as ardvarks, Wild Lamas, and Buffalo. I have never heard of them in VT, Well in the wild anyway. None native species should have an OPEN Season. The Tree hugger's that have relocated to the state over the years can get over it. VT belonged to the people of VT before it belonged to them. PETA= People Eating Tasty Animals Long Live the True Vermonters.

[ab8mi]

Originally Posted by nhyrnut

About 20 years ago there where lots of fisher cats in the Northeast kingdom. When I was a kid I remember my grandfather shooting one in the house, because it chased one of the barn cat's inside. Riffle right next to his recliner took a whole 2 seconds for him to see the head and shoot it, from the time it came in the door. Almost felt bad for anyone trying to break in. LOL Bear have always been abundant by Hardwick, and Cabot. As far as ardvarks, Wild Lamas, and Buffalo. I have never heard of them in VT, Well in the wild anyway. None native species should have an OPEN Season. The Tree hugger's that have relocated to the state over the years can get over it. VT belonged to the people of VT before it belonged to them. PETA= People Eating Tasty Animals Long Live the True Vermonters.

All right another PETA person........Yummy!!!