Are There Fisher Cats in Barrington?

My son, Andrew, enjoys solitary walks, preferably at night.  He never mentioned hearing a fisher cat until I wondered aloud if we had them in town. 

The fisher's call is usually described as an eerie, blood-curdling scream.  Andrew calmly nodded and said, "Yeah, I hear that all the time. Something evil is living in the woods along the bike path."

The reason fishers came up in conversation was the cat -- or more accurately, half a cat -- I saw beside the bike path.  Fishers are notorious for tearing their prey apart.  When the snow melted this spring, I found more evidence of their handiwork, this time of the squirrel variety, in the back yard. 

I myself have not seen a fisher in Barrington, nor heard of anyone who has. They're definitely present in Rhode Island, and according to the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management, their numbers are increasing. 

Fishers are members of the weasel family.  Their appearance suggests a ferret crossed with a bear.  The fisher I saw loping across Route 6 in Foster during one twilight drive was about the size of a large cat, but it has a distinctive way of moving.  Envision a  big, furry Slinky, and you'll have a pretty accurate mental picture.

I'm glad Barrington is considering permitting back yard chicken coops.  But it seems to me that the possibility of fisher cats is something anyone who's contemplating chickens needs to consider. 

My sister lives in central Massachusetts and, for a while, she was getting fresh eggs from a friend who kept hens.  That came to a stop when a fisher got into the  hen house one night and shredded the entire flock.  

The moral of the story is that where fishers are present, chicken coops need to be weasel-proof.  A dog on duty might not provide sufficient deterrent.  A fisher is willing to take on a porcupine.  Comparatively, a golden retriever really isn't all that daunting.

The presence of fishers is something for pet owners to consider, as well.  In a Providence Journal article by Stu Woo (August 14, 2007), University of Rhode Island wildlife professor Thomas P. Husband stated that a fisher was living in his South Kingston neighborhood. He gave the opinion that many of the missing pets blamed on coyotes were actually the work of fishers.

So, do we have fisher cats in Barrington?