A buddy and I headed up north to the UP of Michigan this next week to try and catch a fisher and marten. We are only allowed 2 marten or 1 fisher and 1 marten per person. I tried last year to no avail, so I am trying to up my odds this year. I am wondering about trying some type of flagging in the area of my sets to increase my chances, be it artificial or natural flagging. I am curious if other people use anything specific and if they think it helps or hurts. I am going to be using newspaper boxes with 155’s, baited with a chunk of beaver. FYI, I will also be setting bobcat traps up there as well. Thanks for any advice.

Get some hellfire. Loud long distance lures are deadly on fisher from what I've seen, we're only allowed one accidental a year here. Also, sweet bait is very effective on them too, like strawberry jam.

Surveying tape green and pink all motion will help find your boxes plus a skunky lure sweet smelling lure inside of the box.What catches your eye when your hunting movement good luck.

Get some cheap sardines,put a couple in the box and hang the lid off a piece of wire by the ring tab so it flutters.Bend up the corners of the can lid to hold a chunk of castor..Do this on every 3rd or 4th box.Alternate this with a whole beaver carcass hung about 20 feet from a box a quarter mile further down the trail/drainage.Check google earth and make your sets on timbered drainages with good overhead cover and coarse woody debris on the ground that run thru open areas like burns or clearcuts and that connect stands of core marten habitat(older growth 80yo+).
You will have sight and smell attractors at the sardine sets,and sight smell and sound attractors at the hanging carcass sets.Dispersing juvenile marten will be funnelled down the timbered drainages and will find your sets no problem

Set on tracks.

If don't see tracks I've found it to be a long wait to catch one if at all.

Beaver for bait, Gusto for lure.
If marten are there, they will find you.

Yes beaver bait and a good lure. Being opportunistic hunters and SCAVENGERS marten and fisher will both respond to most any bait or lure. If they are in the general locality when you set they will find it, with or without flaging.

If you are only allowed to set a couple traps it is likely good to set where you see marten sign that indicates hunting behaviour as opposed to tracks of an animal dispersing.

That said,if I only set on tracks,I would not have very many sets out.

That is somewhat my concern, I only have 6 check days and if we get really fresh snow the chance of finding tracks can be difficult. I am trying to put everything in my favor going in blind and for a limited amount of time.

Then set within suitable habitat. The important factor is “coarse woody debris” (downed logs, stumps, snags, litter) along with relatively dense coniferous overhead tree cover and shrubs to provide protective cover for both marten and their primary prey.

I am not sure what the U. P. is like, but if it is like extreme northern MN, I would look for some dark cedar stands with plenty of dead fall in it. Then if you have some grassy slough edges that still have overhead cover set those edges. Chunk of beaver in the box with some good loud lure up high.

I look for edges of conifer next to meadows, if possible. Here, voles mice, shrews, etc. Will be there. This is a pretty descriptive picture of what I refer. Could be along a stream, lake, or coastline.

Feel free to rotate. Sorry.

Some typical habitat in my area:

Stinky meat and stinky skunk lure.
I put it out in the open on an edge.
They think they are unstoppable. The fisher at least.
Usually just bust in.

Thank you for all the advice and help. We are headed up tonight and will be setting traps on Saturday, wish us luck.

Post pics of your sets/catches.
Will you be snaring fox and cats same time?

We aren’t allowed to snare.

Any marten/fisher luck?
I'm rooting for you.

Nothing yet, fighting weather and access issues, but still trying.