Fisher influence on Bobcats

[NorWester]

I would think wolves would be the black bear's number one problem. What evidence do you have to support your claim that fishers take bear cubs?

[chilcotin hillbilly]

A fisher is the only predator that the black bear has, When a sow is denned up with a couple cubs it is very easy for a fisher to snatch one in the right situation, most bear cubs are only 4-6 pounds, easy game for a 10-15 pound fisher

Thats quite a blacket statement, maybe in Maine not in BC as wolverines, cougars, grizzly, wolves and other black bears all do damage.

[Nolte]

I would bet that is accurate for Maine, besides other bears. A boar will kill cubs if given the chance. I know in WI, wolves will hammer them too in the den. They found a yearling bear that got pulled out the den and killed in the refuge by us.

[david]

Fishers eating bobcats, fishers eating bear cubs, fishers that are 15 lbs, next they'll be taking us....lolol

Dang, Norwester, just when I was begining to think I am an expert on this subject, you show up again.

Well, you say you got a lot of Fisher up there. Ever wonder why there are no deer to speak of up there? Well, now you know. In fact, just think back about all the times you have seen a fisher or fisher tracks. Now, did you ever find elephant tracks in the same area on the same day? I am guessing your answer to that question will be "no" you did not find even one single track. In fact I bet you have not seen one since fishers moved in to that territory.

"Next they'll be taking us"? think back. When was the last time you seen another person walking around in the woods where you saw fresh fisher tracks? How many unsolved missing persons cases do you suppose there are up in the Great North Woods over the last hundred years? Next time you are walking out a track and suddenly realize it is a fisher making fake bobcat tracks, I would stop, look around, take a few steps backward toward the truck, look again, turn and run, not walk, back to the truck. Make sure your windows are rolled up.

[laneysplott]

Yes I was refering to Maine, We have the best bear biology program in the United Staes and the biologist have found several cubs killed by fisher while doing den work.

[NorWester]

Ya know.... perspective is a funny thing, depending on your vantage point, even a slight change of "angle" can alter your view.
People get eaten by bears every year.........but biologists say it's a "rare" occurance.
Several (three maybe four?) bear cubs are killed by fishers....... and the fisher is now promoted to public enemy number 1 for the black bear.
Now I'm not trying to say that something like that can't or could never happen..... but barring the biologist seeing the fisher in action I'd sure like to read how he came to the conlusion it was a fisher that killed the several cubs.

I guess I'm just a skeptic. You know I married into a family of nurses and doctors. Until then I'd (for some reason) had members of the medical community relegated to a pedestool marked only for the elite of our society. What I soon realized was that they can be idiots and fools like everyone else.... they just happen to have made their way thru enough schooling to obtain their degree to become doctors and or nurses.
Not to say that government funded biology is seriously flawed, as we all know the managing bodies of our various state and provincial natural resources are never wrong right?

Now David, I'm gonna let you in on a little secret, so listen...er...read carefully.
It's a known fact that here in Canada no one is permitted ownership of a firearm, yet the hunting up here is outstanding.... How do we do it? Every hunter to hit the woods on Canadian soil does so with his/her own fully loaded.... fisher. One on each hip in holsters designed for quick draw. Find the desired game you are hunting....... and throw your fisher at it.
Game in the bag.
Done and done

[Borderpond]

Norwester, I agree with you on how can a biologist be sure the fisher killed the cubs.Just because a fisher may have fed on a cub doesnt mean they killed it. Cub could have been dead in the den.No way of knowing.Coyotes kill a lot of deer around here,But, I have seen many "coyote killed deer" that were actually road kills the coyotes were feeding on.
As far as Maine having "the best bear biology program in the country" ,I am sure many other states feel the same way about their programs.

[Budd Denny]

, it's been awhile since I've had time to get on the board to follow this post. After all the reading I'm cleaning out the kennels and filling em back up with FISHER , if one can kill humane, bear and bobcat just image what a whole pack could do . (only going with registered, proven stock)

[Ker_man]

Oh Boy, thanks for all the opinions, observations, theories, and the good humor.

Bud did you know that those fishers can run a rabbit about as good as a beagle but don't open much If we could breed them white with spots and call them curs I know a couple places they could be registered .

[laneysplott]

Norwestern The biologist have been doing den work in the spring for over 20 years, when they go in there is in most years 1-5 ft off snow on the ground, I would assume they have seen tracks in the snow which tells them what killed the cubs, they have also found where fisher have killed lynx. I am no biologist but do have pretty good contact with some of them, hope this helps.