Mink Encounter

[Artex]

Hiked out to a bog in the woods behind my house this morning. I found a nice spot in the sun and sat down with a pair of binoculars, with the hope of spotting some new birds. I was only sitting for about ten minutes when I saw a mink had crawled up to about a dozen feet away! Really cool. It scattered after finally noticing I was there. Sitting still and being quiet can certainly pay dividends out in the wild.

 

[dentonfabrics]

Thats really cool. There's a bog back into the woods behind my house too and I'll trek back to it just like you do. Last summer I had a staring contest with a grey fox (with her two pups) at a distance of about 30-40 feet. She sat there for almost 5 minutes staring me down. Red Tail Hawks, deer, lots of great surprises back at the bog.


bob

 

[forestgnome]

Very cool! Never seen a mink close up. Once saw red fox pups at a great distance. Spring fever is starting to get bad. Looking forward to camping. Thanks for sharing.

Happy Trails

 

[marty]

Nice! I have seen three before, all in the Rangeley/Stratton area of ME. Had one who took up early spring residence at our camp in Rangeley. We saw it twice in our front yard. It left unfortunately. Guess it decided that being chased by our dog was getting tiresome.

Marty

 

[blacklab2020]

Ive seen a lot of pine martins up in the daks... how do minks differ?

 

[sardog1]

Ive seen a lot of pine martins up in the daks... how do minks differ?

See Eric Orff's New Hampshire's Weasels for text descriptions. I'm still hunting for photos for you.

EDIT: E-Nature.com has a nifty weasel page with photos and descriptions.

 

[Chip]

Ive seen a lot of pine martins up in the daks... how do minks differ?

The mink I saw while stream fishing in CT looked like a chocolate brown weasel or ferret. You know Pine Martins have a bigger body, like a fox, and a face and head like a red panda.

 

[sardog1]

The mink I saw while stream fishing in CT looked like a chocolate brown weasel or ferret. You know Pine Martins have a bigger body, like a fox, and a face and head like a red panda.

Sorry to contradict, but martens are much smaller than foxes. Martens range from one to three pounds or thereabouts. (Fishers at the large end will approximate fox weights.)

 

[Chip]

Edit: Definately correct on average. The Martin that raided our lean-to at Marcy Dam last March may have been a larger male or something, but easily was about the same size and weight of the small to medium fox that lives behind our house. The mink I saw was probably 1/2 to 2/3 the size and weight of the martin.

Edit: I did not weigh any of these animals, I'm going on looks and movement (apparent relative weight).

 

[bikehikeskifish]

Occasionally we see what may be a mink swimming in Lake Sunapee. I was never sure if they were minks or otters. Looking at the photos on enature there makes me think mink, based on the coloring. I've only seen them swimming, so it's not clear how big they really are, nor could I see under their chins.

Are there otters in NH Lakes? What is it I've been seeing? Of course, there is never a camera around when you see one.

Tim

 

[sardog1]

Sorry to contradict myself, and my apologies for posting my incomplete knowledge of marten size.

The American Society of Mammalogists has published a marten description that shows head and body lengths for males ranging from 360 to 450 mm, i.e., 14 to 17+ inches, and tail lengths of 200 to 230 mm, 8 to 9 inches. In other words, easily in fox range toward the upper end.

 

[sardog1]

Occasionally we see what may be a mink swimming in Lake Sunapee. I was never sure if they were minks or otters. Looking at the photos on enature there makes me think mink, based on the coloring. I've only seen them swimming, so it's not clear how big they really are, nor could I see under their chins.

Are there otters in NH Lakes? What is it I've been seeing? Of course, there is never a camera around when you see one.

Tim

There are both minks and otters in NH lakes. An otter will often remind you superficially of a small beaver until you get a closer look. Mink are quite a bit smaller and slimmer, typically smaller than a muskrat in the water.

 

[bikehikeskifish]

I'd say these guys are in the 14-18" range, plus a tail that's about 2/3 that again. Nose to tail maybe 20-24". The tail is visible and clearly used for steerage. They dive for 30-45 seconds some times. I seem to encounter them when in the motor boat and it's hard to get close. So far they don't show themselves for the canoe or kayak, where I might get closer (or, maybe they're used to engines and spook less easily...)

Tim

 

[sardog1]

Probably mink. They'll dive to depths as great as five meters according to this description from the University of Michigan Animal Diversity Web.

 

[Abster]

Jamie - how did you know it was a mink? I didn't realize that they were in this area.

 

[stu]

Otter

Sardog, I would say otter. They are much more at home in the water then mink and much better swimmers. Mink are smaller and are better described as a "waters edge animal" although they will not hesitate to swim.

 

[psmart]

Sardog, I would say otter. They are much more at home in the water then mink and much better swimmers. Mink are smaller and are better described as a "waters edge animal" although they will not hesitate to swim.

I agree. I've seen otter and beaver in a number of streams and lakes, and sometimes on land. Mink, on the other hand, spend their time primarily on land, and sometimes in the water.

As you drive through Chocorua village, take a glance at the pond above the dam. Among the frequent ducks you will occasionally see the head of an otter. When the pond is partially frozen (as it is now) they will sometimes climb up onto the edge of the ice. There are beaver in this area as well, but they are more often heard (at night) than seen. The only one I got a really good look at had been hit by a car crossing route 16. Plenty of turtles (painted and snapping) cross here as well, so please head the 30 MPH limit. (Sorry, getting a bit OT, but I come across the dead ones as I walk to work each day.)

 

[sardog1]

From the source cited by the University of Michigan site:

Mink are also skilled swimmers and climbers. In searching for food, they can swim up to 30 meters (100 feet) underwater and dive to depths of 5 meters [Kurta, A. 1995. Mammals of the Great Lakes Region. Ann Arbor, MI: The University of Michigan Press].

And enough diving that researchers are studying the behavior with sophisticated monitors:Recording the free-living behaviour of small-bodied, shallow-diving animals with data loggers. Some individual mink were recorded making more than 100 dives per day.

EDIT: "Interestingly there has been speculation that the poor insulative properties of mink fur might severely limit the amount of time that can be spent in cold water (Williams 1986). However, our results present a different picture with extensive use of aquatic foraging by some individuals involving fairly long dives. The lack of thick insulation might therefore not be a consequence of a lack of selection pressure driving aquatic adaptations, but rather a compromise to allow both aquatic and terrestrial foraging. For example, the lack of long fur or thick subcutaneous fat deposits may provide several benefits for terrestrial foraging: the animal is relatively unencumbered for running and better able to hunt in confined spaces (e.g. small burrows) and also less likely to overheat when chasing terrestrial prey (Williams 1986)."

 

[Artex]

Jamie - how did you know it was a mink? I didn't realize that they were in this area.

I got a really good look at it, and compared it with pictures online when I got home to confirm. No doubt in my mind it was a mink. They're actually found throughout New England. More info.

 

[Chip]

No doubt in my mind it was a mink.

I had the same reaction when I saw mine fishing. You immediately know it's a mink and why their fur is/was valuable.