[Mnbird] Fisher

[Lou Bellamy]

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From: Mnbird <mnbird-bounces at lists.mnbird.net> on behalf of DONALD GRUSSING Owner via Mnbird <mnbird at lists.mnbird.net>
Sent: Thursday, November 12, 2020 2:20:35 PM
To: mnbird <mnbird at lists.mnbird.net>
Subject: [Mnbird] Fisher

This is not a bird sighting, but may be of interest to birders, especially those who reside in or near Minnetonka.
After the Tuesday snow, I went outside to clear some ground under my feeders. I noticed unusual animal tracks in my back yard and the neighbor's. When I was younger I spent several years trapping animals for their fur. I know many might disapprove of this, but I learned a lot about wildlife habits and tracks.

The tracks I saw looked like mink tracks. But they were larger, and the stride was longer than a mink.  It was much too long a stride to be a weasel .And the feet were too big. I was not sure about opossums, since they did not live in Minnesota during my trapping days. So I contacted a younger neighbor and discussed it.

Certainly not "possum tracks, as verified by a quick Google search. And if a mink, it would have been the largest ever seen. However...

He told me that a couple of days previously he had seen what he thought was a fisher in the rear of his yard. He has seen fisher in Wisconsin, and I have seen them in Minnesota and Wisconsin.  I studied fisher tracks on line, and I am certain the tracks indicated that a fisher has been present in Minnetonka for a few days.  I have never seen a mink or a bobcat or bear in my yard, though nearly every other Minnesota mammal.  And apparently a fisher stopped by and may be living around here some place, or just passing through. Quite unusual.

Don Grussing
Minnetonka
[Image]
So glad to see your note.  I've been almost convinced that these tracks found in my driveway in Long Lake after the first snow were fisher tracks.  Your observation gives me confidence in my identification.
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