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Mink?

  • 02-02-2009 11:07PM
    #1
    lordarpad
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 380 ✭✭


    Guys, what is the story with mink? I assume they can be shot? How successful are people in doing that?


«1

Comments

  • #2
    EPointer=Birdss
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,070 ✭✭✭EPointer=Birdss


    I don't know what the law is against them but Im noticing them more & more! Nasty little buggeres!
    Once the ducks start laying & have ducklings they will clean up!
    Big plan this year to reduce their numbers! They are not a native species so I can't see how they'd be protected but I'm sure someone will correct me if I'm wrong!
    I'd use traps if I were you anyway as they are more effective than the gun. Easy enough animal to trap!
    If you have rivers running through your shoot I'm sure they'll have a few wild pheasans also. I trapped one around a breeding run last year which was half miile from nearest river!

    P.S. Come on lads, lot of people reading threads but not leaving a reply. Share your knowledge (Or lack there of ;))


  • #3
    Terrier
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 708 ✭✭✭Terrier


    Mink can be shot and trapped all year round.
    Plenty about unfortunately, trapping is the best method and least time consuming but a good terrier working a river bank can also prove successful.

    I used mink cage traps (live capture) set along riverbanks and baited with sardines\fish oils etc. Cover the trap well to make a tunnel as mink are naturally inquisitive animal. I normally break the river into sections based on number of crossing. I have 12 cage traps so I can cover large areas.

    Some people use pipe trap but I've had very limited success with this method.

    P.S NARGC regional councils normally offer discounts on vermin equipment so if you affiliated go through you club when buying traps.


  • #4
    cavan shooter
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,070 ✭✭✭cavan shooter


    Have a look here seem to remember last year a lot of discussion was had on mink. Trap them is the only way to get them unless your lucky to sneak up on one

    http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/archive/index.php/t-2055178257.html

    And if you scroll down the bottom of the page there is loads of more threads on the subject

    I have bought traps from http://www.trapman.co.uk/ via there agent in the North


  • #5
    Terrier
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 708 ✭✭✭Terrier


    cavan shooter wrote: »

    I have bought traps from http://www.trapman.co.uk/ via there agent in the North

    Would you be able to provide the agent name?


  • #6
    cavan shooter
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,070 ✭✭✭cavan shooter


    If you go into the website and click distributors and agents you will find the following

    Strangford Agencies
    35 Londonderry Ave,
    Comber
    County Down
    BT23 5ET
    Northern Irl 028 9187 4028 Southern Irl 048 9187 4028
    Email Strangford Agencies

    They supply other things bits and bobs as well


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  • #7
    Mellor
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 40,495 ✭✭✭✭Mellor


    EPointer=Birdss wrote: »
    Big plan this year to reduce their numbers! They are not a native species so I can't see how they'd be protected

    There are two types of mink species. American and European. American mink mink are not native and likely came from fur farms etc.
    European mink are native but are often losing out to the american mink


  • #8
    pullandbang
    Hosted Moderators Posts: 4,941 ✭✭✭pullandbang


    Mellor wrote: »
    There are two types of mink species. American and European. American mink mink are not native and likely came from fur farms etc.
    European mink are native but are often losing out to the american mink

    Didn't think we had any native mink. I thought they were all fur farm mink which were released by the the woolly hat brigade during their attacks on farms.


  • #9
    cushtac
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,253 ✭✭✭cushtac


    European Mink are not native to Ireland, they are from the continent. Many mink have escaped from fur farms over the past 50 years so it's unfair to blame the current problem on environmentalists.


  • #10
    ivanthehunter
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 1,284 ✭✭✭ivanthehunter


    cushtac wrote: »
    European Mink are not native to Ireland, they are from the continent. Many mink have escaped from fur farms over the past 50 years so it's unfair to blame the current problem on environmentalists.
    Perhaps so but when the brigade of wollies/B] released thousands at a time, nothing survived (fish ducks swans etc) and the mink themselves starved to death..because of lack of food

    Well done lads


  • #11
    It wasn't me!
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 13,034 ✭✭✭✭It wasn't me!


    The blame doesn't rest solely on the fur-huggers who broke them out; when it became unpopular and stopped being so profitable, some of the farmers released their stock rather than dispatching the lot of it, so nobody's innocent here and there's a lot of work to be done cleaning up the bloody things.


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  • #12
    cushtac
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,253 ✭✭✭cushtac


    ivanthehunter wrote: »
    Perhaps so but when the brigade of wollies/B] released thousands at a time, nothing survived (fish ducks swans etc) and the mink themselves starved to death..because of lack of food

    Well done lads

    There's no 'perhaps' about it, loads of mink were escaping long before any of the the animal rights crowd got involved, some of the in-laws have been shooting them up north for the last 40 years. I never heard of them releasing thousands at a time either.


  • #13
    Mellor
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 40,495 ✭✭✭✭Mellor


    pullandbang wrote: »
    Didn't think we had any native mink. I thought they were all fur farm mink which were released by the the woolly hat brigade during their attacks on farms.
    cushtac wrote:
    European Mink are not native to Ireland, they are from the continent. Many mink have escaped from fur farms over the past 50 years so it's unfair to blame the current problem on environmentalists.

    Whats the definition of "native"?
    Originally, european mink were spread throughout europe (inc ireland and the UK). Even as far north as iceland, and northern finland. Numbers have declined and mink have been extinct in many parts of europe. Numbers are only plentyful in eastern europe. The european mink is offically classed as endangered. The american mink is not and is in far better shape. Most mink released, or that escape, are american minks. As their pelt is larger, and they are prefered for fur farming.


  • #14
    cushtac
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,253 ✭✭✭cushtac


    Mellor wrote: »
    Originally, european mink were spread throughout europe (inc ireland and the UK). Even as far north as iceland, and northern finland. Numbers have declined and mink have been extinct in many parts of europe. Numbers are only plentyful in eastern europe. The european mink is offically classed as endangered. The american mink is not and is in far better shape. Most mink released, or that escape, are american minks. As their pelt is larger, and they are prefered for fur farming.

    When was the European mink supposed to have been native to Ireland?


  • #15
    Grizzly 45
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 15,298 ✭✭✭✭Grizzly 45


    I never heard of them releasing thousands at a time either
    Maybe not in thousands,but a perusal of the animal rights extremists Irish websites or indymedia the loony leftist mouthpiece,will show you that they have been active here a good long time.And still are.

    "If you want to keep someone away from your house, Just fire the shotgun through the door."

    Vice President [and former lawyer] Joe Biden Field& Stream Magazine interview Feb 2013 "



  • #16
    Mellor
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 40,495 ✭✭✭✭Mellor


    cushtac wrote: »
    When was the European mink supposed to have been native to Ireland?
    I think it was a wednesday


  • #17
    cushtac
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,253 ✭✭✭cushtac


    Grizzly 45 wrote: »
    Maybe not in thousands,but a perusal of the animal rights extremists Irish websites or indymedia the loony leftist mouthpiece,will show you that they have been active here a good long time.And still are.

    To the best of my knowledge, there's only six mink farms left on the island. So they can't still be that active in releasing that many mink into the wild. The farms were operating well before the heyday of the animal rights activist, and mink have been escaping & breeding since the farms opened. And as has previously said, unscrupulous farmers also released mink into the wild instead of killing them.


  • #18
    cushtac
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,253 ✭✭✭cushtac


    Mellor wrote: »
    I think it was a wednesday

    In other words, you haven't a clue :rolleyes:


  • #19
    Mellor
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 40,495 ✭✭✭✭Mellor


    cushtac wrote: »
    To the best of my knowledge, there's only six mink farms left on the island. So they can't still be that active in releasing that many mink into the wild. The farms were operating well before the heyday of the animal rights activist, and mink have been escaping & breeding since the farms opened. And as has previously said, unscrupulous farmers also released mink into the wild instead of killing them.
    I recently read that there were 5 fur farms left also, and that 140,000 are killed each year. As for mink excaping, I fully agree. I don't think anybody suggests that they only got out due to antis. And to be honest, I would be so bold as to guess what percent came from anti release, farmer release and escape.
    But I think the point was that, while escapes happen all the time, and always have, they are slow and steady, a local ecosystem can deal with that better than a mass release of numourous minks. (I don't have irish figures at the minute, but I can confirm that 6000 and another of 8000 were mass released by antis in the UK, this shows a terrible understanding of what they were doing)
    cushtac wrote: »
    In other words, you haven't a clue :rolleyes:
    No, so I was joking. As my question wasn't answered. What do we define as native?
    At one point there was no mink in europe. They came from america, around the peak of the last ice age. It was about 10,000 ago that the two species emerged. At this point they would of been quite widespread, bear in mind that they came from the west into europe. By modern times they were hunted to extiction in most parts of europe. The are offically endangered.
    Mink farming is done with america mink only, afaik at least


  • #20
    Vegeta
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 11,392 ✭✭✭✭Vegeta


    I believe something is defined as native if it was here at the end of the last ice age.

    Not 100% but I believe that is the yardstick used


  • #21
    wildfowler
    Closed Accounts Posts: 68 ✭✭wildfowler


    Hi lads had a pen of pheasants last year and a mink killed 15 of them. set a live trap and caught him that night . nothing for 2 weeks then another 1 moved in lucky he was caught before he done any damage.the pen is about a mile and a haif from stream or river do any of ye know much about setting snares


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  • #22
    J. Ramone
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 297 ✭✭J. Ramone


    Back in the good old days when there was spring salmon fishing in Ireland I often encountered mink on the riverbank. If the shotgun was carried on the next trip it often resulted. They are creatures of habbit.

    I saw a mink in the back garden last year chasing a rabbit but never saw him again unfortunately.


  • #23
    sbkenn
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 193 ✭✭sbkenn


    Cage traps are recommended, as you can simply release anything else that is caught. Mink can then be drowned in the cage. Make sure it has a handle on it though, or they'll have your finger. Our Staffodshire B.T. killed a mink once, then spat it out, curling her lips in distaste .. Yuk !


  • #24
    lordarpad
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 380 ✭✭lordarpad


    sbkenn wrote: »
    Cage traps are recommended, as you can simply release anything else that is caught. Mink can then be drowned in the cage. Make sure it has a handle on it though, or they'll have your finger. Our Staffodshire B.T. killed a mink once, then spat it out, curling her lips in distaste .. Yuk !

    not a good death, drowning. in that case I'd shoot.


  • #25
    Mellor
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 40,495 ✭✭✭✭Mellor


    J. Ramone wrote: »
    Back in the good old days when there was spring salmon fishing in Ireland I often encountered mink on the riverbank. If the shotgun was carried on the next trip it often resulted. They are creatures of habbit.

    I saw a mink in the back garden last year chasing a rabbit but never saw him again unfortunately.
    Very much creatures of habit.
    Males are very teritorial, they wil almost never share the same area as another male. By their area, I mean there main grounds along a wet area (river, lake etc). They will allow females to overlap on there area. As soon as a male is killed, another will take up his turf soon enough


  • #26
    lofty95
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 64 ✭✭lofty95


    there was some research carried out back in 1985 on the effects of mink as a non native species in ireland, all i can remember them saying was that when one mink was removed from a territory it created a vacuum for juveniles to come in and in essence the problem would get worse in area not better for a time. The conclusion was that they were not going to be eradicated and they should be just accepted as part of irelands flora and fauna. It is something that would probably need a huge effort year round from gunglubs and the like to make any sort of serious indentation in the numbers currently


  • #27
    sbkenn
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 193 ✭✭sbkenn


    lordarpad wrote: »
    not a good death, drowning. in that case I'd shoot.

    If one has a gun !.


  • #28
    NoNameRanger
    Closed Accounts Posts: 273 ✭✭NoNameRanger


    sbkenn wrote: »
    If one has a gun !.


    One could use the exhaust from a car to humanely kill using carbon monoxide gas. Just put the cage in a large plastic bag and hold neck over exhaust pipe (while the engine is running of course):) A lot better than drowning:cool:


  • #29
    NoNameRanger
    Closed Accounts Posts: 273 ✭✭NoNameRanger


    Mellor wrote: »
    There are two types of mink species. American and European. American mink mink are not native and likely came from fur farms etc.
    European mink are native but are often losing out to the american mink
    Mellor wrote: »
    Whats the definition of "native"?
    Originally, european mink were spread throughout europe (inc ireland and the UK). Even as far north as iceland, and northern finland. Numbers have declined and mink have been extinct in many parts of europe. Numbers are only plentyful in eastern europe. The european mink is offically classed as endangered. The american mink is not and is in far better shape. Most mink released, or that escape, are american minks. As their pelt is larger, and they are prefered for fur farming.
    Mellor wrote: »
    I recently read that there were 5 fur farms left also, and that 140,000 are killed each year. As for mink excaping, I fully agree. I don't think anybody suggests that they only got out due to antis. And to be honest, I would be so bold as to guess what percent came from anti release, farmer release and escape.
    But I think the point was that, while escapes happen all the time, and always have, they are slow and steady, a local ecosystem can deal with that better than a mass release of numourous minks. (I don't have irish figures at the minute, but I can confirm that 6000 and another of 8000 were mass released by antis in the UK, this shows a terrible understanding of what they were doing)

    No, so I was joking. As my question wasn't answered. What do we define as native?
    At one point there was no mink in europe. They came from america, around the peak of the last ice age. It was about 10,000 ago that the two species emerged. At this point they would of been quite widespread, bear in mind that they came from the west into europe. By modern times they were hunted to extiction in most parts of europe. The are offically endangered.
    Mink farming is done with america mink only, afaik at least
    Mellor wrote: »
    Very much creatures of habit.
    Males are very teritorial, they wil almost never share the same area as another male. By their area, I mean there main grounds along a wet area (river, lake etc). They will allow females to overlap on there area. As soon as a male is killed, another will take up his turf soon enough

    Where are you getting your information from?:) Wiki? There is no evidence that european mink were ever native or present in Ireland. Native species are generally regarded as species that were present at the end of the last Ice age when the Ice melting separated us from mainland europe and the UK. There is an arguement for species that have made it here since then without the intervention or assistance of man e.g magpie and more recently the little egret.


  • #30
    ivanthehunter
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 1,284 ✭✭✭ivanthehunter


    NoNameRanger wrote: »
    One could use the exhaust from a car to humanely kill using carbon monoxide gas. Just put the cage in a large plastic bag and hold neck over exhaust pipe (while the engine is running of course):) A lot better than drowning:cool:

    OK Nonameranger..
    I have come Full circle here so prepared to be broadsided by ITH;)

    Is it not legally forbidden to use any noxious gas an any animal? or- are vermin excluded.. Honest question

    TBH i see where your coming from and it would be a more relaxing death for such a pest. Personal a drowned all live catch animals as i wont risk shooting animals in cage for fear of cage damage and TBH in some residential areas you cant fire a gun without the curtain twitchers having a field day


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  • #31
    NoNameRanger
    Closed Accounts Posts: 273 ✭✭NoNameRanger


    ivanthehunter wrote: »
    OK Nonameranger..
    I have come Full circle here so prepared to be broadsided by ITH;)

    Is it not legally forbidden to use any noxious gas an any animal? or- are vermin excluded.. Honest question

    TBH i see where your coming from and it would be a more relaxing death for such a pest. Personal a drowned all live catch animals as i wont risk shooting animals in cage for fear of cage damage and TBH in some residential areas you cant fire a gun without the curtain twitchers having a field day

    Without digging through the wildlife act, I'm pretty sure it is not an offence to dispatch unprotected species in this way. But you are welcome to prove me wrong. Just be sure he is well dead before opening the cage:)


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