Lucky day...Is it a Mink or a Weasel?

[SenecaLaker]

I received this photo from one of my employees this afternoon. His dad shot this guy chasing the chickens in his pen. The text read..."do you have any interest?". I couldn't reply quickly enough ..."absolutely!!". I believe it's a mink but not sure. Any guesses? I should know more tomorrow when he brings it to work. I believe Mink have slightly webbed feet. Regardless, the color looks beautiful and it should make some fine dubbing.

Dave

[Bazzer69]

I thought that in the winter mink have a white coat? Either way it will make a nice pelt. Both species have a nasty bite as do ferrets, ask me how I know as a keeper of ferrets in the UK using them to hunt rabbits. My thumb still has the scar having been bitten by the same ferret twice in one day!

[Bazzer69]

Oops, America mink get darker in the winter!

[Theroe]

Nice score, DAVE!!!
Skin it out, rub good with borax and you’re In business!!
One thing I have learned is this: all critters have mites and ticks-what I do is put it in a freezer bag with a old piece of flea collar for a week. That will kill everything. Then I take it outside and skin it, or I take my barbers clipper and shave the whole thing down, separating the furring to different colors.
Good luck, Dana

[swellcat]

Nice tail. That thing's all you'd need to tie a fly version of a black and tan (or half and half, to our Irish brethren).

[RickA]

That is a mink, Dave.
The white "beard" and dark coat is typical winter attire.
You will see that they do have slightly webbed feet too.
Big claws + nasty set of choppers = one mean critter.
Take the time to process the pelt as Dana suggested.

I have a beige mottled stole I'm taking apart and there is more than I could ever use
and would be happy to share some.

[SenecaLaker]

Update, got the rest of the story. Apparently, the father of one of my employees has been losing a chickens and ducks for a week or so. He figured it was a coon so set a few leg hold traps around the pen. The other night, he heard a commotion in the pen and went out side to see what was going on. One white duck dead, and one in the grasps of this mink. Now, the mink had one foot in a trap and had pulled it in the pen from the outside. His dad kicked the mink to get it off the bird, and it spun around and latched on to his boot. One more kick, and it reared up and started snarling, basically sending a message that he was not to be messed with. Dan's dad turned and went back into the house and returned with his .410 and ended it.
That is a badass little creature

I skinned it last night , cleaned the flesh up and boraxed it. Should be ready to use in the near future after a quarantine period. The fur is beautiful and looks like a 10 lifetime supply. I will be glad to share if anyone is interested.

Dave

[narcodog]

Mink great dubbing and the guard hair for the tail makes good tailing material.

[Theroe]

Update, got the rest of the story. Apparently, the father of one of my employees has been losing a chickens and ducks for a week or so. He figured it was a coon so set a few leg hold traps around the pen. The other night, he heard a commotion in the pen and went out side to see what was going on. One white duck dead, and one in the grasps of this mink. Now, the mink had one foot in a trap and had pulled it in the pen from the outside. His dad kicked the mink to get it off the bird, and it spun around and latched on to his boot. One more kick, and it reared up and started snarling, basically sending a message that he was not to be messed with. Dan's dad turned and went back into the house and returned with his .410 and ended it.
That is a badass little creature

I skinned it last night , cleaned the flesh up and boraxed it. Should be ready to use in the near future after a quarantine period. The fur is beautiful and looks like a 10 lifetime supply. I will be glad to share if anyone is interested.

Dave

The mink(As are most mustelids) is a nasty, vicious critter.... having had a farm, I’ve had all kinds of run ins with minks ,fishers, the whole gamut of invaders.
But here’s the real question: did you get the duck feathers? When your skin them out , especially the big white ones, take out their whole CDC gland (REAL CDC oil is a great floatant for flies and fly lines)and all of the surrounding CDC feathers-there is a plethora of uses for those items. Plus of course all the other feathers, which being white, you can die them any color!!!
Might as will be a good boss, and make the best of a bad situation !!!!!!!!!
Footnote: some CDC oil sold on the market is mostly mineral oil mixed with a very tiny bit of the real thing, plus a bit of dye- When you remove that gland, you will see just how little there really is in there.
Dana

[bearbutt]

The mink(As are most mustelids) is a nasty, vicious critter....

This reminds me of an encounter with the great feminist art historian Linda Nochlin. We were in a gallery in NYC at an opening, and she was wearing a mink coat--. You'd think she'd be wearing faux fur, but no way. My girlfriend said to her, "don't you feel guilty wearing fur?" and Nochlin replied with a smile: "not at all, they are nasty creatures, they deserve to be made into coats." So there--even some art historians know their mink.

bb