Culprit

[rebelangel_3733]

Ah haa!! My significant other, I and my neighbor (who was outside) saw who is probably the culprit of a few missing fish I've had over the past few weeks!!! A Mink! Had to search online to find something that looked like what we saw. A mink in Nebraska I would think rare as he was out in the late evening (still daylight) running up the neighbors sidewalk across the stree up his yard and right up on his porch!! Now to figure out how to catch it and get rid of it!!! Crimany...and all the while I thought it was my daughters cat or one of the neighborhood ones! UGH! In town to boot (were at least 5 blocks from a river)! Wish I had time to get my camera and catch a shot of him!

 

[j.w]

Now what if it just looks like a mink but is really someone's pet ferret as they are all part of the same family and they can catch fish. Top one is a mink and bottom one is a ferret. Could be why he was on the porch in the daytime.

 

[rebelangel_3733]

nope not a ferret it was like the top picture...we were astonished at seeing it and first thought it to be a small badger, but not the right kind of tail...so I hunted online and figured out it's a mink...and it first tried to get under the neighbors porch then just walked right up on it...and he is in a wheelchair with no pets. Sure wish I had my camera in had as he scurried up the sidewalk of the neighbors! He was bigger than a ferret (significant others sister used to have one of those).

 

[rebelangel_3733]

What was so astonishing was it was 103 here today (and still 102 when we saw it) and even the birds were'nt flying around today...and yet we see this lil turd scampering around

 

[j.w]

That is really weird cuz I read that they don't stray usually farther than a few hundred feet from the water. Maybe somebody around you is raising minks for production and one got away. It's just really strange how he ended up so far away from any water source other than your pond of course. I bet you could catch him w/ fish if you could keep the cats away from a live trap.

 

[rebelangel_3733]

Thats what I read too...yet also that they have a 2 1/2 mile radius that they "hunt" in...wonderful as we are 5 blocks from a river. Hopefully he makes another "daytime" appearance and I have the camera handy! I never even knew they lived in nebraska, but now I do! (and am not amused) Will probably call the city tomorrow and see what can be done to "find" him and have him released somewhere other than our neighborhood!

 

[rebelangel_3733]

oh and our back yard is completely fenced in with wood and chain...yet he could squeeze through the sides of our chainlink fencing I suppose...may have to rig up some sort of post or stake between the doors so he can squeeze in...wonder if they dig...will have to look around the wooden fencing to see if there are any opening dug under it. My plan of attack on him! (sorry lil dude but my fish come first!)

 

[SE18]

Neat find. You'd be amazed at how animals can flatten themselves to get under fences. My beagle spotted a rabbit on the other side of a fence and flattened herself to where she resembled a pancake.

 

[j.w]

Oh Rebel, so you are only 5 blocks from the river. He just slowly worked his way from pond to pond maybe. Found some good hunting grounds and now he will be a regular. Some humane societies loan you free live traps. But you would have to take him far, far away to another river I'm thinking or he will just find his way back if he knows the territory.

 

[rebelangel_3733]

Talked to our neighbor whose yard it walked in and he said he's had wood chucks in his yard before...but they do not eat fish soooo now wondering what that furry critter was for sure...ugh. Called our city and the animal catcher came and left a trap, for whatever good that'll do, probably end up catching our neighborhood cats in which I'll just let them go.

 

[j.w]

Will be interesting to see what ya get. Take pics............even if it's a cat that you catch every night :sun_smiley: