So...I am struggling to trap a fisher. Here is what I have going on:

Two years ago I had a fisher tag. In a good location I caught a fisher on a vertical pole set in one day. This year I have another fisher tag. A guy at work asked me if I had a fisher tag this year because he has one hanging around his deer stand constantly that he wants gone. I told him I had a tag and if there was a fisher around I'd have it gone in a day or two. Right there is the biggest problem. I got cocky and now I'm paying for it.

I went out there on the opener and made a vertical pole set identical to the one I made 2 years ago. I also made a canine set, and 4 coon sets. On the second check I caught a skunk in one of the coon sets. I figured the loud skunky smell in the area would only help. It didn't. I pulled the coon sets 2 days later, and put another vertical pole set at a spot where my friend has a trail cam that is still getting the fisher on camera.


It's more of a drive than I would like to go check traps, but I want to help this guy out. I also want to fill my tag and not be outsmarted by an animal that was so easy to catch on the same setup 2 years ago. My vertical pole sets are both the same. I have muskrat wired to a tree. Below that is a 160 body grip far enough from the muskrat that he would have to stick his head through rather than a paw to reach it. That is covered with Norway Spruce branches (the only piney trees around). Then I put some gusto at the top in the needles and also sprayed the needles with anise scent. I'm finding it hard to believe that he isn't hanging out of the tree by now, but the evidence is on the trail cam.


I drew a rudimentary picture to help explain what I have going on:





The whole property is about 27 acres. On the left is the driveway and house. The black line going all the way through is a 4 wheeler trail. The darker green is rows of Norways. The lighter green is mature open hardwoods. There is a lot of younger growth east of the trail and it gets thicker near the pond. Also shortly after the Norways, the trail goes down until it reaches a low point near the pond. Then it goes back up. The light grey is a deer trail where a tree stand and trail camera are hung. The purple dots are where my vertical pole sets are and the orange dot is where I caught the skunk. I'm really not too worried about location as the fisher is now walking right by my vertical pole set right next to the deer trail.


I was thinking and came up with a few options I may try:


1. Put some Hiawatha Valley bait from MTP on/near the muskrat to see if that will draw him up.

2. Put some Sweetwater Flattail on/near the muskrat to see if that will draw him up.


3. Put blind sets in the deer trail.



So, I'm leaning towards putting HV bait in one set and SF lure in the other and seeing if either of them make him too curious to resist. If that doesn't work I may go with the blind sets, but I have a feeling they will be plugged up with coons and skunks which might alter his travel path.


Does anyone have any better ideas? I don't like the idea of this fisher getting the best of me. Even if you don't have anything to say, thanks for reading this far!


P.S. I don't have any beaver to use as bait.

Use a set with apples. That's my go to fisher set. I know people on here don't like that idea, but I can tell you it works.

Try a cage trap, since he doesn't seem enthused with the pole set.

Make a couple more sets 50 to 100 feet away from the original set.I have had marten boxes see no action although tracks are in close proximity.For whatever reason,sometimes just move the box 50 feet and its deadly.

Agree with "Boco", plus use a sweet lure or one with beaver castor.

Thanks for the responses! I believe the Sweetwater Flattail has beaver castor which is why I wanted to try it. As far as using a cage trap...I would assume it would work better if I brush it in? I have only used cage traps for rabbits, squirrels, and domestic cats. Do I need to bury the bottom in the dirt so the fisher isn't walking on wire? Or wont he care? I believe you about the apples, someone recently told me he knew someone who was getting trail cam pics of a fisher eating apples he put out for deer.

I appreciate your input and will let you know if I get him.

[quote=WiscoNate]Thanks for the responses! I believe the Sweetwater Flattail has beaver castor which is why I wanted to try it. As far as using a cage trap...I would assume it would work better if I brush it in?[quote]
Yes brush it in. You don't need to bury it in the ground but do put some natural material/moss on the bottom of the cage.

That is exactly how I learned how much they like apples...comments from people that had cameras on apples for deer.

Yes, brush it in some. Put the back of the cage up against a medium sized tree.

The last one I caged I put some bark on the bottom of the cage so it wasn't walking on metal.

Here's what worked for me:

B LOL

AJE - Looks good. I will try something similar. That cage looks a lot nicer than mine!


Joe - Yes, it was a female. I was also using meat bait, but if I remember right it was early November and the weather was a bit colder than it is right now. I believe it is a male running around. I didn't realize that females were the only ones caught in vertical poles and also never heard of the excellent baiting tip.


Thanks again for taking the time to help a brother out. You guys are a treasure-trove of trapping knowledge!

Total BS!

It's the cadillac cage trap. Made and sold by Little Wolf Trapping Supply of Manawa, Wi.

Catch most of my fisher in modified dirt holes. Like to use a blow down top or log and set up against that with the bait tucked under [with blocking] and a 1 1/2 or 1 3/4 coil lightly concealed in front. Smear castor on log or branch above the beaver bait and skunk at least 6 ft over top, I also use fish juice or oil in a squirt bottle and squirt 3 or 4 streams out from the set .
If you have muskrat carcasses cut up 3or4 and locate them around the set 20 to 40 yds away. Do this only because you are focusing on one particular fisher. He will check on the area more frequently with the bait in the area.
Beaver is number 1 bait in a ground set.
Have patience.

Yup patience
Sometimes they visit and on the “right” night he’ll commit.

From my limited experience. They seem to travel certain routes and may take them a few days or a few weeks to run that route. Depending on their home range.
An old trapper in northern Wisconsin once told me to make sets on their tracks. They will be back through. It’s only a matter of time.
Also, wherever you catch one. Reset that same corridor, because others will travel those same paths each year. I believe this to be true.

^^^^^^^That is also true in my experience here in BC, Canada.

I will be out making some ground sets in the morning. I work 12 hour shifts otherwise I'd have done it already, but since I have the next 2 days off I'd prefer to do it in daylight. I will let you guys know if and when I catch him and in what set. Hopefully I have a picture to post here on Tuesday!

In the early season or when the weather stays rather warm, bears can become a problem raiding your fisher baits!

Make a whole bunch of dirthole sets for fox in the area....you may catch your fisher as a non- target .

What luvcanids said above.

Fisher are already on the ground. Meet them there. Some fisher don't climb, and early in the season a lot do not climb.
The advice t hat Lucanids shared is solid. Beaver is the king of fisher baits, a favorite for sure. Muskrat does work really well. They will come to muskrat, as will most anything else tha gets a whiff. I have done well with either at a set but really feel muskrat might be my favorite in early season.

Mac

Sorry, I have been busy and haven't made it on!

I made a dirthole set baited with sweetened dried cranberries that only caught a coon and put out a cage trap full of apples that didn't catch anything. I pulled the traps and just left the pole sets for now. Hopefully as the weather gets colder he gets hungry enough to make a mistake. If I see any beaver sign around here I will try to catch it for bait...


Thanks again for the advice guys. The fisher has been coming in a lot less frequently now. If I do catch him I will post a pic.