Mink

[Fishidiot]

STONEMAN wrote:
Mink, otter muskrat....how can I tell which is which? I see them on the Breeches.

Muskrats are very common - they have a bare tail (like a rat) and a big, blunt head like a beaver. Their body size, without counting the tail, is about a foot in length. When you see them, they are often swimming underwater by undulating their tails.

Mink are less common - they're slender, have narrow but fur covered tails, and are about the size of a squirrel.

Otters are much less common (although this is changing) - I can't confirm that I have ever seen an otter in this part of PA. They are larger, about the size of a cat, and have a long fur covered tail.

They are all a dark brown color.

Check some pics, once you're familiar with them, it's usually pretty easy to tell them apart. But muskrats are definitely the most common - they're all over the place in the CV streams.

 

[AFISHN]

In SE PA near West Chester 2years ago I was deer hunting in the snow.Sat down near to a stream to watch a bit and a mink walked across my legs and on to the ice..It was only 2 ft from me.never realized how beautiful they are!!

 

[k-bob]

"Mink, otters, eagles,Great Blue Herons are all after the same things you are- trout. I always figure I'm in a good area if I see any of those animals around."

good point ... stream where I most often see mink has a lot of trout and is only 15' wide, probably a good place for the mink to have a "gemmie salad."

 

[DaveKile]

Been watching this thread for a bit and had nothing really to add as I can't remember the last time I saw a mink. So don't you know it yesterday morning on Spring Creek there was a mink moving along the far bank. Very cool and the mink only hung a round for a short time. Fun to see.

 

[foxtrapper1972]

Cold says-"...but I also think there's something to be said for a significantly reduced pressure form trapping. I really only know one person in my social circles who still traps regularly."

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Interestingly if you look at the PA Game Comm records of catches of mink they have been steadily increasing over the last 10 yrs or so. There may be less trappers (not sure) but those that do are catching larger numbers of mink. When we trapped muskrats we caught mink and they were always a pleasant surprise. Now days I would much rather see a live mink.

 

[troutbert]

In central and NC PA I haven't really noticed a change in numbers from the late 1980s up to today.

If they are increasing in southern PA it might be because of improvements in riparian vegetation. We think of riparian buffers in terms of improving trout streams but they probably also improve conditions for wildlife such as mink, and certainly for birds.

 

[resica]

Saw a couple of Mink a few weeks ago on Pine Creek around Slate Run.

 

[Gone_Phishin]

I was fishing a hole on muddy back in November when trout started going crazy all through the hole. I stopped fishing and just watched for a bit. Seconds later a mink popped up on the opposite shore with a small brown in his mouth. Definitely something neat to watch. I also see them fairly regularly on the conewago in northern york co.

 

[barrybarry]

"Mink, otter muskrat....how can I tell which is which? I see them on the Breeches."

The one that wasn't mentioned in the reply was "Weasels." I've only ever seen two that weren't in traps. They look a lot like mink, but are small enough to fit in your shirt pocket. Beautiful little killing machines that never seem to change to white (ermine) in the winter in SE PA.

Mink birthing/feeding and trout season happen at the same time. They are very busy at this time of year. A couple years ago I posted some images of a mink stealing goose eggs.

These days there are more mink, beavers and otters. Less muskrats. They took a nose dive back around the smallmouth disappearance years. No one knows why.

Fur prices with the exception of a couple years ago have been really low. Ranched mink also competes with the wild variety.

 

[outsider]

barrybarry wrote:
"Mink, otter muskrat....how can I tell which is which? I see them on the Breeches."

The one that wasn't mentioned in the reply was "Weasels." I've only ever seen two that weren't in traps. They look a lot like mink, but are small enough to fit in your shirt pocket. Beautiful little killing machines that never seem to change to white (ermine) in the winter in SE PA.

Mink birthing/feeding and trout season happen at the same time. They are very busy at this time of year. A couple years ago I posted some images of a mink stealing goose eggs.

These days there are more mink, beavers and otters. Less muskrats. They took a nose dive back around the smallmouth disappearance years. No one knows why.

Fur prices with the exception of a couple years ago have been really low. Ranched mink also competes with the wild variety.

When I was a teenager, I raised a Least Weasel. I found him on a rural road. His mother was flattened by a car along with his siblings. He was so young his eyes were still closed. I became his dad, and he recognized me by my scent. He never bit me with one exception: I gave him a bath in a laundry tub and he let me know his displeasure: he gave me a bite that did not puncture my skin and he dropped his musk on me. My mother made me release him after tiring of him chewing his way out of a cardboard box so he could roam around the house all night. Cool, fearless animals.