Fisher

Scientific name: Pekania pennanti

How weight is recorded: Whole weight

Field notes

Appearance

Fishers are dark-furred mustelids with a stocky build, pointed face, and rounded ears. Males are noticeably larger and darker than females, with long guard hairs giving a grizzled appearance, particularly on the head and shoulders.

Size and weight

Males: 3.5–5.5 kg, body length 45–58 cm. Females: 1.5–3.0 kg, body length 38–48 cm.

Habitat

Fishers inhabit mixed and coniferous forests with dense canopy cover and fallen woody debris. They favour areas with mature trees suitable for denning and prefer elevations from sea level to approximately 2,500 m.

Distribution

Found across northern and eastern North America from British Columbia to the Atlantic provinces, with isolated populations in the western mountains and reintroduced populations in parts of their former range.

Diet

Fishers are opportunistic carnivores consuming porcupines, small rodents, snowshoe hares, birds, and carrion; they also take berries and nuts seasonally.

Behaviour

Primarily nocturnal and crepuscular; solitary and highly mobile with large home ranges. They are excellent climbers and den in tree cavities, rock crevices, or abandoned burrows.

Hunting tips

Look for five-toed tracks in snow or soft substrate with a characteristic paired or slightly diagonal register pattern; scat is dark, segmented, and often contains hair or porcupine quills. Hunt early morning or late afternoon in dense forest edges and around deadfall; move quietly and slowly, glassing likely den sites in large hollow trees or rock outcrops. Fishers are wary; approach from downwind and use terrain to minimize silhouetting.

Whole weight

This species is logged by whole weight — the animal weighed entire, as taken.

Where it is hunted

Listed as huntable in 2 countries in Huntify.

Names in other languages

These field notes are general species knowledge, not legal advice. Always check the current seasons, quotas and firearm rules where you hunt.