What did I see in our back yard? (Hope: live, floors)

[Maine Writer]

Skunks are starting to put on winter coats and can look more white than usual this time of year.

[Mark S.]

Pretty sure it was a skunk now. Didn't see it last night, but definitely smelled it. By far the biggest skunk I have ever seen. Looks like his daddy was a bear.

[Westernfrog45]

Originally Posted by AustinB

I can't help it, but I've seen it mentioned on here a couple of times... The animal is not a fishercat. It is just a fisher. It is a part of the weasel family. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fisher_(animal)

Coming from Unity College, and having spent many years in the Maine woods. I am well aware of the technical name of them as well as the entire family lineage. I prefer to use the name Fishercat as it is representative of the local culture. Same as the term Timberdoodle for woodcock, bug for the North American Lobster. Or other terms like dooryard, stoved up, apiece regarding distance, or even the term wicked.

There is a reason why people love Maine, and it's because of small nuances like that. Much of the state I love has been ruined because of the folks who move up here from away. They come up, change names, enact ordinances, make tons of rules, slap up the posted signs and the next thing you know it's just like where they came from.

Not cool at all.

[Maine Writer]

Originally Posted by The-Raven

There is a reason why people love Maine, and it's because of small nuances like that. Much of the state I love has been ruined because of the folks who move up here from away. They come up, change names, enact ordinances, make tons of rules, slap up the posted signs and the next thing you know it's just like where they came from.

Not cool at all.

Why mislead people? I have been asked (via a Maine-based publication I own) numerous times why fishercats look so different than other cats. My kid goes to Unity College. I'm curious now and will ask her if she's hearing fishercat there. I've never heard anyone in the four generations of lobstermen in my family refer to a lobster as a bug. I did once name a Girl Scout day camp after timberdoodles but then had to explain it often. I haven't made the connection between a misleading name and ordinances, rules and posted signs so I'll have to leave that one alone. I'm not from away. AustinB's gonna be shocked when he finds out he is.

[AustinB]

Originally Posted by Maine Writer

Why mislead people? I have been asked (via a Maine-based publication I own) numerous times why fishercats look so different than other cats. My kid goes to Unity College. I'm curious now and will ask her if she's hearing fishercat there. I've never heard anyone in the four generations of lobstermen in my family refer to a lobster as a bug. I did once name a Girl Scout day camp after timberdoodles but then had to explain it often. I haven't made the connection between a misleading name and ordinances, rules and posted signs so I'll have to leave that one alone. I'm not from away. AustinB's gonna be shocked when he finds out he is.

The only people I've heard call fishers, fishercats, are transplants...

[ETex2]

Honey badger.

Pretty bad ass and always remember: honey badger don't care.


The Crazy Nastyass Honey Badger (original narration by Randall) - YouTube

[Kracer]

Skunks have a wide variety of patterns and colors that range from bluish black to a roan color. Supposedly males have less white than a female but the white may be missing or it may be large double white stripe or anything in between.

I like to pick up roadkills for fur but one hot July day I came across a roan colored critter and had to stop to id it. Darn if it wasn't a skunk. Hide too thin in the summer and I was on my way to a business meeting and didn't have my camera. Had the color of a pale irish setter or roan colored horse.
Skunks don't usually move very fast because they know, that you know, the power of their scent. Neat critters often show no fear, which is also a symptom of rabies, so these guys get a lot of bad publicity.

[Since72]

Baby albino bigfoot.

[retiredtinbender]

Originally Posted by The-Raven

Coming from Unity College, and having spent many years in the Maine woods. I am well aware of the technical name of them as well as the entire family lineage. I prefer to use the name Fishercat as it is representative of the local culture. Same as the term Timberdoodle for woodcock, bug for the North American Lobster. Or other terms like dooryard, stoved up, apiece regarding distance, or even the term wicked.

There is a reason why people love Maine, and it's because of small nuances like that. Much of the state I love has been ruined because of the folks who move up here from away. They come up, change names, enact ordinances, make tons of rules, slap up the posted signs and the next thing you know it's just like where they came from.

Not cool at all.

Perhaps the reason they do that is too many people tearing up or destroying their property hunting "fishercats", and going on snipe hunts. Last I knew Fisher Cats were a minor league team from NH. Even spellcheck doesn't recognize the word. And BTW, I'm not from away either.

I still think it's a big skunk even if you didn't smell it the first time. I tell ya, next time tell it to wait for you.

[Newdaawn]

Best you keep your trash barrels in the garage or somewhere where the skunks can't get at them or you will end up with a huge problem. We had a couple "mostly" white skunks pass through our back yard on a regular basis through the winter. It seems a couple neighbors keep overturned old canoes in their back yards and the skunks use them for shelter.