Fisher?

[BrentLaBere]

Went out shooting bow and checking cameras last night, came across this little guy. He was as curious as I was. I thought it was a fisher. What do you western guys think?
Sorry for the bad quality photos. Phone isnt the best.

[BrentLaBere]

One more

[WapitiTalk1]

Looks like my "got weasel" thread actually has found a purpose

Edit to my original answer. I believe it's a big old buck mink. His head/snout is too stubby for a fisher, and, he appears to be about about 14-16 inches long which is much smaller than a fisher. Mink are not known to climb many trees but do so on occasion if there are plenty of branches available.

Here ya go. viewtopic.php?f=15&t=4162&p=51614&hilit=weasel#p51614

[BrentLaBere]

Yup! I was just looking at that thread. It was really neat to watch him. I was caught off guard with how big it was (which is why I thought fisher). I would say 2' and maybe even longer. The ears looked short like a mink to me but honestly I cant tell.....If it is a fisher, they are very rare in ND.

[WapitiTalk1]

Wow. Two plus feet long? That would be a horse of a mink! It just may be a fisher; how cool is that!

[idahoghost]

I am thinking it is a Pine Martin. Saw one a few years ago while elk hunting. Cute little guys.

[Blake_Bartz]

Looks like a fisher to me...pretty darn cool!

Edit....looking at it again I'm pretty sure it is a large male mink.

[idahoghost]

Fishers Males are 90–120 cm (35–47 in) in length and weigh 3.5 to 6 kilograms (8–13 lb). Females measure 75–95 cm (30–37 in) and weigh 2–2.5 kg (4–6 lb).

Fisher

Fisher.jpg (8.85 KiB) Viewed 6195 times

Fisher 2

Fisher 2.jpg (6.67 KiB) Viewed 6195 times

Pine Martins= Body length ranges from 1.5 to 2.2 feet (0.5–0.7 m). Adult weight ranges from 1.1 to 3.1 pounds (0.5–1.4 kg) and varies by age and location.

Pine Martin

imagesSWGKR91S.jpg (8.6 KiB) Viewed 6195 times

[idahoghost]

Looks like there may be marking on the neck in you photo.

Pine Martin 2

Pine Martin.jpg (7.73 KiB) Viewed 6195 times

[Indian Summer]

Pine martin

[WapitiTalk1]

Ears seem too short and rounded for a Pine Marten (I'm like you Joe and have seen a ton of Martens). If this is a Marten (normally found above 4500'), I think sombody punched him in the nose, LOL.

[Lefty]

,.....
Edit to my original answer. I believe it's a big old buck mink. His head/snout is too stubby for a fisher, and, he appears to be about about 14-16 inches long which is much smaller than a fisher. Mink are not known to climb many trees but do so on occasion if there are plenty of branches available.
Here ya go. viewtopic.php?f=15&t=4162&p=51614&hilit=weasel#p51614

I agree with Phanthom on thins one.
I use to trap hundreds of them
the Red River Valley mink are considered the biggest and at one time most sought after mink by the fur industry in North America,
All sorts of animals climb trees. Compared to the body: fisher have longer legs, mink have short legs
Mink will often have a white throat patch, From what I understand and the few martin Ive seen they have a burnt yellow throat patch
good pics!!

[BrentLaBere]

I would agree with you guys after doing a lot of research on it. However, this "mink" is much larger than 14-16 inches in length. Unless you are referring to the body itself (without tail).

[Lefty]

Biggest wild mink are in ND SD and Mn
While I cant tell for positive in the pic; that is not a huge old buck but likely an 1 1/2 year old male

[huntfishtrap247]

Definitely a mink, see the white chin? Mink are definitely longer than 14-16". At least most of the ones I've put on my stretchers lol

[WapitiTalk1]

Definitely a mink, see the white chin? Mink are definitely longer than 14-16". At least most of the ones I've put on my stretchers lol

Paul, did u use the wooden or metal stretchers? I got real fond of the metal ones when I was trapping mink in the late 70s/early 80s. Sure seemed a lot easier to me.

[Lefty]

Paul, did u use the wooden or metal stretchers? I got real fond of the metal ones when I was trapping mink in the late 70s/early 80s. Sure seemed a lot easier to me.

Mink look so much prettier off a wood board

[WapitiTalk1]

Paul, did u use the wooden or metal stretchers? I got real fond of the metal ones when I was trapping mink in the late 70s/early 80s. Sure seemed a lot easier to me.

Mink look so much prettier off a wood board

True.

[Sean D.]

No doubt its a mink, and I agree about looking way better on wood

[huntfishtrap247]

Paul, did u use the wooden or metal stretchers? I got real fond of the metal ones when I was trapping mink in the late 70s/early 80s. Sure seemed a lot easier to me.

Mink look so much prettier off a wood board

True.

Yes I use wood. 'Rats are the only thing that's allowed to go on metal in my fur shed! lol Wood makes everything look nicer.

[Lefty]

.[/quote]Yes I use wood. 'Rats are the only thing that's allowed to go on metal in my fur shed! lol Wood makes everything look nicer.[/quote] Wood just gives fur a better look, even beaver look better off a board It got to the point where we skun and froze everything. Rats were often froze whole. I dont think my brother has skinned anything other than beaver for the meat in over 35 years.
I use to skin everything except on the big days, skinning just kind of takes away from trapping. My brother use to and still says "Im a trapper not a skinner"

[huntfishtrap247]

Yes I use wood. 'Rats are the only thing that's allowed to go on metal in my fur shed! lol Wood makes everything look nicer. Wood just gives fur a better look, even beaver look better off a board It got to the point where we skun and froze everything. Rats were often froze whole. I dont think my brother has skinned anything other than beaver for the meat in over 35 years.
I use to skin everything except on the big days, skinning just kind of takes away from trapping. My brother use to and still says "Im a trapper not a skinner"

I like putting up my fur almost as much as checkin traps! (Almost!) I skin and freeze everything, then after the initial few weeks of the season when things slow down I start to pull them out and put them up. Gives me something to do in the winter I suppose.

[Lefty]

I like putting up my fur almost as much as checkin traps! (Almost!) I skin and freeze everything, then after the initial few weeks of the season when things slow down I start to pull them out and put them up. Gives me something to do in the winter I suppose.

Early season rat days we couldnt keep up. We sold most of our coon and mink green, ( frozen first) rats in the carcass or frozen green, when there were few coyotes all the long hairs was put on boards
My brother had a lot of over 50 coon days Ive had a lot of over 50combo coon fox, coyote mink days,.. skinning is a lot of work, Even skinning 10 beaver is killer
The last years I ran long lines everything except coon and fox were froze in the carcass until later, coon were skun to save space, fox were easy

I dont mind handling my fur now when its a fox or coyote here or there and a hand full of rats