The fisher (Pekania pennanti) is a medium-sized mammal belonging to the Mustelidae family, which also includes weasels, otters, and wolverines. This secretive, elusive inhabitant of North American forests is rarely seen by humans, leading to a reputation steeped in folklore. Its nocturnal movements and solitary nature have allowed its legend to grow, often painting it as a fearsome phantom of the woods. One enduring rumor concerns a chilling, high-pitched vocalization that observers claim to hear echoing in the dark. This article examines the accuracy of this popular belief and investigates the true source of the unsettling sounds attributed to the animal.
Defining the Fisher: Appearance and Habitat
Despite the name “fisher cat,” the animal is not a feline and rarely consumes fish. It possesses the long, slender body typical of the weasel family, with a low-slung posture and relatively short legs. The fisher’s coat is a dark, rich brown to black, often with a slightly grizzled appearance on its head and shoulders, and it has a long, bushy tail. Males are noticeably larger than females, weighing between 8 and 13 pounds and measuring up to 47 inches in length, including the tail.
Fishers are found across the boreal and mixed coniferous-hardwood forests of North America, ranging from the Appalachian Mountains to the Sierra Nevada. They are highly adapted to life in forested environments, preferring areas with high canopy cover and complex structure. These animals spend most of their time foraging on the forest floor. They are also skilled climbers, capable of rotating their hind ankles nearly 180 degrees to descend trees headfirst.
Addressing the Myth: Do Fisher Cats Scream?
The belief that the fisher produces a human-like scream is inaccurate based on scientific observation. This myth has spread widely, with the alleged sound often described as similar to a woman shrieking or a distressed baby. This supposed vocalization has solidified the fisher’s place in local lore.
Decades of dedicated field research and tracking have failed to provide verifiable evidence of a healthy, wild fisher routinely emitting such a dramatic sound. Wildlife biologists confirm that the animal’s vocal repertoire does not naturally include the high-pitched scream attributed to it.
The persistence of the myth is likely fueled by the fisher’s shyness. Because it is so rarely seen, any terrifying, unknown sound heard in its habitat is easily attributed to the elusive animal. Even when presented with recordings of other animals, many people remain convinced they have heard the “fisher scream” themselves.
The Fisher’s True Vocal Range
The fisher is a relatively quiet mammal, communicating primarily through scent marking and body language. When a fisher does vocalize, its sounds are generally low-frequency. The most common sounds are a series of low growls and hissing noises, which are often used when the animal is cornered or acting defensively toward a potential threat.
Fishers also produce a chattering or chuckling sound, a raspy, low-volume vocalization. This chattering is thought to be used in close-range communication, possibly between a mother and her kits or during mating rituals. In distressed situations, such as when injured or trapped, a fisher may emit a loud, short screech. This is an alarm or pain response, not a standard communication call.
The Real Culprit: Misidentified Nocturnal Sounds
The high-pitched scream people hear at night and attribute to the fisher is almost always a sound made by another nocturnal animal. The most frequent source of this cry is the Red Fox (Vulpes vulpes). The red fox produces a startling, high-pitched scream or “vixen’s scream” that sounds uncannily like a woman in distress.
These vocalizations are common during the fox’s mating season, which occurs in late winter and early spring. The sound can travel a great distance through the night air, making its source difficult to pinpoint and easy to misidentify.
Other animals, such as bobcats and coyotes, also produce various yelps, howls, and screams that can be mistaken for the folkloric fisher cry. The Red Fox’s specific scream aligns perfectly with the description of the sound that has perpetuated the fisher cat myth.