My Hunting Mink Fang Catching A Muskrat In A Dry Canal

[Minkenry 1,044]

thanks , you really do very well with it, the bites off it would have gone through to the bone in your hand , ive had few nips of ferrets , and they hurt , that mink would have hell of a lot worse bite, good job you got thick gloves on .But you stayed in there with him, and got him to expect you , you done great . On that vid when he on that big nasty muskrat , and he got it back of the head did kill it then, as the vid just stopped, i get the impression the minks kill there quarry from biting the back of the head , is that right, keep the vids coming great to watch

 

 

 

Yes, above ground mink typically kill with a bite to the back of the head/neck area. Interesting thing I've noticed is they often kill with a throat hold when they kill their prey underground. I'm not sure why that is.

[Minkenry 1,044]

Have you ever failed training any mink?? And what happens to them if they do not make the grade whether they are too vicious to work with or basically not up to the job?

 

Failed to train them to do what? I've had mink who refused to even start to learn to cache (bring their prey back after killing it), and mink who were too timid to hunt certain prey (especially muskrats). I've also had mink who I never fully trusted not to bite me, but they were all tamed as adults. I've seen others with dangerous bottle raised mink, but I think that's more their fault, rather than the mink's. But maybe someday I'll raise a baby that will prove me wrong, we'll just have to wait and see. I honestly don't mind a mink too vicious to handle, there's ways around that. What I can't stand is a mink too timid to work hard prey like muskrats. I'll take a mean biting mink who will get in and kill a hard muskrat over a timid one I can cuddle with!!! Of course I prefer a mink who will do both, but if I have to choose the choice is pretty easy for me! One of my all time favorite mink I never even tried to handle bare handed. She unfortunately died just months after getting her, so I never really got to see her full potential. She was a tiny little mink with a BIG attitude and ENDLESS prey drive! She only weighed 550 grams, and yet she didn't even hesitate to take down a big tom feral cat!!!!! I literally had to pry her off the poor thing to save it from being slowly gnawed to death! Here's a video showing her on the first live prey she ever sunk her teeth into. She clearly doesn't know what she's doing, but she's giving it her all!!!!!!!!

 

https://youtu.be/ZQQ-Rp_GRKg

 

 

As far as what I do with failed mink, I either find someone who can use them, or just keep them as a back up. My very first hunting mink Missy is actually still owned by a friend of mine who basically keeps her as a pet. There was nothing really wrong with Missy, its just that I was still figuring out how to train a mink back then, and I messed up so much with her I decided that it was better if I just start over with a clean slate. I had a friend who really wanted her, so I gave her to him and moved on to the next. I've done that with a few mink who didn't work out as well for whatever reason.

 

I also have one now named Rio who is a real disappointment, but I've kept her anyways. She is the most timid mink I've ever hunted with, but I've put so much time and effort into her I don't want to just give her to someone and loose all that I've put into her. Not only that, but she's not really suitable to go to anyone else, because she bites anyone who isn't me. I would feel bad giving her up because I know she would miss me. She still chirps to me like a baby mink every time she sees me, and is really quite bonded to me, and only me. I would feel like a real jerk sending her somewhere else just because she's not as confident and aggressive as I would like. The other mink I've given up to other people were mink who weren't really bonded to me like Rio is, and they really couldn't care less who was caring for them. They were just as friendly to their new owner as they were to me. In fact one of the two mink became even more friendly and trust worthy with their new owner than they were with me!

 

So I use Rio for jobs she's good at. Like flushing rats to the dog, or catching rabbits, or using her to bring back a kill another mink has made under ground, but for whatever reason won't bring back. Basically I just use Rio for what she's good at, and use a Fang for doing stuff Rio won't do, like hunting muskrats and squirrels. I jokingly call her my ferreting mink, because 90% of the jobs I give her involve flushing something like a ferret, rather than catching it like a "real mink".

Edited April 17, 2017 by Minkenry

[Haiddheliwr 1,911]

Thanks for the reply, you pretty much explained what I was asking really. Being only used to ferrets we had some that were more interested in jumping around like an animal possessed and trying their best to bite you! Others who would have been handled and fed the same would get on with the job in hand and not be any trouble at all. Keep the vids coming enjoy each and every one! ATB

[Minkenry 1,044]

wel minkenry really enjoy watching ur videos any time u put them up.just noticed that u have an e collar remote around ur neck do u use it for correction and training.i have been using one for the last 4 yrs with my dutch shepard and find them great.cracking videos all the best.

 

You're going to laugh at this, but I don't actually use the e-collar for my dog, I use it for my mink. I have a friend who talked me into trying a vibrating training collar on my mink for caching training. Fang is the first mink I've tried this with, and so far it's been a really awesome tool, as I can correct the mink anytime she doesn't come back with the kill while hunting, instead of relying of positive re-enforcement only. Fang isn't 100% with caching yet, so I still have it on her when I hunt. I'm hoping to wean her off of it soon, but I won't even try until she's become more consistent. The wonderful thing about this collar is it allows me to hunt with a mink while it's still in training! Previously I had to wait until the mink was consistently caching before hunting. Now with this training collar I can train her while I hunt her! I LOVE IT, I just wish it was smaller!!!

 

Edited April 15, 2017 by Minkenry

[lanesra 4,007]

Patience & Calmness is an absolute must and you have both in leaps & bounds , absolute brilliant watching your progress with Wahsushe , terrible when the lip came on how you lost them (though "Lost" isn't the right word) .

[stonewall 1,913]

 

wel minkenry really enjoy watching ur videos any time u put them up.just noticed that u have an e collar remote around ur neck do u use it for correction and training.i have been using one for the last 4 yrs with my dutch shepard and find them great.cracking videos all the best.

 

You're going to laugh at this, but I don't actually use the e-collar for my dog, I use it for my mink. I have a friend who talked me into trying a vibrating training collar on my mink for caching training. Fang is the first mink I've tried this with, and so far it's been a really awesome tool, as I can correct the mink anytime she doesn't come back with the kill while hunting, instead of relying of positive re-enforcement only. Fang isn't 100% with caching yet, so I still have it on her when I hunt. I'm hoping to wean her off of it soon, but I won't even try until she's become more consistent. The wonderful thing about this collar is it allows me to hunt with a mink while it's still in training! Previously I had to wait until the mink was consistently caching before hunting. Now with this training collar I can train her while I hunt her! I LOVE IT, I just wish it was smaller!!!

 

 

i spotted the e collar on the mink its a great training aid.i should have made it more clear in my post that the collar that i was talking about was on the mink.i could see lads here in ireland trying that with working ferrets.