Mammal returns to Ohio after more than a century
State DNR: Weasel kin known as fisher mostly found in Northeast
CINCINNATI – A mammal that disappeared from Ohio in the 1800s is making a comeback, and state biologists think it’s here to stay.
A fisher, a mammal related to river otters and weasels, found as roadkill in Ashtabula County in 2023, was recently confirmed to be pregnant, according to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources. Although that fisher did not give birth, state biologists say it’s a sign that fishers are colonizing Ohio.
Despite frequently being called a “fisher cat,” fishers are not cats, nor do they catch fish. They are forest-dwelling carnivorous members of the weasel family.
They mostly live in southern Canada, New England and New York, but can be found in scattered locations in Pennsylvania, West Virginia and Virginia.
Fishers have a bushy tail, tapered muzzle and lowrounded ears. Adults grow to a length of 20-25 inches, excluding the 13- to 16.5-inch tail, and can weigh between 3 pounds and 15 pounds. Males are larger and heavier than females.
They hunt rodents and other animals, both in the trees and on the ground. Their diet also includes fruits and nuts.
Fishers disappeared from Ohio by the mid-1800s, as settlers cleared their habitat and hunted them to near-extinction, according to Farm and Dairy. Since then, there have been 40 confirmed fisher sightings across nine northeast Ohio counties, according to ODNR. Two-thirds of those – about 26 sightings – happened in the past three years. They are moving westward from established populations in Pennsylvania and naturally colonizing Ohio.
The ODNR Division of Wildlife collects roadkill fishers found in Ohio to determine age and test genetics. In February 2023, biologists collected two roadkill fisher carcasses from northeast Ohio. Recently received laboratory results showed that one of the animals was pregnant. The Division of Wildlife anticipates natural reproduction in fishers will be confirmed in the coming years or may already be occurring.
Fishers are a mustelid (family Mustelidae), which includes about 55 species of ferrets, polecats, badgers, martens, otters and weasels, among others.
They are often confused with their cousin, the mink, according to the U.S. Forestry Service. But minks are smaller, measuring 12-16 inches head to tail and weighing 1-2.25 pounds. They have a small, white patch on chin and/or throat/chest and have a shorter, less bushy tail.
The Division of Wildlife relies, in part, on public reports to monitor Ohio’s growing fisher population, as well as black bears, badgers, weasels and bobcats.