OUTDOOR Tales and Trails

BY DAVE BECK

Fisher trapping season closed last week. I didn’t trap the entire season, but I did enough to know that I have a lot to learn. It was a blessing and a curse when the snow forced me to pull my traps.

I am relatively new to fisher trapping as my only other experience goes way back to when I was a young boy trapping muskrats on the Mississippi and live trapping coon in my back yard. I also trapped rabbits using pan style traps because I didn’t know any better. Had I known that they were more suited for coyotes and fox, maybe my trapping career wouldn’t have experienced such a long hiatus.

This is my second season trapping fisher and the more I do it the more respect I have for the animal. It is definitely not the same as trapping coon or muskrats. Trapping is about learning from both your successes and failures. With coon or muskrat trapping, even a novice like me tasted moderate success. Fishers are not fooled easily. Last year I had trail camera pictures of them near and around my traps, but not once did they commit enough to set one off.

Another reason that I have become a fan of the fisher is because of their unique and somewhat nomadic lifestyle. They can have a home range of up to 10 miles and it may take them up to three weeks to make a round trip. They are opportunistic feeders taking advantage of field dressed deer leftovers or raiding squirrel nests in the treetops. Adult fishers have no real predators aside from humans so with me included in that group, they fear nothing.

If you are expecting details of my trapping season, there’s not a lot to pass on. With all of the snow we received in December and early January my traps were completely snowed in a couple of times. The bigger issue with all that snow was that it kept getting tougher and tougher to get to the traps and for that reason, I pulled my traps early.

Another reason for my poor showing this year was an unexpected rival: mice. They seemed to find my traps almost immediately and got fat at the expense of my fisher bait. I used northern pike backbone, venison scraps, and chicken. An unofficial poll shows that mice love all three. At first, I didn’t notice the vermin but a closer look at pictures from the deer cameras placed on my box traps often revealed two beady eyes looking at the camera. I was amazed how many and how often the mice visited my setups to enjoy the free offerings. They had no self-control whatsoever. They ate until the fish/venison/chicken buffet was empty.

So, between the snow and the mice, my trapping season was kind of a bust. The upside is that the season was also a learning experience. I hope to draw a tag again next year because I already have a plan, at least for the mice. I’m wrapping my bait in window screen which I’ve both heard and read that is kryptonite for mice. Then again, mice are my fisher trapping kryptonite.

Didn’t get enough Dave this week? Visit “Outdoor Trails and Tales with Dave Beck” on Facebook for photos and video of Dave’s adventures. You can share your own photos and video with him there as well, or by emailing him at [email protected] Also, check out OTT content on Instagram @ thepiercecountyjournal