Do you think it was a Fisher?

[Chip]

For some reason I think most of us in the northeast are "hard wired" to default to guessing "fox" on that size/shape/color animal. The first time I saw a young coyote I thought "tall fox !" until I had a chance to think about it. The first time I saw a marten (half asleep in a lean-to) I thought "fox" until it looked at me.

Although eruggles' could have been the cross or grey fox.

 

[erugs]

After reading all the comments, checking links, spending too much time at work looking at websites, and finally looking at my resources at home last night, I'm 99% sure that what I saw was a gray fox. It was the right size for a fox and it walked like a fox. Perhaps the markings on its face were much more pronounced than other grays I've seen, which distracted me from noticing tip of tail and pointed shape of the snout. I get so much help and information from VFTT!

Chip - I know what you mean; I remember seeing a bear standing still for a moment while crossing the road near Squam Lake a few years ago and my first reaction was: "What's that black cut-out of a bear [like those lawn ornaments people have] doing in the middle of the road?"

 

[weatherman]

...and the first moose I ever saw, my reaction was "What's that horse doing without a bridle? And standing in the woods, too?" Then I saw its mate, complete with antlers. Doh!

My guess would be fox too. We have a couple fisher in our suburban area and they are remarkably black when compared to other critters around us.

 

[buddy]

Friendly marten?

Two winters ago we were staying at the camp area near where the trib enters the S. fork of the Bouquet in the Dix wilderness area, just E. of Elizabethtown. A marten came into our camp one morning when we were all up and around. It seemed unconcerned with us while it explored our campsite. It kept a distance of 3' min. from us but otherwised ignored us. After about 5 min. it left. When we came back from our day hiking later that day we found that it had come back and went into food supplies that were not vacum sealed. It made a pretty big mess of things and did some gear damage. First time in 25 yrs of winter camping that wildlife has been a problem for us. It also came back later that night, fortunately I was sleeping outside and was awake when it came into camp. I chased it off easily and we did not see it again for the following 3 days we were there. I wonder if it got sick from gorging on processed food and peanutbutter, I believe martens are carnivores. I hope we didn't poison it. I tell this story only to make the point about how unpredictable wildlife can be, every other sighting of a marten I've had has been more of a glimpse than a sighting. Buddy

 

[sardog1]

Some nifty marten videos are available online from Wisconsin Public Television. Follow the link and then click on "Minnesota Martens" to get to the marten stuff.