Jump to content

ermine/stoat/mink


Rod Caster

Recommended Posts

We hated weasels as kids, they would get into the rabbit hutches and a single weasel would kill a half dozen rabbits just for fun as how much can an animal the size of a red squirrel eat? We'd shoot them on sight as teens, got  chickens as well when we had them. So much for predators killing only what they can eat 

 

edit: they turn white in winter just like a Snowshoe Hare, made for easy picking if we lost snow during the January thaw :canadian:

Edited by dave524
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guys around here claim they are good to have around the house because they eat squirrels and mice and (apparently) don't cause damage. I have a mouse issue (my vehicles) like you wouldn't believe so I hope they are right. 

 

Now, for the 10 rabbits I lost to some predator this year, I figured it was a fisher, but I wouldnt trust these guys either. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

11 hours ago, cheaptackle said:

Chad if I didn't know better (maybe I don't!) I'd almost bet it was an albino ferrett, can't see red eyes for a start and most ferretts I know of are domesticated pets.  Great picture!

 

Michael

Back when I was a kid, my dad and I would go out with our "Pet ferret" right after a fresh snow fall. We could track the rabbits to their holes and then send the ferret down. I would then kneel down in front of the hole and wait and listen. As the rabbit came running out (with the ferret on his ass) it was easy to grab the rabbit with your bare hands. A lot of the times. the rabbits had a second or third escape route; that's where dad stepped in with the 16 gauge shot gun. Sometimes the ferret would catch the rabbit and there was no way of getting the ferret out; not until he had a belly full and a good long nap. When that happened, we'd plug up all the rabbit holds we could find around the one we put the ferret down and leave him there for a day or two. When we went back to the hole we'd have a mixture of bread, warmed milk and brown sugar; if he was still in the hole, he couldn't resist the smell and temptation of having a taste. Yes I now know it is illegal to hunt with a ferret; but at the age of 8 or 10 we were bringing supper home. Now before anyone condemns my dad, it was the early 60s; you know the same time era where there is hundreds of picture of string lines of Muskies hanging.   

Dan. 

Edited by DanD
Link to comment
Share on other sites

That's awesome Dan. I had an outdoor cat for one day before it ran away and never saw it again. Meanwhile you guys manage to use a pet ferret to catch dinner in the wild and somehow not lose it on the first try.

Did the ferret look almost exactly like the ermine in my picture? They are about the same size aren't they?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Also, are you sure its mice in your vehicles and not this guy? They are terrors. I have had quite a few dealings with these little buggers!! I can almost guarantee this is what killed your rabbits. A mink will too though.....

 

S. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

DEFINITLY MICE! I ripped out my headliner, it was a ffffffff mess in that thing. I could still catch 4+ per week in the one vehicle if I kept setting traps. Unbelievable. I pulled 5 dead ones and 4 live ones that day. Look at the pictures.

 

there's no way it was the ermine that got my rabbits. They were nearly 4lbs and whatever killed them dragged 9 of them over a 4ft fence. Only the fat 15lbs mom was left dead and decapitated inside the pen. That had to be a fisher or pine marten, or fox. 

Isn't a mink semi-aquatic? I saw one at my river just the other day. The only other place I've seen them is along the rocks at the Barrie waterfront.

 

IMG_20170906_180226_hdr.jpg

IMG_20170906_180249_hdr.jpg

Edited by Rod Caster
Link to comment
Share on other sites

7 minutes ago, Rod Caster said:

 That had to be a fisher or pine marten, or fox. 

I was thinking pine marten too.

When I first got my cabin property there was pine marten sign around and no bunnies.

Now I don't see any sign but crap loads of bunnies.

I guess they'll be back soon. ;)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Could still be a mink getting the rabbits. I've seen them drag whole chickens out of a coop, over a 4 ft fence. 9 out of 15 of them.....just killed them and hardly ate any of them.  I got him though, and haven't had a problem since. 

 

S. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'm a bit confused because the names dont seem to be universal...

When you say "mink" do you mean the one in the picture I posted (the ermine) or do you mean the semi-aquatic brown ones that are bigger? I can't imagine mink would be this far up from the river 0.5 kms.

Pretty crazy to think the ermine would lift 9 - 4lbs rabbits up a spruce tree then over the fence and then out of sight. He's so small

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 12/4/2017 at 9:38 AM, Rod Caster said:

That's awesome Dan. I had an outdoor cat for one day before it ran away and never saw it again. Meanwhile you guys manage to use a pet ferret to catch dinner in the wild and somehow not lose it on the first try.

Did the ferret look almost exactly like the ermine in my picture? They are about the same size aren't they?

I've had a few all white ferrets; not albino (black eyes) and yes the one in the pic would have passed for a ferret if its not one?

Dan.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 12/4/2017 at 7:02 AM, DanD said:

Back when I was a kid, my dad and I would go out with our "Pet ferret" right after a fresh snow fall. We could track the rabbits to their holes and then send the ferret down. I would then kneel down in front of the hole and wait and listen. As the rabbit came running out (with the ferret on his ass) it was easy to grab the rabbit with your bare hands. A lot of the times. the rabbits had a second or third escape route; that's where dad stepped in with the 16 gauge shot gun. Sometimes the ferret would catch the rabbit and there was no way of getting the ferret out; not until he had a belly full and a good long nap. When that happened, we'd plug up all the rabbit holds we could find around the one we put the ferret down and leave him there for a day or two. When we went back to the hole we'd have a mixture of bread, warmed milk and brown sugar; if he was still in the hole, he couldn't resist the smell and temptation of having a taste. Yes I now know it is illegal to hunt with a ferret; but at the age of 8 or 10 we were bringing supper home. Now before anyone condemns my dad, it was the early 60s; you know the same time era where there is hundreds of picture of string lines of Muskies hanging.   

Dan. 

Very cool old day story. Enjoyed Dan.

 

Is a very cute looking varmint though.

Edited by misfish
Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 12/4/2017 at 7:02 AM, DanD said:

Back when I was a kid, my dad and I would go out with our "Pet ferret" right after a fresh snow fall. We could track the rabbits to their holes and then send the ferret down. I would then kneel down in front of the hole and wait and listen. As the rabbit came running out (with the ferret on his ass) it was easy to grab the rabbit with your bare hands. A lot of the times. the rabbits had a second or third escape route; that's where dad stepped in with the 16 gauge shot gun. Sometimes the ferret would catch the rabbit and there was no way of getting the ferret out; not until he had a belly full and a good long nap. When that happened, we'd plug up all the rabbit holds we could find around the one we put the ferret down and leave him there for a day or two. When we went back to the hole we'd have a mixture of bread, warmed milk and brown sugar; if he was still in the hole, he couldn't resist the smell and temptation of having a taste. Yes I now know it is illegal to hunt with a ferret; but at the age of 8 or 10 we were bringing supper home. Now before anyone condemns my dad, it was the early 60s; you know the same time era where there is hundreds of picture of string lines of Muskies hanging.   

Dan. 

Cool story. Didn't know that anyone still hunted with ferrets in modern times. 

Did you ever go Ferret-legging?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
  • Recent Topics

    Popular Topics

    Upcoming Events


×
×
  • Create New...