‘The fisher is eating his food, and you can see the fox just baring his teeth down and everything, and the fisher doesn’t even look up’
Keith Benard has spent countless hours outdoors in the north trying to capture amazing images of wildlife in northern Ontario and northwestern Quebec.
Benard, who is from Temiscaming, Quebec area but now resides in Redbridge, has built a unique shelter just off Highway 533 that he uses when he’s doing his photography, and it has become a home base for people to stop by while snowshoeing.
He shoots many of the images with his own telephoto lens while also setting up multiple trail cameras in the woods.
Benard, who sends his images to Getty Images and also creates wildlife calendars, has taken amazing photos of eagles, lynx, moose, bears, owls, to name just a few.
However, earlier this winter, he was able to capture a unique interaction between a hungry fisher and a clearly agitated, impatient, and hungry fox in a bait area created by Benard with grains, vegetables, and a fat base.
“The fisher is eating his food, and you can see the fox just baring his teeth down and everything, and the fisher doesn’t even look up,” said Benard.
“The fisher is a very nasty member of the weasel family. When I saw this set of photos, I had to laugh. The fox is trying to threaten the fisher with a few growls, and the Fisher doesn’t even stop eating. Don’t mess with a fisher.”
Fishers are described as common, elusive, medium-sized members of the weasel family inhabiting northern Ontario’s dense, mixed, and boreal forests. Active day or night, these solitary, carnivorous hunters are known for eating snowshoe hares, porcupines, and small mammals. They have large home ranges, are skilled tree climbers, and are active throughout the winter.
Benard, who has about 15 trail cameras, has taken thousands of wildlife photos, but he says this interaction may be one of the most unique that he’s captured.
The experienced wildlife photographer has also put his experience to good use by creating survival videos for the homeless while also gathering clothing and sleeping bags that he recently distributed in North Bay.