Weasels?

[OhioFisherman]

Out by my back field today and a pair of weasels? were wandering across the grass. At least I think they were weasels? I have never seen one here before, dark brown and shaped like a ferret? are ferrets ever dark brown? are they native to N/A? LOL and the neighbors cat following them, although from a distance, don`t think he had a clue either.

 

The only ferrets I have seen were peoples pets, so no clue.

[nofish4me]

I've known and met weasles where ever I've been.

Not uncommon to North America.

 

Just jokin'.

[Dave Bailey]

If they're dark I would suspect mink. Are you near water?

[Rattletrap2]

Yeah, if you have water near by, I would say they are Mink. We had a pair here when the ice went out in March, but they seem to have moved on now. The beaver has moved on too thankfully. Just Muskrats now... oh and a Doe tonight!

[dave524]

Weasels are horrible little animals. Size of a red squirrel and will take a 10 pound domestic rabbit and only eat on the head and neck. Friend next door had rabbits as a kid and they wiped them out. Luckily it was an early spring and they got caught with their white coats on and brown ground. Time for the age old rural solution of the 3 S's. Minks are little larger, about the size of a grey squirrel and very good swimmers, weasels on the other hand I've never seen in water and they turn white in winter, called ermine then I think in the fur trade, tip of the tail stays black all the time.

 

Edit: Weasels seem to be pretty agile in the trees , thinking back don't think I've ever seen a mink more tha a couple of feet of the ground , like on a stump or blowdown log.

Edited July 2, 2010 by dave524

[BillsTheBassMan]

My money is on mink

[OhioFisherman]

Hey guys thanks, after looking at pictures of mink I believe that is what they were also. Water? sort of, there are a number of farm ponds nearby, a few small streams that have a resident minnow and craw fish population. A pretty good sized woods to the back west of my property and I let about an acre and a half at the back of my property return to nature, and it is full of rabbits, and field mice, an occasional Pheasant and other birds.

 

I live in a rural area, farm country. You need 3 acres of land and 200 feet of road frontage to build a home here. A lot of people in the area complain about the lack of wildlife but do little to encourage it to be here. I didn`t need 3+ acres of grass behind the house to cut so I let some of it go wild.

 

It is full of Blackberries, wild strawberries and who knows what else. I cut a path around the edge to wander with my dogs. Sort of nice to see something around besides rabbits, groundhogs, racoons,deer and possums. LOL don`t want to see the skunks, the smell is enough!

[cityfisher]

ive only seen one white weasel before up in haliburton, sly little thing.

[DRIFTER_016]

When I read the title of this post I thought it was going to be another rant on the HST!!!

[taper]

Those ponds and small streams are all a mink will need to make him check out the area. Also the mink will be larger than most weasels.

[OhioFisherman]

Taper I really only recall seeing a weasel in pictures, although I was roughly 100 feet away these animals appeared slightly larger than a ferret.

 

Going with the flow here, mink is the most logical explanation. I have seen Martens up north, definitely not them, and they moved like a ferret, long and lean.

 

They were moving together and close together, just have to guess at a male and female. One was slightly larger than the other, and both dark brown like the pics of mink I looked up.