When you think of a fisher, you might picture something like a mink mixed with wolverine. A fisher is a medium-sized carnivore in the weasel family that was extirpated from Ohio (eradicated from part of its home range) for over 160 years due to over-harvesting and habitat loss. However, the species has been making recent appearances in the Buckeye State!
In 2009, sightings were reported along the Ohio/West Virginia border in Washington County. In 2010, a male fisher was collected from a roadway in Lake County, struck by a vehicle. Two years ago, a fisher photo bombed a hunter’s trail camera in Trumbull County. This year, more trail cam photos were taken of an active fisher in Ashtabula County. Other states are also seeing fisher populations expand, which might help explain the presence of fishers in Ohio. Another explanation might be that they’re following their favorite food — the porcupine. That’s right, fishers are one of the few predators of the prickly rodent! We have indeed also received a few reports over the years of porcupine activity in northeastern Ohio.
Fishers in Ohio are still listed as “extirpated”, but that seems to be a subject that may be up for review in the near future. Learn more about these cool creatures: http://ow.ly/sTsM30mtFTi
We rely on reports of fishers and other species to help track population presence and trends. If you observe or receive a report of a species you want us to know about, please report it at wildohio.gov/reportwildlife or call 1-800-WILDLIFE.