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Wild Mink And Ferreting


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OH and just so all of you people going off on the egg subject know, I have had MULTIPLE HUNGRY MINK walk on top of a nest of fresh, warm duck eggs, and they totally ignored them like they were rocks. I'm not saying it doesn't happen, I'm just saying I've been out hunting with a mink. How many of you can say that? The most I've ever seen a mink do with an egg is play with it like a ball. How many of you have watched a mink play with an egg like a ball? How many of you have seen a mink eat an egg??? Just saying......

 

P.S. My mink have eaten eggs that I've broken open for them, but I've never had them open one themselves. I don't believe it's a very natural or common prey item for a mink because even my hungry mink don't pay any attention to eggs they encounter while hunting, and bored mink in a cage don't seem to know what to do with an egg when you give it to them.

Edited by Minkenry
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But they can eat eggs of said doves and pigeons. I'm not too concerned about that but what does concern Is the damage they cause to young pheasants domestic pigeons fish stocks moorhens coots and of c

Minkenry, you talk some shit. Areas with high populations of mink have next to f**k all water voles in this country. Our native water voles are having the arse knocked out of them by the invasive Amer

pull your head out your arse pal, iv seen it more than once and know others who have witnessed it, you may aswell go back to your last audience and piss up there legs and tell them its raining, too ma

 

 

 

Well you read wrong! :D 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.

Minkenry, what you done with Mink is amazing but they do cause a problem over here, like any introduced predator that evolved out of the ecosystem they are living in, they obviously have some traits that evolved elsewhere and that have given them some advantages over some native species. Its the reason that the ferret is banned in some U.S. states, there is a concern that if they escaped and went feral they could have an impact on some U.S. native species. Also remember that in the U.K. there are few predators that would even consider taking on a mustelid of mink size. A mink farm in the south of England was raided by animal rights people many years ago and the mink released, they caused total devastation and spread out like wildfire. It took years to control numbers and only now are water voles being reintroduced to areas previously occupied by the mink. Having said that habitat destruction is obviously a big problem in our modern world! Mustelids are such effective predators that the introduction of any mustelid species into a non native habitat is almost bound to have a strong impact. Great work with the mink though :thumbs:

I totally agree that the mink doesn't belong in your country, and that its presence does cause problems. My point has always been that in your country mink a blamed for ridiculous things. Not that they are innocent and should be left alone. I have never said or believed that once. I just think it's silly that the mink gets blamed for all sorts of ridiculous things like driving out the otter and killing lambs (and yes I know of a guy that lost two lambs to a mink, my point is that you will loose 100,000 lambs to other things for every one lost to a mink).

 

Here the thing. You have an even MORE dangerous alien predator among you that instead of persecuting and freaking out about, you feed and protect. It's called a house cat. The house cat kills more birds in a month than a mink will in two or three lifetimes! House cats pose a threat to countless numbers of wildlife, and yet no one is freaking out about them. Oh no, you feed and protect them. But the mink, oh he has to go. He killed my neighbors horse the other night. LOL

 

My point is not that mink don't cause problems. My point is that they have become a scapegoat that get's blamed for every creature that disappears from your countryside, while the deadly house cat get's blamed for nothing. Do I believe it would be better if mink never visited your country, yes I do? Do I believe mink should be removed from your country now that they are there? Yes I do. Do I believe mink are wiping out your ducks, pigeons, sparrows, deer, foxes, and whale populations, no I don't

Now this I sort of agree with. You do get some ridiculous stories told about mink. If I'm honest though if i had a choice wich animal I'd rather have in our waterways otter or mink it would probably be the mink. Or neither.

 

One thing I will say is your lucky to see a mink on the chalk stream near me now but there seems to be a lot more life on there now .... Until the otters move in anyway

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OH and just so all of you people going off on the egg subject know, I have had MULTIPLE HUNGRY MINK walk on top of a nest of fresh, warm duck eggs, and they totally ignored them like they were rocks. I'm not saying it doesn't happen, I'm just saying I've been out hunting with a mink. How many of you can say that? The most I've ever seen a mink do with an egg is play with it like a ball. How many of you have watched a mink play with an egg like a ball? How many of you have seen a mink eat an egg??? Just saying......

 

P.S. My mink have eaten eggs that I've broken open for them, but I've never had them open one themselves. I don't believe it's a very natural or common prey item for a mink because even my hungry mink don't pay any attention to eggs they encounter while hunting, and bored mink in a cage don't seem to know what to do with an egg when you give it to them.

They can and do eat eggs I've seen it myself. Also seen one start scratching about in the nest and knocking the eggs into the water. Also the trouble with eggs is they hatch and this is normally when they fall prey to predators ...

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They can and do eat eggs I've seen it myself. Also seen one start scratching about in the nest and knocking the eggs into the water. Also the trouble with eggs is they hatch and this is normally when they fall prey to predators ...

 

 

Oh yeah, I have no doubt that mink can and will eat eggs...... they also can and will eat crackers. My point is that based on my observations, eggs are not a natural part of a mink's diet, and I doubt it's very common for mink to eat eggs. When my mink are hungry they are more likely to eat a piece of bread they find on the ground then they are a whole egg they find. Not saying it doesn't happen, just saying it must not be common or natural, because mink don't automatically recognize eggs as food the way a crow, rat, or raccoon would.

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pull your head out your arse pal, iv seen it more than once and know others who have witnessed it, you may aswell go back to your last audience and piss up there legs and tell them its raining, too many folk on this forum spend too much time out doors and know whats happening lol

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They can and do eat eggs I've seen it myself. Also seen one start scratching about in the nest and knocking the eggs into the water. Also the trouble with eggs is they hatch and this is normally when they fall prey to predators ...

 

Oh yeah, I have no doubt that mink can and will eat eggs...... they also can and will eat crackers. My point is that based on my observations, eggs are not a natural part of a mink's diet, and I doubt it's very common for mink to eat eggs. When my mink are hungry they are more likely to eat a piece of bread they find on the ground then they are a whole egg they find. Not saying it doesn't happen, just saying it must not be common or natural, because mink don't automatically recognize eggs as food the way a crow, rat, or raccoon would.

Your mink is fed a stable and regular diet by you, that's why it's passed on duck eggs when you've been out and about, it ain't hungry enough to bother with them... :doh:
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pull your head out your arse pal, iv seen it more than once and know others who have witnessed it, you may aswell go back to your last audience and piss up there legs and tell them its raining, too many folk on this forum spend too much time out doors and know whats happening lol

 

you know I don't believe I have been rude once to you, why do you feel you need to use crude insulting language with me? Are you feeling threatened by my knowledge and feel like you need to somehow compensate? You know very well that I have just as much field knowledge as I do book knowledge. And I never once said that mink don't eat eggs. You freak out like I said it never happens. I'm just saying it must not be a natural activity as I've never seen a mink take to eating eggs as naturally as other nest predators like my pet crows and raccoons have done. I understand you not agreeing with my views and opinions. However, I don't understand you being both offensive and offended.

Edited by Minkenry
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They can and do eat eggs I've seen it myself. Also seen one start scratching about in the nest and knocking the eggs into the water. Also the trouble with eggs is they hatch and this is normally when they fall prey to predators ...

Oh yeah, I have no doubt that mink can and will eat eggs...... they also can and will eat crackers. My point is that based on my observations, eggs are not a natural part of a mink's diet, and I doubt it's very common for mink to eat eggs. When my mink are hungry they are more likely to eat a piece of bread they find on the ground then they are a whole egg they find. Not saying it doesn't happen, just saying it must not be common or natural, because mink don't automatically recognize eggs as food the way a crow, rat, or raccoon would.

Your mink is fed a stable and regular diet by you, that's why it's passed on duck eggs when you've been out and about, it ain't hungry enough to bother with them... :doh:

 

My mink are released while hungry and forced to find their own meal. They don't get fed until they catch and kill something. I have had mink spend several hours chasing muskrats and fish, not catching one. Then that mink will walk right over a warm nest of eggs as the mother duck frantically quacks at her from the safety of the water. That mink was hungry and working HARD to try to find prey. It was NOT a fat lazy pet!

Edited by Minkenry
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minkenry you are laughing in folks faces and calling them hilarious for telling you there views and observations, there are folk like you in this country who defend foxes the same, completely blinkered and refuse to listen to anybody other than those with the same views..... we call them brainwashed... i wont be commenting anymore so all the best with no egg eating mink lol

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Don't be offended Minkenry a lot of people on here like to argue and take the piss and the language can be a bit savage at times but that's just how it is. Thank f**k you haven't been on the lurcher forum yet or they would have a hit man after you :D

 

Ive never seen a mink but have seen loads of footprints near rivers etc, as for the rest about them destroying wildlife I would say the millions of cats we have in this country do far more damage but mink should be eradicated as an alien species.

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Well you read wrong! :D 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.

 

Well said mate! :victory:

 

Why don't you shut the f**k up you f*****g numpty !!

 

The great pretender !!

 

Relax mate, no need to get nasty :laugh: Think Minkenry has dug himself a big hole :D

 

you were agreeing with him!!!

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They can and do eat eggs I've seen it myself. Also seen one start scratching about in the nest and knocking the eggs into the water. Also the trouble with eggs is they hatch and this is normally when they fall prey to predators ...

 

Oh yeah, I have no doubt that mink can and will eat eggs...... they also can and will eat crackers. My point is that based on my observations, eggs are not a natural part of a mink's diet, and I doubt it's very common for mink to eat eggs. When my mink are hungry they are more likely to eat a piece of bread they find on the ground then they are a whole egg they find. Not saying it doesn't happen, just saying it must not be common or natural, because mink don't automatically recognize eggs as food the way a crow, rat, or raccoon would.

Your mink is fed a stable and regular diet by you, that's why it's passed on duck eggs when you've been out and about, it ain't hungry enough to bother with them... :doh:

My mink are released while hungry and forced to find their own meal. They don't get fed until they catch and kill something. I have had mink spend several hours chasing muskrats and fish, not catching one. Then that mink will walk right over a warm nest of eggs as the mother duck frantically quacks at her from the safety of the water. That mink was hungry and working HARD to try to find prey. It was NOT a fat lazy pet!

Not saying it was a fat lazy pet.. :blink: Thats where your mink and our ferrets differ, we don't need our ferrets to be hungry to do the job we intend to do with them.. :thumbs:
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