Beautiful fisher. Congrats

Not that I know of definitively other than the older bigger males have a fairly large crest.
The definitive way is tooth sectioning and counting the cementum rings under a microscope.

Thanks Boco

They are not rare but we are only allowed one tag per season and can only trap them in certain areas of the state, specific Wildlife Management Units. And it is a very short season.

Yes, so it's a bit of a novelty for us. Add in that we cant use pole sets or body grips on land and it can be challenging with December 17 to January 1 season in a lake effect snow zone.

Got it.

Don’t know why PA would want a large population of these small game predators.

They restored them in my area in the 60’s to control the porcupine population. Since then we don’t have much of a snowshoe hare population anymore.

That's what the official line was from the PA Game Commission when they reintroduced them in the late nineties in north-central counties. Also, some have migrated in from your (NY) expanding population.

We have a healthy population around my camp in north-central PA near the NY state line. I haven't noticed much of a reduction in porcupines. There are still plenty to girdle my beech trees, nip the small limbs off my hemlocks in winter and chew on camp year-round.

Very cool! On my bucket list somewhere...

Bigger than those I've seen. Good for you Claypool. A challenge for sure in many areas.
Almost a nuisance in some.
When word spreads of them eating free range cats we may get a season here.
Saw the first roadkill porkie in my home Township shortly after fishers were released. Ironic.
I've seen the porkie damage in other areas.
Local veterinarians know of the porkie areas.