Tuesday, September 3, 2013

Fisher Attack

If you don't know what a fisher is - well, it's in the weasel family but more like a wolverine. Nasty creatures, big teeth! They really don't have any natural predators except for humans.... and my big white dawgs! In the wee hours of this morning, under cover of darkness, one of these viscous creatures decided it wanted to dine on a superb chicken dinner at the Davis cafe. We free range the broiler chickens on the lawn and they're just about ready to process. So I suppose the thought of a 7 or 8 lb. meaty bird was just what this fisher had in mind. We close the gate at the house end of the driveway and leave Gabriel, our big male Pyr, out in the yard for their protection. Libby, who is only 4 months old, was in the front pasture with the does (female goats) and Remi, our female, was in the lower pasture with the bucks (male goats). Libby was the first to raise the alarm as the fisher stealthed its way down the driveway. Gabe rushed to the gate yelling "YOU! SHALL! NOT! PASS!" Remi came flying around the back of the pond to join Gabe, or as close as she could get at that gate. We did not lose one bird! The fisher obviously decided we charge too much for a chicken dinner and went to a cheaper diner. Libby, even as young as she is, has the makings of a fabulous guardian. She's got a big dog bark already, and she doesn't tolerate any nonsense from the local wildlife. I heard both Remi and Gabriel telling her, "Well done, Grasshopper!" 
"Well done,Grasshopper!"
"OK, OK, you did good kid. Now go away!"

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4 comments:

Tombstone Livestock said...

Interesting, I have never heard of a Fisher before. Good dogs.

Delirious said...

I've never heard of fishers before. I think I need to google this to see what they look like!

Sandy@American Way Farm said...

Sometimes they're (incorrectly) called a fisher cat. They're in the weasel family, not a cat. Fairly small sized animal about 10-12 lbs, sharp teeth, very viscous like a badger or wolverine. They were hunted for their fur, but conservation has protected their numbers. They're one of the few predators of porcupines. Now that the porcupine overpopulation is under control, they eat people's cats, small dogs, and chickens. They're fearless because they have virtually no animal that will attack them, except humans - and my very brave canine beasts.

Delirious said...

I looked at the picture, and they do look fierce!