Could this be mink?

hairdye · #1 (**permalink**) 05-08-2010, 10:05 PM

Ok folks
Hope you can help me out please, firstly i havent been able to upload a pic as i took it on my phone and cant find the cable.
Anyway tonight went out to walk the dog on an old opencast area nearby that has been turned into woodland , farm land , couple of ponds (with plenty of fish ) and open rough grassy land. I found an old car bonnet a few weeks ago from a burnt out car and hid it away in the long grass for any reptiles or the like to hide underneath. I have been checking this every other day but due to work hours not checked for a week and only found the odd toad, but tonight when i looked there was a lot of poo under there and i think it could be mink. There was also part of a field mouse that had been eaten at the side of the poo.
I used to keep ferrets and it looked very much like ferret poo but there was a lot, as if this is its latrine and its being used regular.
I am hoping this is not mink as my oldest son is currently doing a course on water voles as they have been seen in this area, it was only last week my son and the rest of the students were at the pond to study the voles and put out apples on little rafts to see how many may be there.
it would be a shame that the voles have moved in and now it seems so has a mink .
Once i get the chance i will upload the pic to see what you all think.
The car bonnet that i put down is about 500 yds from the nearest pond.
Another down side is i go away sunday for two weeks and wont be here to try a catch a glimpse of whatever it is.
Thanks for any help

Dogghound · #2 (**permalink**) 05-08-2010, 10:12 PM

Your description is very vague, it could be anything. Can you measure the droppings? are they on a prominent feature grass tussock etc or are they in pits? do they smell? what colour are they? are there any obvious components to them like fish scales or bones? Did you notice if the mouse had any bite marks on it and where they were positioned.

hairdye · #3 (**permalink**) 05-08-2010, 10:25 PM

Thanks for the reply
i will try to explain as much as i can until i can uload the pic.
The car bonnet is about 4 feet square, when i lifted it up you could clearly see the tunnels that have been made through the old grass underneath (these were drainpipe size runs) The poo was at one end of a grass tunnel that had been rounded off and as i said there was a lot. It was black, shiny , sort of twisted about 5 - 6 cm long and about 4- 5 mm wide , these are a rough guess.
I didnt smell anything but my sense of smell is poor anyway.
The dead mouse only had the back legs and the tail area left.
it did look like ferret poo.
Another visit with my camera tomorrow might be better then i can get some better pics .
Thanks for your help.
Cheers
ps the pond is busy during the day with all the young kids fishing (its free fishing and was only biult to carry water away from the fields and into a stream. Is this why whatever it is is a good distance form the pond.

hairdye · #4 (**permalink**) 05-08-2010, 10:35 PM

Just had another look at the pic and i cant see any bones or scales so i dont think its an otter , i have seen otter spraints before and they didnt look like this.
Some of this poo looked very fresh, nice and black not dried up.
I think it might be better to get a good few pics and take it from there.
The other thing is if its a mink is there a chance it could be under the bonnet when i lift it up or will it hear me coming and go before i do lift it, dont want to get bit!
Cheers

BillyPilgrim · #5 (**permalink**) 05-08-2010, 10:49 PM

I have some very limited but recent experience with Mink. I even started a thread the other week - Young Mink?

I've seen the parents and the offspring but only 4 times. On each occasion they were either in, emerging from or about to enter the lake.

Based on this I would say that 500 yards seems a long way for them to stray from the water?

Dogghound · #6 (**permalink**) 06-08-2010, 02:53 PM

Mink will travel much further than 500 meter away from water, infact male in particular can travel miles away from water when hunting terrestrial prey like rabbits. I suspect that the droppings in this thread are from badgers although I could do with a photo. It is unlikely that a mink will wait around under the car for you if you disturbed it it would most likely flee. Its hard to say if the mouse is connected to this.

hairdye · #7 (**permalink**) 06-08-2010, 05:13 PM

Thanks for the replies, its not badger though. The work i do involves working near on on badger sets and see plenty of latrines where the badgers have been.
The other thing i was thinking of was could it be stoat or weasel ? i have never seen their droppings bit i would have thought they would be ferret like droppings.
I will be going out soon to take some more pics with the camera, keep an eye on this thread please and i will post them up later.
Cheers