Help Trapping a "Fisher cat"

smt1243 · 06-20-2007, 12:24 PM

Hello,

First very nice forum that I am very happy to have found.

I really need some good advice/help here. Despite, being a longtime hunter and outdoors man I recently encountered an animal here in Upstate New York that I have never seen or even heard, buteveryone in my area is refers to it as a "fisher cat" though no one has seen it.

Recently, an unknown preditor (which is suspected to be a "fisher cat") entered a local farmers barn and killed 3 cats all at once. All were decapitated and not eaten. A couple weeks later another neighbor's dog was killed by decapitation and not eaten either. The other day was my turn. What ever this thing is it is fast. It killed 6 of my guinea hens and decapitated everyone of them and did not eat any of them. All the attacks were at night time.

I have a lot more livestock as do many of my neighbors. I have never see such a destructive and seemingly dangerous animial in my live. Whatever this thing is it is fast (guine hens are super fast and this caught 6)and has a bad additude.

I would very much like to trap this thing. Does anyone have any experience trapping these things?I need as much information as you guys can provide. Live trap, claw trap, snare,? Trap placement, what type of lure.

Any help/information would be greatly appreiated.

Warm regards,
Michael

MikeVT · 06-20-2007, 01:57 PM

Sounds like a fisher cat to me. They are one of the nastiest varmints to deal with. If there is not closed season, I would forget the traps and hunt the little bugger. If you need to trap, I would put a leghold trap around any entrance to your pens, or better yet, create an entrance for him to go into and load it with leg holds. You will not get rid of this animal until you kill him or he kills all of your livestock.

smt1243 · 06-20-2007, 04:52 PM

Hello,

Thanks for the reply I really appreciate it.

I to was thinking the same thing you suggested about placing a one way entrance into my pen.

I'm still a little embarrassed that I've spent so much time in the outdoors hunting and I've never heard or seen one of these things. Probably one of the most destructive/aggressive animals that has attacked my animals on my farm.

Any other information/suggestions are welcome and appreciated.

Many thanks,
Michael

mauser06 · 06-20-2007, 05:14 PM

i dont know about fishers but i know alot of birds of prey will take heads off and leave the rest...i know owls do that frequently. they killed a bunch of my buddys ringnecks that way...

fishers certainly are a predator...i know once we started spotting them around my buddies camp the squirrel population dropped to about nothing...

one piece of advice....stay within the laws...or call your local game warden to help out...with it killing that many animals they should help...

good luck..

smt1243 · 06-20-2007, 05:49 PM

Hello,

Thanks for the reply ! I certainly agree with you and initially that is what we suspected. However, the three cats that were killed and decapitated were found dead inside of an enclosed barn. Therefore, we felt it must have been something else.

This fisher cat, if that is what it is, has killed more domestic farm animals than I've ever seen. I kind of worried there is no stopping it! I'll have to go back to the nearby creek I think I found a paw print and maybe I can get a good photograph of it.

Quote:

ORIGINAL: mauser06

i dont know about fishers but i know alot of birds of prey will take heads off and leave the rest...i know owls do that frequently. they killed a bunch of my buddys ringnecks that way...

fishers certainly are a predator...i know once we started spotting them around my buddies camp the squirrel population dropped to about nothing...

one piece of advice....stay within the laws...or call your local game warden to help out...with it killing that many animals they should help...

good luck..

WWII Collector · 06-21-2007, 09:37 AM

Fisher cats are indeed nasty! I wish I could help you.

browning.204 · 06-21-2007, 02:25 PM

I am not convinced that it is a fisher, we have alot of them around here and I have never heard of them doing that before.

I could be wrong but look for tracks or other sign around the "crime scenes"

Marlinmadness · 06-21-2007, 02:31 PM

Its easier to take pics when the thing is dead....

smt1243 · 06-21-2007, 03:13 PM

Hello,

I'm certainly trying to keep an open mind, but it appears that everything it is killing it is killing by decapitation and not eating what it is killing.

As I stated earlier 3 cats were killed inside an enclosed barn that only something small probably could of gotton into. But, maybe different animals have been involved I don't know. Never seen anything like it before.

smt1243 · 06-21-2007, 03:14 PM

I'll second that !