LIONS & SKUNKS & WEASELS, OH MY! | Furbearer Biologist | Michael Fies

Michael Fies is a wildlife biologist & the furbearer project leader at Virginia's Department of Wildlife Resources [formerly known as Virginia Department of Game & Inland Fisheries]. Furbearers are defined as animals with commercial fur value ranging from the tiny least weasel, the mighty beaver, and mischievous raccoon, to the elusive bobcat and trickster coyote. Mike shares how his grandfather's love of the outdoors & their rabbit beagle led to his 37-year career in wildlife. This is an educational episode where we discuss a wide range of topics: the little known squirrel-sized spotted skunk; fox-sized weasels [fishers] making their way from West Virginia; restoring river otter populations; scat IDing; skunk essence; a gruesome tree full of coyote corpses; and even eastern mountain lions. Mike clears up misconceptions about trapping; how it is not only humane when following Best Management Practices, but can be beneficial to wildlife management, followed by his thoughts on how Native Americans may have used naturally made traps. Mike tells two fun stories from his career: one about a backyard skunk and the other about dealing with a mountain lion call. And before this educational interview, we read a potent and timely Cherokee legend about the ghostly flower [Indian pipe] that grows where friends and family quarrel.

Check out Mike's work on the spotted skunk and the department's nature-loving Instagram.


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