A chance encounter with a pine marten

While driving up Smith Creek, there was movement on a snowbank along the road. The small creature was holding a huge piece of meat. I was amazed at how big the piece of meat was compared to the animal. 

The pointed ears, orange-colored throat patch and size (roughly 20-30 inches long) identified him as a pine marten, also known as an American marten.

After scrambling out of the truck, we found the marten in a tree and watched him. Martens are expert tree climbers and will climb trees to escape predators. They have long bushy tails, up to one-third of their body length. Their fur ranges from a dark chocolate brown to a pale tan color with the legs and tail darker in color.

After he moved his long claws were visible. Martens have semi-retractable claws to help them climb trees and hold onto prey. They can quickly climb trees and go between trees to chase squirrels, one of their prey.

The huge piece of meat this marten was carrying was definitely not part of a squirrel or even a snowshoe hare. The meat was most likely from an elk or deer carcass.

Martens are opportunistic feeders and feed on whatever prey is available. They will feed on voles, mice, snowshoe hares, ruffed grouse, squirrels and chipmunks, along with bird eggs, berries and carrion.

With limited ability to store body-fat and to fast, martens have to forage efficiently in order to survive. They hunt by tracking and ambushing prey, using hunting perches and robbing birds nests.

In the winter, martens will follow tunnels under the snow to capture voles and other small mammals. An important feature of their habitat is numerous downed trees and stumps that allow access to subnivean (under the snow) spaces. They will even burrow into red squirrel middens to access snow tunnels.

Not only do stumps and downed trees allow access to tunnels in the winter, but they also provide resting sites for the marten. When they aren’t foraging, they will rest in holes of live or dead trees, abandoned squirrel nests in the crowns of conifers, rock piles, burrows or cavities in the snow.

Female martens need very large cavities in logs, snags or live trees to raise their young,  with litters ranging from one to five. The young are only one ounce at birth but by three months they are almost full grown in length but not weight (which is one to two pounds).

The young will disperse in the fall and establish their own territories. Being solitary animals, territories don’t overlap for the same gender. However, a male’s territory will overlap at least one female’s territory.

Martens tend to establish territories in conifer forests that are predominantly spruce and fir with downed timber and heavy ground cover. This type of habitat supports good vole and mice populations.

Depending on prey availability, the size of a marten’s territory varies. With large territories to cover, martens are seldom seen. Luckily, the marten we found stayed in the tree for awhile, allowing me more than a quick glimpse of my first marten. 

Laura Roady is owner of Roady Outdoor Photography and is a freelance photographer and writer. She can be reached at 597-5702 or roadyphoto@gmail.com