Fisher

What are some good Fisher lures and sets yall like to set?

Never trapped them before and looking for some input.

Thank you all and God Bless America!

A fisher is an opportunistic predator/scavenger that will eat virtually anything; berries, birds and eggs, fish and of coarse MEAT. I prefer beaver for bait as it gives off a good odour when even frozen but moose, deer and fish are also good baits. Many lures will attract them, beaver castor, fish oil and marten lures. One with skunk in it is great for very cold weather conditions.

Fisher can be caught in many set types but I prefer a box set on a leaning tree or running pole.
When using a horizontal or inclined trap box be it with standard wire or pan trigger, if it is set too far away from the bait the animal sometimes moves through the wire trigger or jumps over the pan and fires the trap with its body or hind feet, resulting in a hip catch. With a 120-trap set within 4-6 inches of the bait, you will get a neck or neck and thorax quick kill zone strike virtually every time. This occurs because the animal is stable at the bait, not moving through, and centered towards the trap when it is triggered.

While working the bait in a 14” plus long box with long spring slots the animal will be correctly oriented to the trap, stable, not moving through the trap and most likely mink and marten will be standing with front feet on a pan trigger or moving its head within the trigger wires while working the bait. The fisher will usually trigger either a pan or wire trigger 120 trap with its head movements while working the bait.

Beaver meat for bait with a touch of skunky lure such as gusto from mtp.

I have been using tainted chicken as bait with Lenon's Fisher Super All Call lure, some Gusto above and Leatherwood Sun Rendered Fish Juice as a trailing scent. I have been using #155's. Favorite set is the Noonan's Wire Cage set. I also put out Flower Pot sets and Cubbies.




Best of luck to you, sir.

Rendezvous, have you noticed any damage from the dog hitting the fisher right in the back/shoulders?

I'm going to be trying to catch a fisher this fall as well, any my plan is to use mostly beaver for bait with some gusto and other LDC lures with a mix of cubby and leaning pole sets. I also plan to set at least one foothold near all of the leaning poles in case the fisher doesn't want to climb, or in case something else comes to check out the set.

i use a bucket set. They are very aggressive. Will come in to most anything.
Usually use beaver meat. If they see your set they are most likely coming in to it.

There are many ways to trap fisher. Most of them work just fine, they are not hard to trap.. The key is having fisher to trap IMO.

With Fisher trapping recently opening up in my area(6-day season) and health issues, my experience with the Fisher is limited. But I haven't had any damage of any kind.Catches have been right behind the ears.

night owl lures--- Cross bones. excellent lure for fishers

I use Bob Noonans wire cage method too....works slick !....Beaver hind 1/4s for bait....pure quill mixed in petroleum jelly....smeared on the pole above the bait (on the underside). Paul Grimshaws fisher lure...just a few drops at the base of the pole

My fav lure is marten magic, and a chunk of beaver for bait

If you are on location they are as easy to catch as a coon. If you are not on location, well. good luck!

Just set up by streams and beaver dams...and a nice canopy ( thick pine and hemlock).....although I have caught them in the open hardwoods too.

Thank you for all the inputs. Its my first tag and I am extremely exited to get out there and catch one!

Hope u have better luck than we do!!

I have used running poles for years, but now love the wire cages that Bob Noonan came out with. You don't need to hunt for the right pole;the cage can be hung on any vertical tree.
The key is location.If you have that you are all set. What I like about the cages is that they are light weight, unlike the wooden boxes. Also, I cut up the political signs (after elections) and use that as a cover on the top of the cage. I like to put moss on top of that. This makes the set virtually weather proof, with the trap still operating no matter how much snow or ice..
As mac said, Pre bait! Beaver is the best by far. Also don't expect a catch every day. When I make a catch I immediately pull the trap, so that there will be fisher for next year.
The trappers of Maine were really screwed because of this Lynx thing. Many were top notch fisher trappers.
In New York that early season along the southern tier of counties is much too early. Fisher don't prime until mid November.
Lures? Gusto or Cross Bones.
Traps? I prefer the 160 conibears, or the # 2 Sleepy Creek DBL Long Springs. I don't like the 155's, too small.

I bend my triggers back.....it’s more inviting ....and a much better catch. The triggers set like this allows the reds squirrels and weasels from tripping your trap. And always cover your bait....to keep the Birds,hawks and other raptors off your set and a chance of getting caught.

We have a short 5 day season...almost all my Fisher catch's over the years have been made near Bear baiting sites.
My set up is a set back 220 belisle in a box cubby. Beaver meat in the back (hardware cloth ) and a Skunky lure up around the set in a couple bushes. Ive had good luck trapping them where there are pine/red squirrels ...Ive seen them while deer hunting chasing the reds through the pines and mature oaks.

*Also trigger on the Bottom spread in an "L" or better yet wooden pans

And check your state regulations....for trap size on the ground, they all differ. See above ^^^^ he can run a 220 on the ground....in NH our largest trap on the ground is a 160.

Nessmuck is right about checking the regulations. For instance, in Pennsylvania you can only set a conibear within the confines of a watercourse, virtually eliminating the pole sets or cages on the trees. In Maine, the lynx thing has eliminated the traditional pole sets. In New York the conibears have to be a minimum of 4' above the ground, but we can set 155's on the ground. Boxes or buckets on the ground must have a conibear recessed a certain distance back within the box and a maximum size opening to the box.

Important: Don't ever set a 220 or 160 at the mouth of your bucket; deadly dog killer.

I love the Belisle traps, particularly the safeties on the springs. Just don't get caught in one.

The one thing I do differently than Nessmuck or Bob Noonan is that my traps dog is the uphill jaw, connected to the trigger on the lower jaw. My reasoning is that I don't want the dog causing pelt damage or the trigger digging into the pole. Just my thinking.I do not been my triggers as shown.

Bob Noonan's booklet and videos are a wealth of info.

I do not cover my baits. Birds of prey come down from above, and the bait is above the conibear. I want the chicadees to work the bait, there flighting back and forth help to draw the fisher's attention along with flecks of meat on the ground. I have never caught a bird of prey. Red Squirrels will eat beaver meat, but they I never had a problem with them., flying squirrels on the other hand live in colonies. If you catch one there will be a lot more to follow.
I do like to bend the springs up and run a stick through them to provide a perch for the birds, rather than the triggers.

On the other hand exposed baits on the ground is illegal in my state, and they must be completely covered. In the past some eagles were caught in footholds.

I'm betting you will catch more fisher In ground sets then In pole sets. Why try and force a critter up a pole when It's running around on the ground.
Since here In WI your lucky to get a tag and then your only going to be allowed one fisher a bunch of dirt holes and flat sets made for coyotes will catch your fisher with out all the box making and looking for or creating a bunch of pole sets.

Find some bear baiting sits and set them up. Fisher just love those sites I think they are attracted to the mice and voles and squirrels that feed at those sites.

When you catch a worthless crow in your trap ..and miss a fisher,cus the trap has a crow in it....you’ll change your way.

I am debating only taking half the fisher I usually do this year. I almost had a better beaver average last year than on my fisher.

My top 20 beaver did better than my top 20 fisher.

I have to agree with the Beav, you can catch more fisher on the ground. There are some that just will not go up the pole. In New York we do need to apply for a free fisher/marten permit, however there is no limit on how many you can take. I've come to the conclusion that I disagree with that.. I guess I feel more comfortable with traps up from the ground and in some cases got me permission.
While I have great respect for Mr.Nessmuck's input on fisher,I must say that I've been trapping fisher for many, many years. Not once have I ever caught a crow or bird of prey. I have caught some big coons, weasels, and gray fox, flying squirrels, and a rare red one. Must be our New York crows are a tad smarter than those in New Hampshire.In any event I just enjoy that I'm still able to get out there in the forest.

Avoiding birds is easy by using a small limb to cover the box entrance and does not hinder fisher or marten entrance.

Never caught a crow here either. And I haven't found much difference in elevated boxes. Having them elevated is darn good piece of mind. If I think I will be short, I'll just add a couple more boxes.

Yup....the crows,red squirrels, weasels, have educated me. With a 31 day season...and a limit, Yah can’t afford any misses.

This year I'm trying the set Sam Wood showed making a cubby out of pine branches. Very excited about this.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HwDIYUQJpzw&t=360s

Check your NY regs. Unless your conibear is recessed in a cage, box, or pail they must be a minimum of 4" off the ground.

That's 4 feet, not inches.