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  • Question for you guys

    Saw a black animal today about the size of a fox. It was quite near my new home I am near the Cumberland Gap TN KY border. Are Fisher cats this far south? Are they about the size of a fox? I thought it might be a Marten but I just read Martens only weigh a couple fo pounds ??? Sorry guys and gals no picturs of this one I was turning off a highway ont a side road and it was just staring at me as I slowed he he rn into the woods. On another note further down the same road is a pond which is caused by the daming of a small creek. They let the water down in the winter and there was a guy out on the far bank walking slow with a walking stick with his head down??? Not sure what he was doing? I think I have to check though. This was within a mile of home.
    TN formerly CT Visit our store http://stores.arrowheads.com/store.p...m-Trading-Post

  • #2
    I've seen red foxes with very dark coats, also saw a Coyote that was darn near black before otherwise no idea. I don't think we have Marten, and I'm not even sure what a fisher cat is? I did see my first in the wild River otter a few weeks ago on the Tennessee river, set and watched him fish up the bank for about 10 minutes. Pretty big guy too probably between 3-4 ft from head to tail just guessing from about 40 yds.

    Guy with walking stick and head on ground? Hmmm...
    Josh (Ky/Tn collector)

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    • Kyflintguy
      Kyflintguy commented
      Editing a comment
      I don't even know if we have River otter btw, just struck me as a big critter for a weasel...

  • #3
    Well, fishers certainly do have dark pelts and I suspect Ron has seen a few up his way. Didn't think TN was in their range. Could it have been a black coyote hybrid?
    And you're right-- martens & weasels are small, even fluffed up. And a wet beaver is brown, in or out of water.
    You may have seen a rare black fox. The Cherokee refer to a chief called Black Fox so there must have been some around your region. Just thinking out loud...
    Last edited by Havenhunter; 01-29-2018, 10:51 PM.
    Child of the tides

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    • #4
      There are no martens within hundreds or thousand miles of your area. Red foxes can have a dark phase which is rare but they do occur in the wild. Trappers in Alaska call them silver foxes because sometimes their guard hairs have a light colored tip. That phase is not common but they do occur. Also, martens are more of like a mink in size and usually are more brown in color. Minks usually are darker than are martens and are found near water. Martens are critters of the more northern forests where one of their main prey are red squirrels. Have you ruled out a large feral cat?

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      • #5
        Just a little history in case anyone doesn't know. The red fox is not native to America. The Europeans brought them here because they didn't like our native gray fox. The gray fox trees when chased with hounds and the red fox does not tree. Our native gray fox can have a dark nearly black coat. The fisher also trees when we put the hounds on them. The fisher is black as a lump of coal.

        There was a red fox in America but not the same animal that the Europeans introduced in the East.
        Last edited by Ron Kelley; 01-30-2018, 07:08 AM.
        Michigan Yooper
        If You Don’t Stand for Something, You’ll Fall for Anything

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        • Havenhunter
          Havenhunter commented
          Editing a comment
          Ron, how does a fisher compare in size to a silver fox? Understand they are capable hunters. Wouldn't think one would wander that far south but suppose it's possible. Still think it's a fox.

        • Ron Kelley
          Ron Kelley commented
          Editing a comment
          Yes probably our native gray fox. The fisher is long but not as tall as fox.

      • #6
        Hey Matt, in 2002 the Defenders of Wildlife began releasing fishers in TN as they were once native but trapped to extinction. You may have spotted a descendant. You are really seeing some great wildlife near your new home.
        Child of the tides

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        • #7
          I think it was a Fisher because its snout was too short to be a fox. It also looked right at me and it's ears were more rounded at the tips. I have seen Coyotes and Fox lots of them this was definetly different. I felt blessed for sure. Then seeing the guy walking around with a walking stick looking at the pond shore I felt even more blessed. I see cars parked in that area all the time. I figured folks were just out for a hike. This one person was not hiking. LOL I know that walk. I have walked hundreds erhaps thousands of miles with that same slow steady gait.
          TN formerly CT Visit our store http://stores.arrowheads.com/store.p...m-Trading-Post

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          • #8
            Well how blessed you are to see such a fascinating animal. Years ago I read a series of books written by Helen Hoover. She and her husband lived in a log cabin in NE MN and they spent their winters feeding some of the most amazing animals who would come to their cabin for refuge. Fishers, weasels, flying squirrels, deer, birds-- nothing went hungry, even when they were down to their last can of soup. A Fisher would be something to see!
            Child of the tides

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            • #9
              Fox certainly can range in color through the black end of the spectrum. A wet river otter, nutria, or beaver could also be the culprit...but a fisher that far south is lost and looking for a ride home....
              Wandering wherever I can, mostly in Eastern Arkansas, always looking down.

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              • Havenhunter
                Havenhunter commented
                Editing a comment
                You must not have read my comment. Fishers were reintroduced to TN in 2002 as they were once native. I think Matt is spot on.

            • #10
              Sure it wasn't one of these?
              Searching the fields of NW Indiana and SW Michigan

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              • #11
                What about a big skunk .. oddity with no white stripe .
                Even a large schrew is to small .
                Greg beat me ... Yedi

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                • #12
                  I did miss your comments Deb...sorry. That is crazy that they brought them back, but that's awesome that they did!
                  Wandering wherever I can, mostly in Eastern Arkansas, always looking down.

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