Signs of Mink present

buddhabaker · #1 (**permalink**) 10-05-2007, 06:43 PM

Hello, I have a number of large ponds that I believe are being frequently visited by Mink - but I'm not certain. I have had fish with their vents bitten, chunks taken out of their backs around the dorsal fin and in some cases the fish have their mouths bitten off - not infection but removed lips and parts of their face.
Although I believe these may be signs of Mink being present I am totally ignorant whether these injuries were caused by Mink. I definitely require clear guidance on signs and if so how to remove them from my ponds.

Hope you can help?

Crested Newt · #2 (**permalink**) 10-05-2007, 06:49 PM

Mink will eat fish an many animals signs of Mink are small little scats about 3 times the size of a Rabbit scat.

eeyore · #3 (**permalink**) 10-05-2007, 07:17 PM

souns like mink to me - it could be otter or indeed cat , but mink are the prime suspect for that manner of injury

removal wise you can either trap them or shoot them - either way it is a job for proffesionals and there wont be just one as they live colonially so if you are serious about control resign yourself to a long expensive battle

demicav · #4 (**permalink**) 10-05-2007, 07:49 PM

Poor Mink, just in the wrong place aren't they ? They can devastate our own species and need to be moved but I can't help feeling a little sorry for them. They're victims of human meddling.

JeffH · #5 (**permalink**) 10-05-2007, 08:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by buddhabaker

Hello, I have a number of large ponds that I believe are being frequently visited by Mink - but I'm not certain. I have had fish with their vents bitten, chunks taken out of their backs around the dorsal fin and in some cases the fish have their mouths bitten off - not infection but removed lips and parts of their face.
Although I believe these may be signs of Mink being present I am totally ignorant whether these injuries were caused by Mink. I definitely require clear guidance on signs and if so how to remove them from my ponds.

Hope you can help?

Just a thought but a couple of years ago I found some of the larger fish in my ponds with similar injuries to those you describe and I awoke very early one morning to find 5 Rooks sitting around the edges of one pond in what seemed to be a group fishing trip!

Do you get many Corvids around your ponds?

JeffH

vole-woman · #6 (**permalink**) 10-05-2007, 08:05 PM

That's true, but they must be removed. They're causing terrible devastation to native species. Please, buddhabaker, do what you can to humanely kill them/get them humanely killed (because if you catch them, it's illegal to release them again).

honeybee · #7 (**permalink**) 10-05-2007, 08:16 PM

If there are any muddy patches look for footprints, they are similar to weasle and stoat but will be bigger if it's an adult, male mink. Keep a nose out for smelly spraints. If you want to you can try trapping the mink yourself you can buy a trap (countrywide sell large mammal traps that are suitable) bait it with cod liver oil / meat / fish then you should see what you catch but the trap would have to be safe and checked once a day incase you catch a cat or something. If you did catch a mink however, the only thing really is to kill it. They devestate our native species and do not do well in captivity. Try your local wildlfe trust for advice to start with, there may be a local project officer with the council who could help also.

I'm suprised though if it is mink, it hasn't taken a whole fish, although they can act a bit like a frenzied fox in a chicken coup and bite at everything in sight. Heron are a possibility as would be otters if you lived in the right place/ were lucky.

eeyore · #8 (**permalink**) 10-05-2007, 08:29 PM

and the only way to kill it effectively/humanely is with a fire arm (or FAC rated Airgun), sub FAC airguns dont have sufficient killing power.

you can in theory kill it with a blow to the head - but getting it to hold still long enough is the trick - Anyway many members find talk of killing a bit distasteful or upsetting so Iwill say no more on this here , but if you do need more advice on despatching the wee beasties feel free to drop me a pm

honeybee · #9 (**permalink**) 10-05-2007, 08:35 PM

A vet would probably come out and kill it for you but it would probably cost rather a lot and there may be more than one. Anyway before we get too morbid you best check what's doing it first, crows or something is a good idea, sounds like they're being pecked at. CCTV would be good!

eeyore · #10 (**permalink**) 10-05-2007, 08:39 PM

I dont like a vets chances of getting a wild mink to hold still long enough to be given a lethal injection

, and there wont be just one anyway - the average colony runs to between 10 and 20 ! - also remember that this is breeding season to be humane you ought to hold off so as not to starve little minklets - but if you do you will ave lots more to deal with later catch 22

i wouldnt have thought that crows were up to catching fish - tho of course corvids might have done some of the damage once something else had initially caught the fish