Killer Weasels/Mink

[Molpet]

and if a chipmunk or rodent has a tunnel the weasels will follow the tunnel to get the mammal.. if the tunnel goes in your chicken area they will get the chickens also

 

[HenOnAJuneBug]

How did it get through the logs and rocks to dig a hole?

 

[Folly's place]

Easily. No openings larger than 1/2" diameter, and unless the OP made a solid wall, there will be gaps between and under the logs and rocks. Mary

 

[chickengeorgeto]

I have been were Shadow is now. I had somewhere between 75 to 100 pens, each with a rooster and a hen or two. When a mink got started the only way that I stopped him was by up-armoring my pens and moving a #1 long-spring toe hold trap to each new kill.

When it became to difficult for the mink to access a new pen to make a fresh kill he returned to his last kill. The next morning when I fed the mink was waiting on me with an embarrassed look on his face.

 

[chicknmania]

We are battling mink. They are extremely hard to catch. It is almost like dealing with some evil kind of entity, no kidding. they seem to be incredibly smart. We were dealing with one this past spring, a big beautiful male. I saw him several times. We hired a professional trapper who was unable to trap the mink, but did trap a skunk trying to get in. . the trapped skunk was apparently enough to scare the mink off for several months. However, now it is back. It killed three chickens early this morning, and ours have lots of room to run and try to get away. It is making me sick. We are going to try traps again, but I think we're in for a rough time. It would at least be understandable if they were killing for food, but mink are the serial killers of the animal world...they kill for fun. There was only one small bite out of one of our hens, and a chick was missing.
WE are going to try traps again. I read that the mink's latest chicken victim is the best bait to use in the trap. I hate killing anything, as most predators have a reason to prey on our flock, but even I have no problem with killing mink. He killed two of my sweetest hens, one a Jersey Giant...and stole a chick away from it's mama. I'm dying to catch this jerk. Ours shelter n a pole barn, so although it's as tight as we can make it, they go out during the day, and free range, and I think the mink just goes in through the same door the chickens use, and hides in there. Somewhere.

 

[pintail_drake2004]

Mink are not hard to catch. I am not a fan of live traps for mink though. I have 2 preferred methods for mink:
1) pocket set with 1.5 coilspring trap. This is a set used close to water at the bank. The trap is attached to a cinder block with some #9ga wire. Throw the block out into the deep water and have the trap about 4-6" away from the bank. Use a small spade and dig a hole about 5" in diameter slightly angled up in the bank right at the waters edge. Use some water to "slick up" the sides with mud. Set your 1.5 coilspring in the mouth of the hole you just punched into the bank. Use some water soaked leaves to cover the trap. Put a piece of bloody meat (muskrat, beaver, or oily fish) in the back of the hole. Any mink, coon, or possum working the edge of the water will investigate this hole in the bank. Once trapped, the coon, mink, etc will try to swim and the trap will drag them under water.
2) 110 conibear set tight against a steep bank on a creek, pond, lake, or any waterway. If there is a bit of an overhang in the bank coming over the waters edge that is better. Position the triggers in a "V" shape (I like to pound the ends of the triggers flat with a hammer and drill a small hole in it. Attach a piece of fishing string from one trigger to the other via the hole). The mink will work the overhang and walk through the conibear. For those who don't know, conibears are quick kill traps. this breaks the neck of the mink. Its very efficient way to trap mink.

I'm not expert by any means and I know there is always a lot to learn. But my brother and I use to run a 100mile trap line across 3 counties covering 15k acres using 300-500 traps. These were checked at least once every 24 hours! Mink have gland that are very good to use to catch other mink. If you want to learn to harvest it, it makes good lures. They are solitary critters that make rounds in their territory. If I know there is a mink in the area, I will make sure to keep traps set for at least a week. If a location is good (eg. lots of tracks, scat, etc) I will always put more than one trap in close proximity. 2-3 traps in a bank spaced apart ensures if one should be plugged with a possum or coon, you still have another set active to catch you more fur.

 

[aart]

they kill for fun

Wild animals do not kill for fun, they would not waste precious energy.
Many mistake a killing frenzy, where they kill multiple prey at once, as killing for fun.
That frenzy behavior is instinctual, to kill as much food as possible while it's available and cache it for later.

 

[Soon2BChixMom]

Wild animals do not kill for fun, they would not waste precious energy.
Many mistake a killing frenzy, where they kill multiple prey at once, as killing for fun.
That frenzy behavior is instinctual, to kill as much food as possible while it's available and cache it for later.

I think BYC could use a myth section that has posted facts with locked threads. No debating.
The problem is is that there are too many bloggers listing myths as truths.

 

[Hivoltage]

Dogs kill for fun as they mostly have a bowl of food at home. At least they are not doing it because they need food or are starving.

 

[aart]

Dogs kill for fun as they mostly have a bowl of food at home. At least they are not doing it because they need food or are starving.

Yeah, maybe, but still mostly instinct...same goes for domestic cats.
Only humans kill for 'fun'.