Scouts honor on this one...

[pabrookie94]

So today after work I decided to check out a new stream and gathered my gear and went. This adventure was in the pursuit of little natives. I was catching fish (beautiful ones too) when all the sudden I came up on a nice looking hole. Out of the corner of my eye I see something long and brown swim through water and think man I just spooked a trout...

No.

It poked it's head out and was a huge buck mink. He waddled/swam downstream RIGHT OVER MY FOOT!! A mink ran over the top of my foot today...he then got up on shore and was like what are you and stared for about 5 seconds and then took off.

I am still in awe...we have been seeing 1 or 2 mink every trip out but never did I think I'd see one like that. Has this ever happened to anyone else??

Also ended up catching lots of big brookies and found a new very awesome stream! Great day!

 

[huntfish]

Had a mink swim within 5 or 6 yards from me once and it had no clue I was there when it passed me. It was swimming upstream and towards the hole I was fishing, so I gave a quick "YO" and it turned and saw me, went straight to the bank and took off.

 

[FarmerDave]

Never had a mink get that close, but had a very close encounter with a muskrat once. I wasn't fishing at the time. Year back I lived right in an apartment in a refurbished grist mill. Behind it flowed a trout stream and there was a large hole that we often swam in. One day I was lying on a folding lounge in the shallow end near the dam, with just my head out of the water. This muskrat started swimming towards me, so I remained still to see how close it would come.

I'll just tell you that it could have ended badly, but fortunately it didn't.

I shooed it away when it got within arms length. I didn't know if it was male or female, but it did swim right over my weasel ...

True story.

 

[PatrickC]

I used to raise ferrets. Let me tell you, members of the weasel family fear next to nothing. They are the definition of "tenacious". From a little ermine to a wolverine... They are spectacular creatures that command respect....even the little mink.

 

[rrt]

Had a similar experience this morning, but the mink didn't go over my boot. When he was about a yard away, I said "Hi" to him, and he turned and went the other way. Also had a muskrat swim up thru one of the nicest spots I hoped to fish, and I didn't get a bite there after he swam thru.

I often don't pay much attention to these types of things, but I should.

 

[phiendWMD]

I'm pretty sure I would have jump straight out of the water onto the bank in one leap if that happened to me.

 

[foxfire]

Never THAT close but my experience is that mink are very social. I've watched them swim, hunt, play from across the stream full well aware I was 20ft away fishing. Either fearless, or the enjoy the audience.

 

[pabrookie94]

That's crazy FarmerDave! I would've definitely been wayyyy more nervous in that situation...

 

[STONEMAN]

Had a beaver zip right in front of me like a torpedo on the Gunpowder. Scared the crap out of me. He crawled out across the creek and got up on a log and then stared at me, too.

 

[Chaz]

This year on a stream near Reading PA I had a mink walk to within 10 feet of me, before it realized I was there and dove into the water swam across to theater side and disappeared. I see a couple every year.

 

[FarmerDave]

pabrookie94 wrote:
That's crazy FarmerDave! I would've definitely been wayyyy more nervous in that situation...

I wanted to see how close it would get.

Answer? Too close.

 

[troutwilleatflies]

Several years ago I was fishing the Manchester Hole on Walnut Creek for the Steel.Those that are familiar with that spot know fishing is only allowed from one side of the stream.Anyway I was there with several other people and here comes a Mink on the opposite side of the stream and it stops and looks at us then started pacing back and forth staring at us as he did so.Finally he stopped pacing and just stood there stamping his feet.After about a minute he turned and left us in awe.

 

[salmo]

Many years ago I was fishing below Leetonia while I was trying to sneak up on a big hole that usually held fish. When I got close I spooked a beaver who spent the next 10 minutes swimming the length of the pool from top to bottom. So much for fishing.

 

[Fishidiot]

As others have noted, mink seem to be rather unafraid of humans and I've seen quite a few along streams that walked quite close to me. They're cool critters.