Fisher???

[bullgetter]

This weekend I lost a fisher in a marten box with a 120 belisle in it. Looks like he was there for a bit as he knocked bark of the tree and chewed on some nearby willows. There was no blood and you can tell he bailed out of there like a rocket. Does this happen with 120's and fisher much? I have 220's set in the area but he found the wrong set. His footprints were 2 inches wide so I assume he was fair sized. Will he now be trap shy for the rest of the season or can they even remember such events?

[bronze]

we lost one also this last weekend, it got caught in a LDL 120 mag with a swivel, so least we never lost the trap. it ripped up the area pretty good also and never left and blood or fur. I bet he will be trap shy for a while, he never did come back for the bait, but hopeful he will forget by next year.

[C-GMIC]

did you loose the trap to? If so the fisher has probably expired somewere, nailed a fisher in a 2001-5 caught him by the foot, he chewed the tree and box up pretty good then chewed his foot off, caught him the next month, and the foot had healed fairly well, I make it a point of only using a 2001-5 in my marten boxes cause we have quite a few fisher up this way, good luck and keep your fingers out of the steel:evilgrin:

[catnthehat]

I've seen some weird stuff in my day. Like the time my brother and his buddies were snaring rabbits at lunch time in the late 70's at our water resevoir project.
The job steward cought a fisher in his rabbit snare the next day!
I've also seen them rip up a cubby so bad you'd think it was a wolverine in there.
I've seen them bust out of a snare then get cought two days later.

hopefully you'll pick him up again.
They are of the weasel family afterall - lottsa moxy , very little brains and absolutly no fear!:lol:
Cat

[C-GMIC]

I reckon fisher is the toughest out there, and yup they can trash a cubby to pieces

[mud slug]

would one of you guys be interrested in selling a martin or a fisher to a forum member so i could get one mounted? if so how much? .

[bullgetter]

Well I did not loose the trap. Trap was still attached to the box although the nail attaching the box to the tree was worked out some. I'm guessing he reached in there with his paw first. In November I had a box ripped off the tree and somehow the quick connect on the chain opened up and I lost the trap. No snow or sign of a real struggle so I'm not sure what it was. This is my second season so I'm still on a learning curve. I think next year I will hammer a staple in the tree to attach the trap to. Next weekend I'll put some more lynx cubbies with 330's in the area and some 220's on leaning poles. Hopefully I can pick him up the next time he passes through. I doubt I'll get him in a box set since he got his toes wacked.

[kyle6969]

when we trap fisher in northern manitoba we would use nothing smaller then a 180 for fisher and marten 120 is two light .. we only use 120s for mink

[bronze]

I'm still on the learning curve but I have a good teacher. We attach the trap to the tree or to the running pole if it is high enough with a doubled-up peace of tie wire (the cheap stuff like peaveymart has) and leave it on the trap for each season. Even with a accidental fisher catch it will hold, we will also be switching out that 120 with a 160.

[C-GMIC]

I recycle my old used snares if there is a kink in them I put a new loop on it and use it as an anchor "loop within Loop" nothing goes any where with that hooked up like that.

[Brian Bildson]

I've caught fisher in the 120 belisle and held them no problem. A big part is having the set built so that the fisher or marten will swing free and hang, not allowing them to get traction. I wouldn't use a nail or a fence staple for anchoring any trap. I've taken incidental lynx that stick their paw in a 120 and held them with a trap wired to the tree.

[bullgetter]

Thanks Brian, I think next year I will make pole sets and have enough chain to wrap around the tree high enough so they cannot touch the ground. It was evident in the snow that his hind legs were touching the ground.
I enjoy your articles in the magazine but would appreciate some "how to" articles for us novice trappers. Keep up the good work!

[Brian Bildson]

Fair enough Bull Getter consider it done. Be careful wrapping a chain around a log. Much better to have a chain or cable with a swivel that allows an animal to spin rather than twist and perhaps break your fastner.