Guide

Happening unseenMammals

Fishers: not cats, and not the night scream

All year

The fisher is a large member of the weasel family: not a cat, and fish are rarely on its menu. Gone from Massachusetts by the mid-1800s, fishers have come back and now live throughout the state except on Nantucket and Martha's Vineyard.

Why this time of year

Fishers remain active year round and do not hibernate, and they can be active day or night, so one could be moving through the woods in any month.

How to notice it

  1. Look up by day. MassWildlife says fishers rest on branches, in squirrel nests, and in tree cavities during the day, and also rest in hollow logs, stone walls, and brush piles.
  2. Watch backyards and fence lines. MassWildlife says fishers may cross backyards or move along fence lines as they travel between patches of sheltered habitat. Look for the weasel shape: a long, slender body, short legs, and a furred tail about one third of its length, in rich brown to black fur with grizzled grayish head and shoulders.
  3. Get the size right. MassWildlife gives adult males as 8 to 16 pounds and about 3 feet long, and adult females as 4 to 6 pounds and about 2 feet long. A winter coat can grow three inches thick, which often makes a fisher look larger than it is.
  4. If a scream wakes you at night, think fox first. MassWildlife says fishers mostly make quiet growls and chuckle-like grunts and do not scream in the wild; the most likely culprit is a red fox, and bobcats and barn owls may make strange noises too. Be wary of online "fisher scream" videos where you cannot see the animal.

Try this with kids: Fishers are not cats and rarely eat fish, but they can climb headfirst down a tree. Make up a better name for this animal and tell someone why you picked it.

Safety

  • MassWildlife says cats should be kept indoors at all times, and pet rabbits and poultry should be kept in tightly secured buildings or hutches that prevent access by fishers.
  • MassWildlife says the fisher attacks on people that have happened in Massachusetts were likely a cornered animal defending itself, so give a fisher room and never corner one. The agency says not to hesitate to scare a fisher off with loud noises or water sprayed from a hose, and to remove feeders if fishers are regularly seen around your yard.

Sources

  • web.archive.orgMassWildlife 'Living with Wildlife: Fishers in Massachusetts' fact sheet (primary, Internet Archive snapshot 2025-09-01; live mass.gov 403). Range/return: 'The fisher is found throughout Massachusetts, except on Nantucket and Martha's Vineyard.' 'It disappeared from the state by the 19th Century due to agricultural land clearing.' 'Fishers have since made an amazing comeback.' Size/look: 'Adult males weigh 8 to 16 pounds and measure approximately 3 feet in length. Adult females weigh 4 to 6 pounds and measure approximately 2 feet in length.' 'the tail accounts for approximately one-third of the total body length.' 'long, slender body, short legs, and furred tail.' 'rich brown to black with grizzled grayish coloring on the head and shoulders.' Year-round (carries every month incl. December): 'They remain active year round and do not hibernate.' 'They can be active day or night.' Rest: 'They commonly use hollow logs, stonewalls, tree cavities, and brush piles to rest.' Pets: 'For their safety, cats should be kept indoors at all times. Pet rabbits and poultry should be kept in tightly secured buildings or hutches that prevent access by fishers.' 'Don't hesitate to scare or threaten fishers with loud noises, bright lights, or water sprayed from a hose.' Also (quote confirmed by the refute pass 2026-11-10): 'Remove feeders if fishers are regularly seen around your yard.'
  • web.archive.orgMassWildlife 'Learn about fishers' web page (primary, Internet Archive snapshot 2026-04-11; live page 403). Same text as the fact sheet: 'Fishers are members of the weasel family. They are shy and elusive, but can be found throughout Massachusetts.' 'They remain active year round and do not hibernate.' 'They can be active day or night.' 'For their safety, cats should be kept indoors at all times.' Does not mention screams.
  • web.archive.orgMassWildlife, Massachusetts Wildlife magazine No. 3, 2024, 'Demystifying the Fisher' by Alyssa Grayson (primary agency publication, Internet Archive snapshot 2025-09-01). Not a cat, not a fish-eater: 'Fishers do not typically eat fish, nor are they cats - they are members of the weasel family'; 'fish are rarely on the menu.' Return: 'the last fisher being seen in the mid-19th century'; 'expanded their range eastward and were present on Cape Cod by 2005'; 'no known fisher population on Martha's Vineyard or Nantucket.' December: 'Between November and December, fishers shed much of their insulating undercoat during an annual molt. They are well-adapted to cold weather and do not hibernate.' Coat: 'three inches thick in the wintertime, which often makes them appear much larger than they are.' Climbing: 'climb headfirst up and down trees.' Scream: 'most of their vocalizations are limited to quiet growls and chuckle-like grunts. They do not "scream" during mating season, nor after a successful hunt.' 'a few documented cases of young fishers making scream-like noises, but all were animals in captive settings.' 'the most likely culprit is a red fox.' 'Bobcats and barn owls may be another source of strange noises.' 'Be wary of any videos circulating on the web claiming to capture "fisher screams" when the animal making the noise is not visible.' Where to look: 'Fishers will rest on branches, in squirrel nests, and in tree cavities during the day.' 'seen crossing backyards or moving along fence lines as they travel from one section of sheltered habitat to another.' People: 'the incidents that have occurred in Massachusetts were likely the result of a defensive action by a cornered animal.'
  • web.archive.orgMassWildlife, Massachusetts Wildlife magazine No. 3, 2024, 'Meet the Mustelids' (primary agency publication, Internet Archive snapshot 2025-09-01). Gloss: 'There are five mustelids that currently occur in Massachusetts', listing North American river otter, fisher ('the second-largest'), American mink, long-tailed weasel, and American ermine. Fisher entry: 'Length 2-3 feet. Tail is about 1/3 of total body length. Weight 4-16 pounds.' Track figure 'Fisher: 2 1/4"' with 'Tracks Not To Scale' (not used in card, see notes).
  • massaudubon.orgMass Audubon species page (secondary, nonprofit). 'Despite commonly being called a fisher cat, a Fisher is not a cat, nor do they catch fish.' 'the second-largest member of the weasel family found in Massachusetts, after the North American River Otter.' Year-round: 'active both night and day throughout the year.' Range: 'They could potentially be found in practically every community in Massachusetts.' Scream: 'the nighttime vocalist in these videos is nearly always a Red Fox.' Return: 'Fishers were forced out of southern New England by the 19th century' and 'the forests gradually returned to the landscape and the Fishers followed.'

Checked against these sources on November 10, 2026.

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