The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-04-09
GRIT OF THE BLACK CAT.
ODD THINGS ABOUT THE CREATURE
KNOTN As THE FISHER.
Four Dogs of Assorted Breeds werstcd by
Fifteen Pounds of Fight and Muscle
Battle with n Beaver Against Great Odds
Tho Only Animal to Fight Porcupines.

Fifteen Pounds of Fight and Muscle
Battle with n Beaver Against Great Odds
Tho Only Animal to Fight Porcupines.
FREDERICTON n. b.. April 4-Whcn Arthur
Pringle. the veteran guide and hunter, arrived
In town yesterday from the headwaters OF tho
Nor-West Miramichi with the proceeds OF his
winters trapping. it was plain that he had had
a more than usually successful season. His
pile consisted OF twelve handsome offers. thir-
ty-two sables. fourteen mink. twenty-three
foxes and seventeen lynxes and wildcats. In
addition to these there were three fine speci-
mems OF the black cat or fisher.
"Fishers,' said Pringle. used to be far
more plentiful in this province than they are
now. and it was the easiest thing In the world
to trap them. Now they're suspicious and
fight shy OF the bait. They seem to be forever
on the move. and cover a big scope OF country
in their travels. Still. they seem to have rcGu-
lar hunting grounds on which they appear
every fortnight or three weeks. You will find
them here to-day and fifteen or twenty miles
away tomorrow. l came upon the track ola
fisher last winter that had lost most OF one foot
in a trap. making it easy to distinguish his
trail in the snow from that Of any other fisher.
This was in the Nor West country on one Of the
spurs OF Little Bald Mountain. / was travelling
about due north over my line. which ran about
forty miles In that direction to within a rabbit
jump Of the old county line. l made the trip in
two days, and next morning struck the trail OF
old neutrality-suspicious. within twenty rods OF
the camp. | don't know where else he had
been. but he had certainly made forty miles OF
northing in a little moro than two days.
There are two or three queer points about
the black cat. Inthe first place. I'd like to know
why he is called a fisher. He never does any
fishing. Then. again. why is he classed as be-
longing to the marten family? He is really
built more on the lines Of n hear in front and a
fox behind, only nature made a smoother Job
Of it at both ends. Another thing I'd like to
know is. where does he get his speed Now, a
black cat is n heavy set. short-legged animal.
but he can run so fast you'd think a fox or sa-
bic was standing still. He will not average
more than fifteen pounds in weight. and |
should think twenty pounds would he the out
side limit. His color varies all the way from a
good old fashioned brlndle to nearly Jet black.
The darker tho fur the more it will fetch. The
cubs are Just about the shade OF one Of these
here Frcewill picnic doughnuts. A good prime
fisher skin will bring from SO to Sl1.
1.-The fisher rambles around so much that
his domestic affairs are in n shockingly bad
shape. His home is usually a hollow log. IA hole
under n root or crcvice In the rocks similar to
that of the pine marten or sable. The cubs are
horn in May or June. ] never came across a
she fisher with moro than two kittens. but l
guess. like tho marten, they sometimes have
three or four. But talk about your fighters!
There is nothing Of his weight or anywhere
neac 1t that has any business with the black
cat. fc il not much more than half the size OF
the lynx or bob rat. but mother Of these is in
his class. II you give him room enough. | be-
licye he can bold his own with as many dogs as
YOU can find from here to Pokosk. wouldn't
have believed it il l hadn't seen it.
My old trapping partner. Henry Braith-
waite. once chased Il fisher with n foxhound, n
bull terrier. n beagle and n thoroughbred mon
Grel that belonged to Jack Gibson OF Marys-
willie. He asked mo to come along and see the
sport. Tho black cat had crossed his trail in
the morning. aud Ilcury thought all he had 10
do was set the ,noMnd on his track and the
other dogs would follow the hound. ana if they
ever overlook tine eat 1t would he Il question OF
us getting thcr" IN time to save any Ol tho
piccc.. Well. We tracked the fisher till about >
o'clock. when ~" dogs oI"rh2ul"I him and he
took relnGc il rhc, trunE, Of u hollow
storm. All four of IN" dogs wore at
III" hole when "" arrived. IuSt hGwiing
Tor 4 chance TO 'nAh" n lhral OF that "at. -IiCnrE
told me TO stand hyNGd sce the C.rcus, He hH,I
no axe. to onru 'p the log with, scout u club
Tn" dogs YER ; lerro that It didn't ,c"m iiE"
fur p!ayat a to !r, th"n all pile inr%thnt I"or,
the log the rut ai"prca out with his haIr mrurd
tn" wrong way. II" l,nst sprang from one dog
tb hnntli"t-jnc hHt'N Ulul I ~ pear 10 make
any din rene" TO hiW-Hud there was u bunrh
of fur floating IN the AIR aud u dog turned up
side down every SWire he Iniuu. Ito iplt u reg
uiar wake OF dog behind him and then
ramhl"l of peacefully as il II" had 10
hard feelings whatever. Ihc dogs. though.
got np right away and followed tho eat, howl-
ing for all or oven NOR" than they w"r" worth.
/ had the gun ready Ia shoot. LEtt the dogs ArIt
SO clos" To the fisher that | couldn't fire for
fear Of hitting them. and soon tho whole pro-
crssinh passed. ont Of range. The fisher would
Just trot along on th" snow and when ia" dogs
came too clusr Tor comfort h" would turn
around and pull hair and chns" them. W."
didn't get the en- a va expected, and 10 mako
matters worse ha! walked 50 far hat we came
near having t. stay 'ut that night without din
ner or slpr"r
"Eyou want t0tr1p y Usher tho dcadfalI Is
prrirrah!r ~ tn" steel trap, but care should h,
| taken to makr T. H"rr heavy. IA the StruI eth of
IT." "nimIl o., rr..urhhhI" m" ,lUadiali Will
| MIL nNH ir.Or' H." has "uh" 'rr % thr'-haronnd
! and destroy ihr IN. fresh trout = TN" best
bait. m ~'''.GE tue !nti'ala good sued ire"
l. rut tIpWG dIri TIA trtr sol IN 'ut ct ihO
stump HNr't hl,ae. high. II Il steel tran il
used II should he Il la'Er one thlt will catch the
fisher high up on the leg. or else he will twist
his foot Off.
The tlsher is the only animal We Lave that
will ta"kl" n porrupine, The bear knows too
much I" face that hrigcrow Of puills. ! have
l never caught a fox. lynx or any other animal