I’m a sample size of one but it sure seems like Fisher populations have declined in NW, Wisconsin, based on my readings- it appears that Maine and New Hampshire have experienced similar population declines recently, with PA seeing an uptick. I'm looking for insight on similar experiences and potential correlations on why? One article I read said that Bobcats prey on Fishers, I have no way to validate that hypothesis other than our Bobcat populations have ballooned. Are Fisher populations cyclical like grouse? I know Nathan Roberts has done a lot of study in WI over the years and maybe he could weigh-in on this. Just some random thoughts and observations.

i no that the fisher population is still strong here in the central u p , and so is the bobcats

definitely down around here compared to 10-15 years ago

Fisher are cyclical like a lot of critters. Maine probably has the most fisher since the 1960's.
A HUGE part of that its that the IF&W placed heavy restrictions on trapping because of the Lynx. In lieu of using boxes on the ground with
small body grips or traditional body grip sets in trees, the state has made the use of "exclusion" boxes mandated.
I could go on but that is the basic deal.

Mac

Population has leveled off here. Less logging, more bobcats, fewer grouse, no rabbits have probably all contributed to their decline. Lots of skunks this year, maybe they will kill a few of them.

Here in NH…20 years ago the limit was 10.. then a few years later ,they upped it to 15… then back to 10… then 5…Now just 2. But way more Bobcats around on trail cameras and on FB at peoples homes. Cats are protected here…and if I was a betting man,that’s why the fisher are fewer.

It is the same here. We also have more cats than ever. Interestingly enough, even though the fisher have declined here the Marten are increasing far outside of their traditional range.

Wish the fisher population was down around here. They've impacted our small game and turkeys quite hard.

I think the population is down in my area of NW Wisconsin too. Our mature forests are disappearing, probably related.

I haven't trapped the U.P. for Fisher since 2007, so I don't have a handle on what is going on up there. I do have a question about Fisher in the Lower Peninsula though.......there have only been Fisher confirmed maybe twice in this peninsula since the original population was extirpated in the 1920's(?). No matter who I try to ask about it in the DNR, there seems to be no plans to reintroduce them to the Lower. That bothers me a good deal. Has anyone here in Michigan had any information about reintroduction to this peninsula?

I've had one hanging around my yard up until this year. Haven't seen it. Last year, he pretty much wiped out the squirrels, which was OK. Except we had some all black squirrels which I considered unique that were wiped out with the grey and fox squirrels.

Fishers have contracted canine diseases and its killing them. I believe Nathon Roberts mentioned that in one of his studys

Bingo! Cats all over the monadnock region. & hardly a fisher track to be found, I have to chuckle at all the missing kitty posters all around too.....

I can't think that cats are going to be a major factor. I don't doubt a cat might catch one by surprise here or there............. But if the fisher is ANYWHERE near a tree, a cat wouldn't stand much of a chance in catching it.

8117 Steve R............. Here in PA they exploded and maintained a population in rolling farmland with small-ish wood plots and very little "mature" forests. They are seemingly VERY adaptable like other critters that are traditionally "big woods" dwellers like whitetails, turkeys and black bears.

A lot more here than there were 15 years ago. Not that you will get the fisher biologist to admit that.

Fisher population is high in NY ‘s Tug Hill region, wish there were fewer, or the pelts were worth more.

They seem to be thicker than fleas on a hound dog around here. 6 day season with a limit of 2. Catch them all the time in my coyote sets before and after the season but hardly during. Neighbor lost 50 chickens in two nights due to one small female fisher.

Fisher are as good in a tree as a squirrel. A few years ago I watched a fisher chase a grey squirrel on one of my big oak trees. They went round and round the tree. That fisher was as agile and at home on that tree as the squirrel was. The squirrel got away as it ran down a hole in the tree. The fisher was too big to follow. I wish I'd had a camera at the time. That was so cool!

Back in the sixty's we would shoot and eat about 100 squirrel's a year. Now where I live in MN along the big river we have very few. I would love to shoot them again.

I don’t think a Bobcat would fare to well against a Male Fisher. Even a female Fisher would be a lot of fight for a bobcat compared to a bird or a rabbit.
I can see Bobcats going after young Fisher, but not adults.