MCR Monthly Newsletter

FEBRUARY 2026

For the Merrill Creek Reservoir animal lovers, this month I would like to talk about one of the most elusive animals that calls MCR home, the FISHER!

A Fisher, often called a “Fisher Cat”, is not a cat at all, but is instead part of the family Mustelidae, a group that includes: weasels, mink, badgers, otters, and wolverines. In fact, they most closely resemble a large mink but with a much wider face!

The Fisher weighs about 8 to 14 pounds and is about 30-36 inches nose to tip of tail with males being larger.  A swift and elegant tree climbing furbearer, they are seldom seen as they are a solitary opportunistic predator that are primarily nocturnal and crepuscular (active at dawn and dusk).  However, they can be active during the day, particularly in winter as they do not hibernate.

They have a home range of as much as 30 square miles and will travel long distances to prey on mice, shrews, squirrels, rabbits, chipmunks, small birds and even porcupines. They will also consume fruits, nuts and carrion. Because of their low population densities and varied diet, Fishers typically do not affect prey populations.

They prefer dense, mature coniferous or mixed forests, where they use hollow logs, rock crevices, and tree cavities for resting. Fishers breed from February to March and exhibit a reproductive strategy called “delayed implantation.” The adult female breeds within days after giving birth, but the fertilized eggs remain dormant in her uterus for the next 10 –11 months. The fertilized eggs then implant in the uterine wall and begin normal development. They have 1 litter per year of only 2 to 3 kits. Maternal dens, typically located in a cavity high in a large tree, are used for the first 8–10 weeks. Once the kits become mobile, they are moved from the maternal den to one on or below the ground.

Due to habitat loss and exploitation hunting for its fur, Fishers became extirpated (pushed out) from New Jersey about 1900.  Despite its past disappearance from New Jersey, the combined effects of trapping bans and nearby translocation projects in the late 1990’s in New York and Pennsylvania, are resulting in the Fisher’s resurgence in New Jersey. The Fisher was first reconfirmed in NJ in 2006 in Stokes State Forest and since then there have been multiple sightings mostly in northern and northwestern NJ (Sussex and Warren Counties).

Over the past three years there have been three confirmed Fisher sightings at MCR, with one of them photographed and videoed on a Merrill Creek Reservoir trail camera! 

Fisher Caught on Camera at MCR in October 2023

Fisher Caught on Camera at MCR October 2023

If you are lucky enough to get a picture of the secretive Fisher at Merrill Creek, PLEASE share it with us as MCR is working with NJDFW to monitor their presence here.  NOTE: MCR has a robust Mink population, and they are pretty common around the property, especially along the shoreline of the reservoir near the dikes and main dam.  Mink and Fishers look very similar:  Fishers are much larger (8–14 lbs) than Minks (2–3 lbs), featuring a stouter build, longer/busher tails, and a gold/silver-toned head, whereas minks are slender, have smaller white chin patches, and prefer wet habitats. Fishers are agile forest climbers hunting mammals, while minks are semi-aquatic.  Fishers are agile forest climbers hunting mammals, while minks are semi-aquatic. 

Enjoy the outdoors!

Ranger Rich