Mink on VAlley Creek

[salmo]

I was on a road crossing Valley Creek in Tredyffrin Twp. near the Miller Preserve. When I looked over the bridge I saw what I believe to have been a mink. It was long, sleek and about 16 inches head to tail and dark brown to almost black. It was in broad daylight. It was in and out of the rocks near the stream. Was it a mink, an ermine or an escaped ferret?

 

[Bamboozle]

A skinny cat...?

Mink aren't as uncommon as folks think, even in SEPA.

I actually met a trapper on a local stream who was checking his traps.

 

[mikesl]

Saw a mink on valley creek near that section earlier this year.
Another fly fisher there commented that he has noticed more mink on streams after they have become "invaded" by rusty crayfish.

 

[FarmerDave]

salmo wrote:
I was on a road crossing Valley Creek in Tredyffrin Twp. near the Miller Preserve. When I looked over the bridge I saw what I believe to have been a mink. It was long, sleek and about 16 inches head to tail and dark brown to almost black. It was in broad daylight. It was in and out of the rocks near the stream. Was it a mink, an ermine or an escaped ferret?

Likely a mink. Way more common than most people think. I've seen several in broad daylight.

I believe the term "ermine" refers to a white weasel. Some weasels turn white in the winter. Mink do not.

Mike, now that you mentioned it, I've seen way more mink here in NE Ohio where rusty crayfish are very common.

 

[Nymph-wristed]

Funny, I saw my first in a SEPA creek last week. There were actually three on the Bushkill near Easton. And about 6 mergansers together. Add a heron or two, and that's the trifecta of trout predators, I think.

 

[JohnPowers]

Last spring saw a little duck family on the WB. out of nowhere came a mink to snatch one of those cuddly little ducklings.

 

[TYoung]

Early in the spring I saw a big mink on the Saucon. I was fishing slightly down stream from the closed metal bridge, and I see this furry animal come out from his rocky hiding place along the base of the steep bank. It was definitely a large mink.

 

[UncleShorty]

Saw a mink near the bottom of the Yellow Creek FFO Area a couple years ago. Mentioned it to a guy in the parking lot. He said that many years ago there had been a mink ranch nearby and a good portion of them had escaped which caused the ranch to close. So, apparently, there is a robust population in that area.

Pretty critter. Looked better alive than it would have hanging around the neck of some rich old woman.

 

[Mike_Emanuele]

I'm a mink trapper, myself. There's a lot of mink in this state.

 

[dc410]

I've seen several mink over the years on the Tulpehocken. Sneaking around in the streamside rocks is a favorite activity of them. I have had them get fairly close to me as they stick their heads up between the rocks to check me out. They are actually very curious critters. I've also seen several of them bouncing along the stream edge carrying a trout in their mouth. I always enjoy seeing them.

 

[Bamboozle]

About 11 years ago, I had several encounters with the same small juvenile beaver at the Monocasy Creek. It was during Sulphurs so I was there nightly for several consecutive days.

The first day I saw what I thought was huge carp swim by me until it went past and behind me and walked out onto the bank to eat some small stalks of some vegetation...watching me carefully.

The second evening around the same time it went by but this time with its head above water to the same spot behind me to eat.

By the third evening, we were used to each other and the little guy munched away barely 4 feet from me.

I have never seen him or any other beaver since. Muskrats, mink, snapping turtles, herons, kingfishers and crazy flock of over 20 turkeys, but no beavers.

 

[Acristickid]

See the mink on YC in the red bank hole often. Hope something eats it. Probably feasts on the stocked rainbows

 

[salmonoid]

I had a mink encounter last week on a small stream in Central PA. We had a brief downpour, so I went out to check out how the stream dynamics had changed about an hour after the storm. Water was just a tad bit higher and a little muddy and as I walked up through the stream, I looked a few feet over in a log jam and a furry head and then body popped up. Soaked to the bone, and a bit scraggly looking. He looked at me, ****ed his head like "WTF?", that ain't right, for 15 seconds or so, and of course, as I reached for my phone, then he decided he better skedaddle.

I think they are pretty common across the state.

 

[mikesl]

Have also seen one on the little lehigh in the parkway, and crossing the road near my house, near upper wissahickon.

always feels like a privelege to see things that many other people don't realize are there.

 

[jrj]

We saw one around the Iron Bridge last January. He was very curious and stayed around for quite some time. Saw a family of 6 at Ken Lockwood about a 5 weeks ago. They are cool to watch.

 

[acesedgley]

Have seen them on the Tully also below the Red Bridge on stream bank opposite the pavilion.
Saw one this past Saturday while in my kayak on Chambers Lake. My cell phone picture attempt was quite the failure, but have a great memory in my mind's eye of the time it looked straight at me with just his head sticking up over a rock...very cute and surely well fed as there were a great many YOY sunfish, etc schooled up near the bank.

 

[RyanR]

Sounds like a mink, they're actually fairly common, more common in PA than some think.

 

[foxfire]

Believe it or not I often see mink along the Loyalhanna - yards from rt. 30!!!

 

[sarce]

I saw one near the "Duck Pond" below the wastewater treatment plant in State College. That's practically in downtown!

Have also seen them along Valley, followed one upstream for probably 10 minutes once. Was trying to get a pic but it would not stop moving!! Have probably seen 4 or 5 in all sorts of habitats.

 

[salmo]

Wow! Tons of responses. Pretty sure I saw one before on Fishing Creek, near Benton or possibly on Bowmans Creek. I was quite beautiful to see. Does the mink trapper have any scraps he want to sell me for tying nymphs?