Mink hunting with Terriers

MacraPat

I happened to stumble across this online while doing a bit of pre-mink bounty research. Apparently hunting mink with small packs (3 or so) of Fox terriers is the done thing in Iceland. Going by the video, which despite some dodgey handgun pointing, it looks like great craic.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T6SwiLBwu2s

http://books.google.ie/books?id=c6HEErGGu_oC&lpg=PA26&ots=8Sme266pMe&dq=iceland%20fox%20terriers%20mink%20hunting&pg=PA27#v=onepage&q=iceland%20fox%20terriers%20mink%20hunting&f=false

The Big Fella

Id love a pack of terriers for hunting mink. That said you have much better returns using traps.;)

Birdnuts

This could really catch on if the bounty on mink ever materializes - looks like great fun too:cool:

okedoke

I've come across this fishing on the Suir, in Tipperary. There was a big crowd at it with a pack of around 20 dogs. Didn't help the fishing unfortunately.

Mauser 308

Birdnuts wrote: »

This could really catch on if the bounty on mink ever materializes - looks like great fun too:cool:

As far as I know the bounty is in place, €3 per mink.

MacraPat

okedoke wrote: »

I've come across this fishing on the Suir, in Tipperary. There was a big crowd at it with a pack of around 20 dogs. Didn't help the fishing unfortunately.

Was what you witnessed a minkhunt?? Like with a pack of hounds and followers on foot?? I they usually operate during the summer.


I'd hope something like these Terrier packs would pick up with the bounty.
I can see the likes of the Irish Terrier or Kerry Blue doing well at this. Good working lines are known for their noses, gameness and ability to swim. I think I read somewhere that an old Teastas Beag competition was an aquatic rat baiting contest. A rat launched into a pond was pursued by the terrier!!
A bit of re-branding from breed clubs could do the world of good.

round tower huntsman

unfortuneatly i think good working lines of irish and kerry terriers are like hens teeth, but if you could get em working and steady em to stock they'd be deadly on mink. a few wheatens would be good, to big to go to ground after other stuff but they'd dig and kill mink no probs. any working terrier would hunt mink.
there's a few mink packs operating in ireland in cork and wexford and galway i think.

MacraPat

round tower huntsman wrote: »

unfortuneatly i think good working lines of irish and kerry terriers are like hens teeth

Non existent, or so I believe and bodies like the IKC aren't doing enough to encourage them. No question that any dog worth it's salt could manage mink hunting I just think it'd be nice to see our own breeds flourishing. I'm a divil for nostalgia. All and all although less entertaining the traps may be a better move in the long run.

pugw

Looks to be good craic! I wouldnt fancy poking my head into the den like your man is doing though! :eek:

thelurcher

I'd agree that traps are a better option - you could land yourself in a lot of trouble if for example one of the terriers went to ground on an otter. I know that's not what you'd have set out to do but that won't matter if you get caught.

Have a read off this - http://www.scottcawley.com/newsletter/Species%20Protection.pdf
It's aimed at builders etc. but if it's mink you're after you'll be doing a lot of rooting - that's when you're likely to fall foul of the the fairly serious protection the otter has.

daithi55

Mauser 308 wrote: »

As far as I know the bounty is in place, €3 per mink.

first ive heard of it
it has been proposed but nothing in motion ye for payment etc
and id say we will be waiting a while for it to come through

okedoke

MacraPat wrote: »

Was what you witnessed a minkhunt?? Like with a pack of hounds and followers on foot?? I they usually operate during the summer.


I'd hope something like these Terrier packs would pick up with the bounty.
I can see the likes of the Irish Terrier or Kerry Blue doing well at this. Good working lines are known for their noses, gameness and ability to swim. I think I read somewhere that an old Teastas Beag competition was an aquatic rat baiting contest. A rat launched into a pond was pursued by the terrier!!
A bit of re-branding from breed clubs could do the world of good.

Hi MacraPat

yea - a mink hunt, last June I think. Just outside Golden, in Tipp. Seemed to be a big social event in the area, lots of people and seemed to be a couple of packs of what looked like foxhounds (don't know much about dogs so not certain on the type of hound)

pheasntstalker

ah the fun i had with fox terriers in the good ole days;):D great dogs:D minkhunting with foxies is great crack,allso goes on here,no firearms were used tho!! just the terriers and hefty sticks;)