Mustelids......and why the Least Weasel can kill a chicken.

[Cupcake1243]

oki let me have a try

 

[Cupcake1243]

nope still saying unavailable...

 

[aart]

nope still saying unavailable...

still out there but you may have to pay for it.

https://www.pbs.org/wnet/nature/the-mighty-weasel-yne7yt/21226/
That for my local PBS station.....you'd have to look for yours.

 

[Mosey2003]

Two winters ago we had a Least Weasel in our HOUSE. My mother had had 3 heart attacks, a small stroke, and a deep brain bleed, amongst other issues, and had been in the hospital and rehab for months. She had been home for, oh.....3 weeks? when I got a frantic phone call while I was at work. Now, mind, I felt like she was having some dementia and the like from the lack of oxygen after the heart attacks and some of the medication didn't sit well, so when she called and said there was a huge white mouse running around her feet while she was on the toilet, I was not especially apt to believe that was the exact situation. Dad returned home shortly after and confirmed there was definitely a large white rodent, but it wasn't a mouse. I thought maybe someone had dumped a pet rat off. Got home and encountered it, and by golly it was the tiniest weasel I've ever seen in my life (also the only weasel I've ever seen). Nobody believed me.

Fast forward to two weeks ago - something is getting into my barn and into my outdoor pen and killing my growouts and breeders. Clearly an emmer-effing mustelid of some variety. I REALLY hope it wasn't a Least Weasel, because I'm not confident I can really fence the barn that well. I set the live trap, it went in and played with the bait but did not eat it or trip the trigger. I have since procured a mink/squirrel tube trap, it hasn't been triggered. Also built a mink box for a 110 conibear, but it needs some modification. Covered the sliding barn door with plywood, already had a hardware cloth skirt attached. Haven't had an attack since doing that, but I know they tend to 'make rounds' so will have to stay vigilant. It was coming after I fed at 6am and went to work, sneaky little ****.

I hate them.

 

[Howard E]

Not likely you will ever get a weasel in a standard sized live trap. Maybe one of the smaller one used for rats and squirrels.

For a weasel box, and especially so if a least weasel, replace the 110 conibear (almost appropriate for a mink, but 120 (double spring) with a pan trigger is better)....with either a wooden rat trap....type with large yellow pan......or a #1 or #1 1/2 long spring trap....all of which are set beneath the hole leading into the weasel box. That way, when weasel enters trap through the small hole you left for him, the only thing he has to place is feet upon when he pulls through and drops in is the trap's trigger pan. The rat trap or 1 1 /2 long spring will kill him on the spot.

Pre-bait with chicken feed, bird seed, oatmeal, etc, to draw in rodents like mice......and that is to put rodent scent in the box, which is what weasel is mostly after. Then when ready to trap, bait with a piece of bloody meat like a fresh chicken liver.

 

[Mosey2003]

Thanks Howard!

I grabbed the 110 and made a box since it was the one that was available locally, I actually wanted a 120. I think I'll order a pan trigger for it since I'm going to order some of those good rat traps and a better brand 120 anyway. I do have hopes for the tube trap. And I have a whole bag of frozen livers from butchering. I'll make one of those smaller traps with the hole entrance and a rat trap.

 

[aart]

emmer-effing

Great spelling!!

 

[Mosey2003]

Great spelling!!

I don't know who I first heard use it that way but it stuck and it's now my favorite