Mink goes after hikers near summit of trailless peak

Some friends of mine were out hiking on Saturday. On the herd path near the summit of a untrailled peak one of them suddenly stopped as a mink was blocking the path. They hiked by and had lunch a short distance away at the summit. Starting back down, about 100' from the top they saw the mink charging up the trail and attacked one of them, with it nipping at her boots. Lots of jumping and dancing to shake off the mink who was biting her boot. With some difficulty they finally got around the mink, hiking briskly with the mink chasing them all the way. One of them turned and as the mink got close to him he scuffed up dirt with his boot and it became a staring contest with the mink following. Apparently there is a den very close to the herd path and momma mink went back to her young.

I've always found mink stealthy and secretive so this is a first. I have 1 photo and can put up more when I receive them.

Rabies is always a possibility with an animal which acts strangely like this.

Mink tend to live near water--encountering one near a summit seems unusual.

Doug

If it wasnt a report from, in theory, experienced hikers, I would say that they were attacked by a Pine Martin rather than a mink, as that sounds like ideal territory for Martins. Martins dont seem to avoid people.

I was thinking the same thing, that it is possibly not a Mink away from the streams near a summit. Aside from a Martin, maybe the smaller Ermine?

Well, there is a picture and this may have been a sub 3500 peak in the Catskills that could have been quite close to water. Mink are hard to confuse as their fur looks so much like...mink.

Mink eat rattlesnakes don't they?

Last time I saw a mink, was a mother shuttling kits (four of them, IIRC), carrying them one at a time from one den to another. This was indeed near water - in fact it was along the edge of Lake Champlain at a busy park in Burlington, in broad daylight. The mewling babies quickly drew a crowd of people, but the mink just carried on her business. They may be shy sometimes, but sometimes a mink's gotta do what a mink's gotta do.

I saw the photos a little while ago. Definitely not a pine marten, it's a mink. And there is running water nearby, a spring or seep. The people who this happened to are very experienced hikers, decades worth, and know their wildlife.
I think the mink is in an odd location, not near a big stream, but it really happened.

"Only two things scare me, and one is..."

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2018653909_apusoddraccoonsattack1stldwritethru.html

I was approached by a groggy, assumed rabid, racoon once while fishing. Strange experience. Rabid animal attacks are probably a more realistic concern in the woods (vs bear, cougar, lightning, etc).

Chip said:

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2018653909_apusoddraccoonsattack1stldwritethru.html

I was approached by a groggy, assumed rabid, racoon once while fishing. Strange experience. Rabid animal attacks are probably a more realistic concern in the woods (vs bear, cougar, lightning, etc).

Click to expand...

The linked report says the raccoons attacked her after some of them were chased up a tree by her dog. This is consistent with a defensive attack...

Doug

Wow, yeah, I (and I think they) assumed the coons were rabid, but that could be wrong.