Discussion Topic |
|
This thread has been locked |
Willoughby
Social climber
Truckee, CA
|
|
that's quite a bump for this thread. So you've been waiting 2 years for a Martin encounter so you can post up?
I actually saw one up Blackwood Canyon a few months ago, chasing a squirrel in the middle of the day. Unfortunately, he spooked as soon as I stopped the truck, and despite trying to ply it out of a burn pile with bacon, I wasn't able to get any photos. It did snarl/scream at us pretty good, from deep within the pile. Crazy sounds.
|
|
mike m
Trad climber
black hills
|
|
|
Topic Author's Reply - Jan 8, 2014 - 08:02pm PT
|
Chupicabra
|
|
johnboy
Trad climber
Can't get here from there
|
|
Mike,
Minks and Pine Martins are small, around 3 pounds.
Could it have been a Fisher? They are larger, dark black faces. The wife and I have seen them in the Hills some what regularly around Remmington. Not that far really to the Spires.
Pine Martins are around to, but your weight description (15-20 lbs) kind of eliminates them in the wild.
|
|
little Z
Trad climber
un cafetal en Naranjo
|
|
thebravecowboy, way to go with the photo of a live one! but wouldn't that be a fir marten rather than a pine marten?
Edit: oops, thanks Q-Ball, I'm an ornithologist so my auto-pilot spat out Martin
|
|
james Colborn
Trad climber
Truckee, Ca
|
|
Trapped this little guy while on a backcountry yurt ski trip. The bugger was not happy.
|
|
Q- Ball
Mountain climber
where the wind always blows
|
|
A pine marten seems most likely. It has been several decades since a fisher has been verified from Wyo. (last I heard was in the bighorns 80 years ago).
They (Martens) climb and love to eat squirrels , neither fishers or wolverines are truly arboreal hunters considering the situation you described (rock wall/chimney).
Just thinking of other possible mustelids in the territory
|
|
thebravecowboy
Social climber
Colorado Plateau
|
|
Wyoming is, after all, pretty tame.
|
|
Q- Ball
Mountain climber
where the wind always blows
|
|
Do you guys realize how "Marten" is spelled? No i's are involved.
|
|
thebravecowboy
Social climber
Colorado Plateau
|
|
Could it have been a bath salts badger?
It wouldn't be a rock climbing forum if people could read or write properly, man.
|
|
Q- Ball
Mountain climber
where the wind always blows
|
|
No worries, I am a biologist and just wanted to help you out. I have looked dumb spelling it wrong!
|
|
hobo_dan
Social climber
Minnesota
|
|
|
Mar 23, 2014 - 06:31pm PT
|
I saw a Fisher yesterday while driving to a ski area-it was in N. Wisconsin but definitely not what I would consider wilderness. This is only the second one I've ever seen. Made my day.
|
|
HighTraverse
Trad climber
Bay Area
|
|
|
Mar 23, 2014 - 07:07pm PT
|
The chances of you seeing a wolverine in the lower 48 are nil. This was posted in 2010. About that time, or possibly 2011, a Wolverine was spotted near Lake Tahoe. No Wolverines had been seen in California for something like 100 years. Of course most were rightly skeptical of the sighting (I believe it was on a game camera).
So of course the naturalists went all out to confirm it. And yes, there have been a few Wolverines now confirmed around Tahoe and in the forests to the north.
They are very elusive so in one sense, the quoted post was true.
A couple of posters to this thread certainly know much more about the Tahoe area Wolverines than I do.
Martens
I saw one in winter at Ostrander Ski Hut in Yosemite in the early 80's. Of course I wasn't certain but the hut warden said he'd seen the lovely little guy several times.
Fishers
I believe I saw a Fisher at the top of Symmetry Couloir in the Tetons last summer. It was large, dark, very bushy tail but he had seen (or heard) us and calmly clambered over a boulder and vanished. They are occasionally sighted in the Tetons high country.
Willoughby. What IS that marvelous mammal you're holding up? Too big for a Marten? Too brown for a Fisher?
Wolverine?
Inquiring Minds must know.
|
|
hobo_dan
Social climber
Minnesota
|
|
|
Mar 23, 2014 - 08:42pm PT
|
I wouldn't even know where to begin if I saw a Wolverine!
|
|
HighTraverse
Trad climber
Bay Area
|
|
|
Mar 23, 2014 - 08:50pm PT
|
Chief
awesome pic
Sam Mack mdw eh?
hobo
how about standing tall and quiet yet inoffensive? Look him in the eyes (non threatening dominance).
At least that's supposed to work for mountain lions.
(or were you trolling?)
And get out your camera very very slowly.
|
|
hobo_dan
Social climber
Minnesota
|
|
|
Mar 23, 2014 - 09:09pm PT
|
Standing tall and quiet? More likely I'd just pee my pants!
no question it would be cool to see a Wolverine.
Might be even cooler to see a Troll.
|
|
Chewybacca
Trad climber
Montana, Whitefish
|
|
|
Mar 23, 2014 - 11:23pm PT
|
I've been pretty lucky with the wolverines the last few years. The best sighting was two years ago in Glacier NP. Here is a shaky clip with two wolverines in it.
[Click to View YouTube Video]
Last year we had three wolverine sightings, but only got shots of one. This was on Siyeh pass. It climbed up from Boulder ck, crossed the pass, and dropped into Preston Park.
We see pine martens two or three times a year but I've never managed to get a decent photo of one.
All the wildlife around here helps make up for living in the land of choss.
|
|
mike m
Trad climber
black hills
|
|
|
Topic Author's Reply - Mar 23, 2014 - 11:27pm PT
|
Cool video. I would not want to run into one of those in a tight chimney. If Tammy does not have a cartoon of that she needs one. Tossing an avipoodle grenade at that time seems to be appropriate if you happened to be carrying one to keep the wolverine busy.
|
|
Willoughby
Social climber
Truckee, CA
|
|
|
Mar 24, 2014 - 04:19pm PT
|
HT - that's a standard issue American Pine Marten in my arms - Martes americana. On the big side, but that's what it is. He's currently in Ron's shop.
|
|
mike m
Trad climber
black hills
|
|
|
Topic Author's Reply - Aug 4, 2018 - 03:51pm PT
|
Cool old memories. Have not seen one since.
|
|
|
SuperTopo on the Web
|
Let us know!