PDA

View Full Version : Have you seen a mink?



Shutterbug
08-08-2006, 00:25
Until this morning, I had never seen a mink outside of a zoo. One crossed our back yard this morning. It was a beautiful animal. It was moving quickly enough that I didn't have time to grab my camera.

After seeing it I did some reading. From what I read it is unusual to see them in daylight hours. I have no idea whether it was a wild mink or someone's pet that got away. Either way it was fun to observe it.

Life on Puget Sound is always interesting.

Nean
08-08-2006, 01:44
I've seen minklike animals, but not so sure. Always cool to see something new. I've seen a couple of kiwis, in the daytime, not at a zoo. Once a blackish weasel/mink looking critter jumped out of the weeds and onto my boots as I was walking by. Never could figure what it was or why it happened. Thought it was pretty neat though. Thanks for stirring that old memory.:)

Sly
08-08-2006, 02:17
Mink, like in furry and cuddly? I've seen that! :)

Sly
08-08-2006, 02:19
I guess I should add, some were wild!

fiddlehead
08-08-2006, 02:27
How about Fischer Cats? I hear they'll bite your arm off.

Nean
08-08-2006, 02:28
Sure you don't mean minx, Sly? I've seen some of them at Trail Days, and YES, they were wild!:D

BigToe
08-08-2006, 02:33
I had the privilege of seeing a pair of mink up VERY close in the Port Jervis/Monticello area of New York State a couple of years ago. I was walking in the Forestburg Scout Reservation, waiting for my son to finish up a counselor job. There's a beautiful waterfall quite close to the camp. As I sat quietly for an extended time at the base of the falls, suddenly two mink came clambering over the rocks right at me. They began to play - no other word for it - jumping in and out of the water and chasing each other over the rocks. They seemed to take no notice of me and at one point one of them ran right over my boot. An incredible thrill! As quickly as they appeared, they rambled away.

I couldn't believe they were minks, and found through a little research that they were:
http://www.dec.state.ny.us/website/dfwmr/wildlife/wildgame/minkinny.htm

All part of the wonder when you let yourself out of the concrete jungle...

Lobo
08-08-2006, 06:46
I've seen a pair of Mink several times, playing along the edge of the stream, while I was fly fishing the Yellow Breeches Creek where it crosses the AT in Boiling Springs, PA.

HIKER7s
08-08-2006, 06:56
I have come across both. I saw a fisher for the first time in the US (I saw several of the in Canada on a trip in the late 80's)

I was approaching Kennebec river in Maine one morning and saw one of them enjoying a freshly killed meal on a fallen tree about 50 feet away.

I had been confused as to what it was at first (I thought it was a marten) but afterwards, I verified it was a fisher by looking in my animal Id manual.

Its really great when you see these unexpected things. Too bad most o the time they happen when your alone, its something that is cool to share the moment, you know.

HIKER7s

Newb
08-08-2006, 07:37
I hear they make great slippers and coats.

Lone Wolf
08-08-2006, 07:50
I came around a bend in the trail near Rangeley and saw a fisher that had a rabbit pinned down with it's teeth buried in it's neck. The rabbit was giving a high pitched scream. The cat saw me, let go of the rabbit and took off. I went up to the bunny and watched it die. Cool stuff!

HIKER7s
08-08-2006, 08:46
lol @ Lw (lol@lw)

Nightwalker
08-08-2006, 14:25
I came around a bend in the trail near Rangeley and saw a fisher that had a rabbit pinned down with it's teeth buried in it's neck. The rabbit was giving a high pitched scream. The cat saw me, let go of the rabbit and took off. I went up to the bunny and watched it die. Cool stuff!
Did ya eat it? They're pretty good stewed or fried.

Toolshed
08-08-2006, 15:28
In the hills in PA where we live, we have a couple of minks that we can sometimes catch in dawn or dusk near a creek, along with a pair of foxes - usually heaing across our fields.

I 've seen a few pines martens in the Adirondacks - One winter afternoon I was sitting on the front edge of a Lean-to in flowed lands, eating crackers and drinking soup - Had one come out from under a Lean-to between my legs and grab the baggie full of crackers out of my hand and duck back under the shelter - It is a freaky feeling - I jsut saw this dark shadow under my legs.
what was funnier was that a minute later we were both on the ground scavenging up the spilled crackers - He would grab one - run under the L/T with it in it's mouth and pop back out 5 seconds later and repeat.

Another time in February I was sitting at a trail junction on Algonquin and Wright peaks in the ADKs and felt something staring at me - I turned around and there was a huge fisher on a tree branch about 25' away from me watching me - I am sure it was thinking about jumping on me - it finally skulked acros teh branch and down the tree and took off in the krumholz.

Bruce Hudson
08-08-2006, 15:33
Camped at Davis Farm, Jefferson National Forest Sunday night and saw a mink crossing the road Monday morning on SR623 going into Burkes Garden.

Bruce Hudson

general
08-08-2006, 19:49
my grandparents used to raise minks. they are mean, viscious animals.

Skidsteer
08-08-2006, 19:52
My son has two ferrets. They're kinda like blind, retarded minks.

C_Brice
08-08-2006, 20:34
Being a trapper I am qualified to tell you that seeing mink in the daytime is not that rare. Bobcats, opposums and skunks are much more nocturnal. I'd say minks do about 75% of there traveling at night, 25% durring the day.

CB

fishinfred
08-08-2006, 20:43
Spring 2003 (RAINING... ) A PACKED (15) Gooch Mt shelter about 4am as the mice played ring around the rosie on my sleeping back I woke and sat up seeing a sillouette of a creature under the picnic table stand up and look with a weasal/mink shaped head (it was kinda dark ???) It was about 18 inches tall when it stood up .I reached for my camera and it was gone ....funny thing was a Hiker from Maine was sound asleep on the pea gravel not more than a foot away from it while it was eating scraps under the table I presume ....
Anyone else seen anything like this in GA? Weasel or a Mink????Still not sure what it was ???? Ive also seen minks here in Mi (shot video from a boat of 2 cruising along the lake shore once while fishing) near the NCT in Manistee County.
It was awsome ....as seeing any wildlife is !:sun
PEACE
Fishinfred

TIDE-HSV
08-08-2006, 21:53
I had the privilege of seeing a martin, cousin of the mink and fisher - weasel family, on a hike near Glenwood Springs, CO. It was totally unfazed by our presence. We noticed it first alongside the trail to our right. It wasn't running so much as "surfing" up and down over brush and low trees. It crossed in front of us, posed, while I struggled and failed to get my camera out and then took off back uphill to our left in a dry creek bed by the trail. It paused a couple of times as if to pose again, but I still was all thumbs. It looked like a smallish otter...

Shutterbug
08-08-2006, 22:15
I had the privilege of seeing a martin, cousin of the mink and fisher - weasel family...

The martin is a beautiful animal. I photographed this one in Mt. Rainier National Park.

TIDE-HSV
08-08-2006, 23:15
The one in CO was darker over all, but very recognizably the same animal. I couldn't understand why the rangers were so excited until I read up and found out how rare it was in that area. My better half is vacationing down on the Gulf "with the girls' (or so I hope :) ). I can't wait to show her your pic when she gets back next week...