Weasel

[gmfwlbrdr]

Mink are thrill killers is what ive been told,I personally have saw mink chase a cottontail then track it down like a dog would trail ,then ambush and kill the rabbit ,, Mink i fear more than coon because they are harder to detect because they can get through smaller wire spaces.

 

[Tuhmu]

Interesting. That's how I would describe my previous massacre, a thrill for it. It was surprising how brave it was. Where when I would pull that dead hen away from the coop, it would come right back after it, right in front of me. Makes me wonder if it was just "seeing red" and that focused on it, they're more brave than other wild predators, or it was possibly rabid?

 

[gmfwlbrdr]

Very doubtful that is was Rabid ,I am sure Mink are just Supercharged small predators.

 

[bobbi-j]

I'm thinking you got a young dumb one. Mature mink are way more cautious. At least that's been our experience with them.

 

[ChickenChaser9]

Thanks, I was quite surprised that that worked. i thought he would have been a lot more cautious after the shovel attack.

I just hope that's the last of it, they are rather solitary and territorial not? There wouldn't be another one working with him? Or rather until another one eventually moves in.

I'm still not 100% sure that the skunk is gone either, but then again, I don't know if the skunk had anything to do with it either. Since the skunk has been at my place for the past 4 years and had never bothered anything. I could just smell skunk constantly when I went in my henhouse, shortly after the first massacre.

Either way, lesson learned. Even as little as an hour after sunset is too late to lock them up, which leaves a small window to get out there, since my birds like to stay out till the very last minute.

Most predators are not that cautious when they have an all they can eat buffet right in front of them. A little scare means nothing in the face of a constant and easy food source. Really you are fortunate not to have lost more birds than you did. Glad you learned a lesson. I hope that lesson is always make sure you have enough ammo to deal with your problems. Best Wishes.

 

[aart]

Great catch, Congrats!...and great story, geez!

Regarding the smell, many animals have a musky odor similar to skunk.....and some animals eat skunks, found a skunk carcass near a fox den once.

Might want to block off access to under the coop if possible.

 

[gmfwlbrdr]

Great catch, Congrats!...and great story, geez!

Regarding the smell, many animals have a musky odor similar to skunk.....and some animals eat skunks, found a skunk carcass near a fox den once.

Might want to block off access to under the coop if possible.

when trapping Season opens I Trap the furbearers and I use the whole animal ,I use the glands to formulate Attractants to further lure in the next Furbearer ,Trapping is a Necessary process in keeping the population s in check.

 

[SimoneG]

Yea, that's what I was told last night when neighbors looked at it. I had no idea we even had those in our area, but I guess it did seem awfully large for a weasel.

I put a bullet in it, so that problem is done. After seeing all those birds laying their dead with a bite out of their head, there wasn't any pity. I just hope there's not others around and that that was what was doing it. Do mink's got on rampages like weasels?

Hi Tuhmu, I'm also in ND and currently having trouble with a mink. although it left my silkies alone (they free range the barn) it took out 90% of my guineas (all roosters) 9 of them in one night. I currently set up 3 live traps using them as bait. any other suggestions?

 

[WthrLady]

Mink are weasels. When you kill it, you can look between it's toes. Minks have webbing between.

 

[aart]

I currently set up 3 live traps using them as bait. any other suggestions?

Kill it if you catch it.
Did it get them in a coop, or.....??
If so, tighten up your coop security.

Mink are weasels. When you kill it, you can look between it's toes. Minks have webbing between.

Same family, yep...do other weasels have webbing too, or just mink?