Mink

[PaulG]

Came back down the Severn from Worcester to Tewkesbury yesterday, and saw a mink just north of the M50 bridge. I was a bit surprised to see another one stalking a mallard and her ducklings a couple of miles further on.

I get the feeling that if I saw two, there were probably quite a few more that I didn't see.

Are mink numbers on the increase?

Someone once told me that otters will kill them. Does anybody know if this is true?

[Jerra]

There does appear to be a link between decline of mink and the increase in the otter population. However I don't know that it is due to Otters killing mink rather than two carnivores choosing not to live in the same habitat and the Otter being bigger and stronger and dangerous to the mink if it came to a territorial dispute.

 

The decline of Mink has been greatest in the West and North where Otter populations are greatest. Mink appear to be still increasing in the East and South.

[craftycarper]

i can"t give concrete evidence to this but do think it is true i used to run a small carp syndicate on the somerset levels near bridgewater a few years back and had mink present all the time until i saw my first otter i never saw another mink again i also lost several carp of well over 20lb and most of the water birds including an entire goose family of 5 goslings and adults ,people are under the impression that otters are a cute cuddly tarka type animal however the truth is they are a 40lb plus alpha preditor with know natural preditors and were they are being re introduced willy nilly by well meaning but ill infomed groups they are causing massive amounts of damage ,it will take a little bit of time for nature to re address the imbalance but things as always will return to normal, one little query if they were after water birds are you sure it was mink and not an otter you saw as i have never seen mink take anything much bigger than 2" -3" fish and i have seen a lot do this

[paul68]

i can"t give concrete evidence to this but do think it is true i used to run a small carp syndicate on the somerset levels near bridgewater a few years back and had mink present all the time until i saw my first otter i never saw another mink again i also lost several carp of well over 20lb and most of the water birds including an entire goose family of 5 goslings and adults ,people are under the impression that otters are a cute cuddly tarka type animal however the truth is they are a 40lb plus alpha preditor with know natural preditors and were they are being re introduced willy nilly by well meaning but ill infomed groups they are causing massive amounts of damage ,it will take a little bit of time for nature to re address the imbalance but things as always will return to normal, one little query if they were after water birds are you sure it was mink and not an otter you saw as i have never seen mink take anything much bigger than 2" -3" fish and i have seen a lot do this

I agree with what you say, places I fish used to have mink but now where there are otters I never see mink anymore, only the odd one.I have witnessed mink taking small water fowl however as well as rats and small rodents. You are right about otters, they do an enormous amount of damage to fish stocks, as cormorants do and there should be culling where necessary.

[Justme]

Came back down the Severn from Worcester to Tewkesbury yesterday, and saw a mink just north of the M50 bridge. I was a bit surprised to see another one stalking a mallard and her ducklings a couple of miles further on.

 

 

 

Not as surprised as my wife was when one of our cats came home with one as a play mate & was playing with it in the main living space.

 

Its still here as we cant find / catch it. Its only a young one.

[paul68]

Not as surprised as my wife was when one of our cats came home with one as a play mate & was playing with it in the main living space.

 

Its still here as we cant find / catch it. Its only a young one.

how strange, I've not heard of that before but are you sure the cat didn't eat it?

[haggis]

 

 

Not as surprised as my wife was when one of our cats came home with one as a play mate & was playing with it in the main living space.

 

Its still here as we cant find / catch it. Its only a young one.

I had always thought that mink had a strong family "bond" and if that is the case, how did a cat manage to steal a baby mink from its mother? I would be worried that mother might come looking for baby and might not be in a good mood :-) . years ago a family of mink (Mum and 2 young ones) appeared at a canal basin near us and when one of the young ones was killed, Mum dragged the body away.

[Bullfrog]

" i have never seen mink take anything much bigger than 2" -3" fish and i have seen a lot do this "

 

 

I've seen mink "surfing" while feeding on the floating body of a dead carp at least 18" long