TR: Early Steelhead Fishing & Other stuff

On Nov 15, 9:48*pm, DaveS wrote:

Well I looked at some pictures and now I am further puzzled. The
picture most like what i saw looks like a Fisher. The Wiki pix is the
color i saw. It was definitly not an Otter, nor a Mink. Size and tails
don't work. And probably not a Marten because those ears and their
color don't fly. I think I saw a Fisher. Wiki map shows range of the
Fisher coming down into Blue and Ochico Mt's in Oregon, but says they
were pretty much gone from W.Wa except for a planting in 2008 in the
Olympic Mtns.

I've seen exactly two fishers in my life.....both of them in the wild.
Given their size, overall configuration, and habitat, the only things
they could possibly be confused with are martens or otters. As in
your case, both of those were eliminated by various cues. Mink was
not even a realistic possibility.....these animals were both several
times too large to be mink. Scarcity always makes one wonder, but
when no other plausible possibility presents itself......

Per the coyotes, even on my Island they've pretty much worked their
way thru the feral cats, and the ranging domestics. I think we lost
one that way. Folks here think the packs will try to lure out loose
dogs.

Interesting, about the cats. I'd have thought that coyotes would
content themselves with much less dangerous prey. As for luring loose
dogs, yeah, that wouldn't surprise me. I've seen a pair of coyotes
follow a dog for a couple of miles. I think the only thing that saved
the dog was that it stayed relatively close to its owner, who was
riding his bike in to the parking lot at Slew Creek in Yellowstone.

Most days the coyotes howl for part of the night, and the sea
lions bark on and off for the rest. Sometimes "newcomers" ask "if
something can be done about it."

Well, they could be shot.

Per the hawks I generally assume they are Redtails but fact is I
should look at some pix because I know there are some different ones I
see.

Day in and day out, in this part of the world, Redtail is the safe
default assumption.....for those who don't know their hawks very
well. Some winters Rough-legged is a better bet, and in some
environments it might be harriers or even, in a few times and places,
Cooper's. But Redtail is indeed what most of them are most of the
time.

Here in W.Wa I see Eagles more often than hawks. Over on the
Eastside, there is a wind setup that blows thru a narrow gap (200
yards) West of me, and up-swells. The hawks tend to hang there over
the line of river trees. I should find out specifically what they are.

Sounds very typical of Redtails.....but I don't know western species.
Could well be something else.

Eagles can be seen just about anywhere in Wisconsin these days, but
the best bet is near the Wisconsin River or the
Mississippi.....especially in winter. I've counted well over a
hundred perched on one smallish island in the Mississippi between La
Crosse and Prairie du Chien. Many more were in flight throughout the
area. One never actually gets blasé about it, but the adrenaline rush
sort of runs out after a couple thousand.

Wolfgang

On Nov 17, 5:13*pm, Giles wrote:
On Nov 15, 9:48*pm, DaveS wrote:

Well I looked at some pictures and now I am further puzzled. The
picture most like what i saw looks like a Fisher. The Wiki pix is the
color i saw. It was definitly not an Otter, nor a Mink. Size and tails
don't work. And probably not a Marten because those ears and their
color don't fly. I think I saw a Fisher. Wiki map shows range of the
Fisher coming down into Blue and Ochico Mt's in Oregon, but says they
were pretty much gone from W.Wa except for a planting in 2008 in the
Olympic Mtns.

I've seen exactly two fishers in my life.....both of them in the wild.
Given their size, overall configuration, and habitat, the only things
they could possibly be confused with are martens or otters. *As in
your case, both of those were eliminated by various cues. *Mink was
not even a realistic possibility.....these animals were both several
times too large to be mink. *Scarcity always makes one wonder, but
when no other plausible possibility presents itself......

Per the coyotes, even on my Island they've pretty much worked their
way thru the feral cats, and the ranging domestics. I think we lost
one that way. Folks here think the packs will try to lure out loose
dogs.

Interesting, about the cats. *I'd have thought that coyotes would
content themselves with much less dangerous prey. *As for luring loose
dogs, yeah, that wouldn't surprise me. *I've seen a pair of coyotes
follow a dog for a couple of miles. *I think the only thing that saved
the dog was that it stayed relatively close to its owner, who was
riding his bike in to the parking lot at Slew Creek in Yellowstone.

Most days the coyotes howl for part of the night, and the sea
lions bark on and off for the rest. Sometimes "newcomers" ask "if
something can be done about it."

Well, they could be shot.

Per the hawks I generally assume they are Redtails but fact is I
should look at some pix because I know there are some different ones I
see.

Day in and day out, in this part of the world, Redtail is the safe
default assumption.....for those who don't know their hawks very
well. *Some winters Rough-legged is a better bet, and in some
environments it might be harriers or even, in a few times and places,
Cooper's. *But Redtail is indeed what most of them are most of the
time.

Here in W.Wa I see Eagles more often than hawks. Over on the
Eastside, there is a wind setup that blows thru a narrow gap (200
yards) West of me, and up-swells. The hawks tend to hang there over
the line of river trees. I should find out specifically what they are.

Sounds very typical of Redtails.....but I don't know western species.
Could well be something else.

Eagles can be seen just about anywhere in Wisconsin these days, but
the best bet is near the Wisconsin River or the
Mississippi.....especially in winter. *I've counted well over a
hundred perched on one smallish island in the Mississippi between La
Crosse and Prairie du Chien. *Many more were in flight throughout the
area. *One never actually gets blasé about it, but the adrenaline rush
sort of runs out after a couple thousand. * * *

Wolfgang

The concerns around here seem to be on the seabirds. The Eagles seem
to be relatively plentiful. Bald down where I am, Golden northward
like up in the San Juan islands. Not sure about the Ospreys.
Occasional on this island.

Dave

On Nov 17, 5:13*pm, Giles wrote:
On Nov 15, 9:48*pm, DaveS wrote:

Well I looked at some pictures and now I am further puzzled. The
picture most like what i saw looks like a Fisher. The Wiki pix is the
color i saw. It was definitly not an Otter, nor a Mink. Size and tails
don't work. And probably not a Marten because those ears and their
color don't fly. I think I saw a Fisher. Wiki map shows range of the
Fisher coming down into Blue and Ochico Mt's in Oregon, but says they
were pretty much gone from W.Wa except for a planting in 2008 in the
Olympic Mtns.

I've seen exactly two fishers in my life.....both of them in the wild.
Given their size, overall configuration, and habitat, the only things
they could possibly be confused with are martens or otters. *As in
your case, both of those were eliminated by various cues. *Mink was
not even a realistic possibility.....these animals were both several
times too large to be mink. *Scarcity always makes one wonder, but
when no other plausible possibility presents itself......

Per the coyotes, even on my Island they've pretty much worked their
way thru the feral cats, and the ranging domestics. I think we lost
one that way. Folks here think the packs will try to lure out loose
dogs.

Interesting, about the cats. *I'd have thought that coyotes would
content themselves with much less dangerous prey. *As for luring loose
dogs, yeah, that wouldn't surprise me. *I've seen a pair of coyotes
follow a dog for a couple of miles. *I think the only thing that saved
the dog was that it stayed relatively close to its owner, who was
riding his bike in to the parking lot at Slew Creek in Yellowstone.

Most days the coyotes howl for part of the night, and the sea
lions bark on and off for the rest. Sometimes "newcomers" ask "if
something can be done about it."

Well, they could be shot.

Per the hawks I generally assume they are Redtails but fact is I
should look at some pix because I know there are some different ones I
see.

Day in and day out, in this part of the world, Redtail is the safe
default assumption.....for those who don't know their hawks very
well. *Some winters Rough-legged is a better bet, and in some
environments it might be harriers or even, in a few times and places,
Cooper's. *But Redtail is indeed what most of them are most of the
time.

Here in W.Wa I see Eagles more often than hawks. Over on the
Eastside, there is a wind setup that blows thru a narrow gap (200
yards) West of me, and up-swells. The hawks tend to hang there over
the line of river trees. I should find out specifically what they are.

Sounds very typical of Redtails.....but I don't know western species.
Could well be something else.

Eagles can be seen just about anywhere in Wisconsin these days, but
the best bet is near the Wisconsin River or the
Mississippi.....especially in winter. *I've counted well over a
hundred perched on one smallish island in the Mississippi between La
Crosse and Prairie du Chien. *Many more were in flight throughout the
area. *One never actually gets blasé about it, but the adrenaline rush
sort of runs out after a couple thousand. * * *

Wolfgang

Concern around here is with the seabirds. Eagles, bald here, Goldens
further north like up in san Juans . . . doing fins AFAIK

Dave