Minkenry

[chickencheeper]

Let me first start by saying: NO COMPLAINTS/HATE SPEECHES ABOUT MINKS AND/OR WEASELS AND OTHER MUSTILEDAES. I understand that minks and other mustiledaes can do an incredible amount of damage to poultry. Us poultry keepers typically hate them. Moving on… Minkenry is a new sport/practice related to falconry. Minks are trained and tamed to hunt rats, muskrats and fish, as well as other animals and return the prey to the handler. I was inspired by Joseph Carter, he first invented minkenry a few years ago. His YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/josephdcarter my plan is to live trap and tame one. Any tips on trapping techniques? Anyone with minkenry experience?

 

[Ol Grey Mare]

Fascinating.... they are highly intelligent little creatures.

 

[lazy gardener]

You could have a full time job with a well trained mink, wiping out the rat populations on/around farms.

 

[chickencheeper]

You could have a full time job with a well trained mink, wiping out the rat populations on/around farms.

That’s my plan for a summer job, recently my town/county has had a huge rat problem, and even though I don’t live in what I’d call a rural area(we live in a suburban area with some woods in our backyard) we’re surrounded by farms and large farmland only a short distance away.

 

[chickencheeper]

Fascinating.... they are highly intelligent little creatures.

Very true

 

[lazy gardener]

Rats are everywhere, be it city or country.

 

[Better Than Rubies]

I personally don't advise you catching and taming one; it being wild isn't nice of you to capture it, in my opinion (unless you find a hurt one and nurse it back to health...that might be slightly different).
And I don't like the thought of suggesting this, but...ferrets (which are similar to minks but are smaller, I believe) are often trained in some parts of the country/world to hunt rabbits. And I'd imagine you could train one to hunt a rat, too, perhaps?

[P.S. For the record, I used to own a rat, and currently own a ferret]. <3

 

[chickencheeper]

I personally don't advise you catching and taming one; it being wild isn't nice of you to capture it, in my opinion (unless you find a hurt one and nurse it back to health...that might be slightly different).
And I don't like the thought of suggesting this, but...ferrets (which are similar to minks but are smaller, I believe) are often trained in some parts of the country/world to hunt rabbits. And I'd imagine you could train one to hunt a rat, too, perhaps?

[P.S. For the record, I used to own a rat, and currently own a ferret]. <3
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He discusses the reason agianst using ferrets in this interview- https://modernfarmer.com/2014/05/farm-confessional-minks-escape-farms-train-hunt/

 

[Better Than Rubies]

Hmm.. I feel like he doesn't know much about ferrets/or hasn't been around them. They are daring little creatures, and at least my family's ferrets aren't/weren't scared of other critters! And by the way, one ferret (the one on the right in the picture) tried to kill my current one, Grace (the one on the left), and she had her teeth clamped down so hard on poor little Grace...we thought she was going to be a goner, but eventually we freed her. So that makes me think they do have good lil' jaw power! But, that's just my experience, anyways.

 

[chickencheeper]

Hmm.. I feel like he doesn't know much about ferrets/or hasn't been around them. They are daring little creatures, and at least my family's ferrets aren't/weren't scared of other critters! And by the way, one ferret (the one on the right in the picture) tried to kill my current one, Grace (the one on the left), and she had her teeth clamped down so hard on poor little Grace...we thought she was going to be a goner, but eventually we freed her. So that makes me think they do have good lil' jaw power! But, that's just my experience, anyways.

(Not to be ignorant) he actually owned ferrets for many years before getting into minks