Vermont mammals

Fisher in Vermont

Pekania pennanti

Native to Vermont S5 Secure in Vermont

Not listed as nonindigenous in Vermont by USGS NAS; native to its Vermont range.

IUCN Red List status

NE – Not Evaluated

Not yet assessed against IUCN Red List criteria.

Martes PennantiLive fisher clambering head-down on a tree trunk in summer foliageFisher (Pekania pennanti)
Photo: Matthew Zalewski · CC BY-SA 4.0Martes PennantiPhoto: christine123 · CC BY 4.0Live fisher clambering head-down on a tree trunk in summer foliagePhoto: David Weisenbeck · CC BY 4.0Fisher (Pekania pennanti)

Fisher in Vermont, by the numbers

Common in Vermont 19th most recorded of 65 mammals logged in Vermont

572 occurrence records
525 with iNaturalist photos
May 24, 2026 Last seen in Vermont

Records from 2000–2026.

572 total records count every Vermont occurrence from GBIF and iNaturalist; the map plots a georeferenced sample of 300; the monthly chart covers the 557 records with a full observation date.

When to look for the Fisher in Vermont

Most sightings fall in January to February.

557 Vermont occurrence records (iNaturalist and GBIF) by month of year, 2000–2026. Shows when the species is recorded, not a guarantee of presence.

Monthly Vermont records (table)
MonthRecords
January84
February139
March76
April44
May25
June21
July9
August21
September31
October25
November36
December46

Monthly fisher occurrence records (iNaturalist and GBIF) in Vermont, 2000–2026.

Seasonality

Year-round in Vermont, with recorded sightings peaking in January–February.

Occurrence map

Where Fisher has been recorded in Vermont

300 records mapped · zoom and drag to explore

300 Vermont records mapped

Notable places to look

Park, forest, or monumentiNaturalist records
Green Mountain National Forest 20
Green Mountains 9
Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller National Historical Park 9
Jericho Research Forest 2
C.C. Putnam State Forest 1
Camels Hump State Park 1
Ed Weed Fish Culture Station 1
Appalachian National Scenic Trail 1

Protected places with the most fisher sightings, from the USGS Protected Areas Database plus named mountain ranges, good spots to look, not a full breakdown, so they don't sum to the total.

Where it's recorded in Vermont

CountyRecords
Washington County 185
Chittenden County 99
Windham County 90
Windsor County 62
Orange County 28
Lamoille County 20
Addison County 18
Bennington County 15
Franklin County 13
Rutland County 11
Orleans County 8
Grand Isle County 8
2 other counties 15

The complete county distribution, spread across 14 Vermont counties. Every occurrence record falls in one county, so these sum to the total. Counties from GBIF and US Census boundaries.

Fishers range through Vermont’s connected forests, particularly mature mixed woods with large trees, down logs, and dense cover. Green Mountain National Forest and the Northeast Kingdom offer abundant habitat, but winter tracks on logging roads are much more likely than a direct sighting.

Reports peak from January through March. Fishers may travel by day or night; observe quietly if one appears, keep dogs under control, and do not bait wildlife to improve viewing chances.

Occurrence data from iNaturalist and GBIF.

Fisher in other states

Martes Pennanti
Full species profile Fisher Pekania pennanti Size 75–95 cm2.5–3.1 ft Weight 3.5–6 kg7.7–13.2 lb Lifespan 7 yr View the full profile

More mammals in Vermont in the atlas

Data & sources

The data and visualizations on this page draw on these open sources:

  • GBIFCC-BY 4.0occurrence records behind the range map, elevation, and record counts
  • iNaturalistCC0 / CC-BY / CC-BY-SAobservations, photos, and audio recordings
  • NatureServe ExplorerCC-BYthe state conservation rank
  • IUCN Red Listattributed factthe global conservation status
  • USGS NASpublic domainnative / introduced status
  • Natural Earthpublic domainthe relief basemap
  • USFSpublic domainnational-forest boundaries
  • USGS Protected Areas Databasepublic domainthe named parks, forests, and refuges behind "notable places to look"