Wild Mink And Ferreting

[Minkenry 1,044]

I was curious if you guys ever accidentally run in to mink while you are ferreting. What usually happens when you do? Do you guys ever loose ferrets to a mink, or do the ferrets run away in time? I've had friends that have tried to keep ferrets and mink as pets at the same time, and sometimes they end up loosing a ferret or two to the mink.

 

What about other wild mustelids? I just read the topic about stoats, and apparently they run when they encounter a ferret. What about wild polecats, what happens when you run into one of those?

Edited September 19, 2013 by Minkenry

[TOMO 28,589]

I've never ran in to either when ferreting,,, proberbly cos mink spend most of there time in or around rivers,,,, mind you I do a fair bit of ferreting on river banks,,, in fact I will be tomorrow ....

 

As for wild polys,,, never seen one that I could defiantly say was a true poley,,,,and not a polecat coloured ferret,, in fact yesterday we seen what we thought was one in a wall,,, but it was not showing itself and kept well out of our way,,, and could well have been just a ferret..

[onthehunt 40]

Been ferreting for a while now and never encountered a mink in this country but my brother who lives abroad, sees European mink a lot on his trips out. He owns European polecats too (pure ones that come from the continent not the UK) but they don't mix with the ferrets as he's had some nasty incidents I have an eu probably hybrid who's as soft as shite lol and he's kept with the other ferrets.

[The one 8,585]

Usually stoats and weasels high tail it from the burrow , never bolted a mink as ive only one permission near a waterway .

[Bossie 90]

Had several EU/wild polecats myself, did not like them.

Have come across a marter while ferreting, lost a ferret to it. Ferreting friend has accidentally come across a fox which was bolted by the ferret.

https://www.(!64.56:886/photo.php?v=637408556276459

 

I've got a friend who also kept a mink together with his dogs and ferrets. Was bottle fed and went along for walks with the dogs. Died of a heatstroke/overheating, shame really.

[onthehunt 40]

Nice video mate Never bolted a fox before that would be an experience

[TOMO 28,589]

Had several EU/wild polecats myself, did not like them.

Have come across a marter while ferreting, lost a ferret to it. Ferreting friend has accidentally come across a fox which was bolted by the ferret.

https://www.(!64.56:886/photo.php?v=637408556276459

 

I've got a friend who also kept a mink together with his dogs and ferrets. Was bottle fed and went along for walks with the dogs. Died of a heatstroke/overheating, shame really.

You came across a marter,,,,,,,, was he about to blow himself up,,,,, lol

[BIGLURKS 874]

Never seen one ferreting but seen a pal getting bit In he's toe when checking nets one night good job we were pished cos it put a hole in he brand new wellies at the time and all I could do is roll about laughing my tits off

[Minkenry 1,044]

I find it very interesting that most of you guys have never once run into mink! From the studies I've read, mink in your country live almost exclusively in rabbit warrens, and feed very heavily on rabbits. In England, some male mink will even travel quite far from water and live in rabbit warrens, even though they rarely do that in other places that they live in.

 

So much for the big freak out about the alien mink taking over! No one can even find one! LOL

[Ideation 8,217]

That may have something to do with us hunting them to f**k lol

[skycat 6,174]

There are plenty around where I live: where I exercise my dogs its along river banks etc. But in over 25 years my dogs have only killed two, both times young, though well grown males which were wandering around in brambles. See plenty of sign of them though. The dogs hunt them along the river banks, though have never succeeded in catching one in that situation.

[Malt 379]

I find it very interesting that most of you guys have never once run into mink! From the studies I've read, mink in your country live almost exclusively in rabbit warrens, and feed very heavily on rabbits. In England, some male mink will even travel quite far from water and live in rabbit warrens, even though they rarely do that in other places that they live in.

 

So much for the big freak out about the alien mink taking over! No one can even find one! LOL

Well you read wrong! Never heard of them being far from water, and its animals like our water voles that are suffering a massive decline because of the mink.. Like Ideation said above, they get hunted, trapped, shot, etc.. Some people think the return of the otter is keeping them in check too..

[rob190364 2,594]

I find it very interesting that most of you guys have never once run into mink! From the studies I've read, mink in your country live almost exclusively in rabbit warrens, and feed very heavily on rabbits. In England, some male mink will even travel quite far from water and live in rabbit warrens, even though they rarely do that in other places that they live in.

 

So much for the big freak out about the alien mink taking over! No one can even find one! LOL

Seen plenty of mink when out with the dog, never seen one more than 2ft from a river though.

[Minkenry 1,044]

Well you read wrong! Never heard of them being far from water, and its animals like our water voles that are suffering a massive decline because of the mink.. Like Ideation said above, they get hunted, trapped, shot, etc.. Some people think the return of the otter is keeping them in check too..

 

 

Funny thing is, scientists have shown that the mink never has had any real long term effect on the water vole population. It's human destruction of habitat that has reduced the water voles numbers. It has been shown that areas void of mink have just as many water voles as in areas with high numbers of mink. Like almost all rodents, water voles are very prolific and have no trouble keeping up with the pressure placed on them by predators. Habitat is what determines if they can survive in an area, not the predators in it. This fact has been proven time an time again my multiple studies done by multiple individuals, but the general public still blames the mink, despite the facts. I guess it's just easier to point fingers than it is to take responsibility for what's really causing the problem.

[budharley 945]

 

I find it very interesting that most of you guys have never once run into mink! From the studies I've read, mink in your country live almost exclusively in rabbit warrens, and feed very heavily on rabbits. In England, some male mink will even travel quite far from water and live in rabbit warrens, even though they rarely do that in other places that they live in.

 

So much for the big freak out about the alien mink taking over! No one can even find one! LOL

Well you read wrong! Never heard of them being far from water, and its animals like our water voles that are suffering a massive decline because of the mink.. Like Ideation said above, they get hunted, trapped, shot, etc.. Some people think the return of the otter is keeping them in check too..

 

I shot one a few years ago on my dads small holding, it was sat on a log in the fishing pond eating one of his tench , that's about a mile from the nearest water not a great distance but it had to cross some open land to get to where it was