Marten's demise

[akcharlie1960]

I stand corrected. It's an ermine. Napping. ..........By my pistol.

 

[sourland]

Ermine, yep, winter phase of that particular critter. In the summer they are a rich reddish brown like other weasells.

 

[lolita117]

Beautiful!!! I love animals a lot but I'm also a BIG hunter! I see the beauty in both the living and the game kill. I would fur that out if I killed it! It would be beautiful on the wall. We fur out coyotes when we kill them. We kill them because they are so over populated but then we still get to enjoy their beautiful fur... on our wall!

 

[HeidisHens]

that looks like a long-tailed weasel. We just caught one today, after 5 days of resetting two traps, and 18 beloved chickens killed . . . We skinned the SOB and kept the momento. How on earth did you get a shot at one? Is that a pellet gun? I have one but weasels are too quick and seldom seen, so I can't imagine how you got yours.

Leyla

 

[Ibicella]

It's not a marten. It's a weasel (stoat, ermine) in it's winter coat. Marten's stay a reddish-brown color in winter.

Still an AWESOME catch. Weasels are a supreme pain in the tail feathers to catch!

 

[sourland]

It's not a marten. It's a weasel (stoat, ermine) in it's winter coat. Marten's stay a reddish-brown color in winter.

Still an AWESOME catch. Weasels are a supreme pain in the tail feathers to catch!

Post # 11 OP indicated that he had realized that it was indeed an ermine.

 

[akcharlie1960]

Yes it's a Ruger Mark I .177 pellet pistol. 600 fps(claimed) with light wieght alloy pellets. I saw this guy back in Oct. after I suspected he attacked the chooks once because of the blood splatter on the inside coop walls. (Run on sentence I know) Anyway, after we got snow on the ground I would see his tracks from the woodline to the coop every so often. My 3 hens and 2 roos are full grown so I figure he just couldn't handle the job and settled for cleaning up the mouse population. Went out at first light yesterday to tend to the flock and out of the corner of my eye I saw movement and there he was sitting in a lumber pile just looking at me. I told him to "sit right there, I'll be right back" and he did. Stupid ermine. Got a head shot at about 10 feet.

 

[HeidisHens]

Wow! I didn't think 600fps could take small game. Mine is (supposedly) 1200fps (break barrel) but 10 feet is very close. Don't think they won't take full grown chickens. Our weasel killed 6 full grown brahmas and 3 roosters in one night. Daytime is different though. The chickens will attack a smaller animal that appears in the day, so they have the advantage when they can see. Great shot!

 

[laseterlass]

They are great mousers. It is actually called an ermine, ( I see now that you know that I think Martin keep a dark coat all year round) I live in Anchorage and I DREAD them finding my hens. They are the only predator I really worry about. Get enough of them in their winter coat Charlie and you have a really cool winter coat for some lucky lady.

 

[dsfrango]

I agree, that must have been quite the shot with only 600fps. I have the break barrel also(1000fps). I tried that on a coon and 3 pellets did not even work. Had to pull the 20G. I felt bad and will use that next time. That would be an awesome fur to have! but not at the expense of your flock

Wow! I didn't think 600fps could take small game. Mine is (supposedly) 1200fps (break barrel) but 10 feet is very close. Don't think they won't take full grown chickens. Our weasel killed 6 full grown brahmas and 3 roosters in one night. Daytime is different though. The chickens will attack a smaller animal that appears in the day, so they have the advantage when they can see. Great shot!