01/02/2024
story and photos by Dave Hall
It is a bright fall afternoon, and a small, wooded trail leads me to one of my favorite spots along a local waterway. This special place is the home and hunting ground to a mink that I have come to know quite well.
The rough bank of Fall Creek offers cover complete with an old muskrat den for housing. A fallen tree provides excellent cover and a place to hunt. I stand quiet near the edge of the creek where the trail has led me, knowing that patience is the name of the game. I wait for 15 minutes and am rewarded when I notice ripples generating from under the bank. There she is!
It is the middle of the day and the animal I have come to know as Belle is out hunting. She is curious and active as she explores the back side of the half-submerged root ball. Swimming, she makes her way up and onto the main trunk. After a quick scan, she slips into the water and almost immediately surfaces with a minnow. She exits the creek and trots up the fallen timber towards some cover where she enjoys her catch.
Mink are absolutely beautiful animals that are surprisingly common and will reward the disciplined observer with hours of memorable viewing.
Welcome to the family!
Mink are part of the mustelid family which is a large and diverse group of animals that includes otter, weasel, fisher, skunks and badgers. Animals in the mustelid family share more than a few traits. They have short legs, elongated bodies, small ears and stouts and somewhat elongated skulls. Mink range in size from just over a pound to 3-1/2 pounds. Males are generally larger than females. Mink are dark brown when wet and can appear more rusty brown when dry. They have a white chin patch which can be irregular or unique in some way, making it possible to identify individuals. Mink can also have a white patch on their chest.
At home in the Finger Lakes
Although mink can hunt on land, they are water centric mammals that range through the United State and Canada. In New York State this means that mink can be found virtually anywhere there is water, and the hunting is productive. Regularly seeing mink is a great indicator of aquatic food availability.
In my life I have had the great fortune of seeing mink in the Town of Williamsville along Ellicott Creek, the shores of Cayuga Lake, countless locations in the Adirondacks, at several of the locks along the Erie Canal, Montezuma National Wildlife Refuge and near the base of local waterfalls in Tompkins County. If you live near a substantial enough sized body of water, it is very likely that mink are nearby.
A mink’s dinner
Mink are true carnivores, eating an array of prey including crayfish, muskrat, ducks, mice and fish. For their size, mink are incredibly capable predators that often take down prey many times their own size. I once witnessed a mink swimming with a 5-pound smallmouth bass that it had just subdued. The mink dragged the still living fish onto shore where it proceeded to consume the gills.
Mink are opportunistic hunters. On another occasion I was able to observe two mink one wintery day from the parking lot bordering a big box store. The duo had discovered a bounty of pan fish that had become trapped, due to low water levels, in a culvert pipe that emptied into a small waterway. The mink would disappear into the darkness of the pipe and appear moments later with a struggling sunfish. The crazy thing was that the mink never got wet!
A few more fun facts
Mink are active year-round. Despite most field guides suggesting that mink are most active when the sun is rising or setting, my experience has taught me that these spirited animals can be active at most any time of the day. I theorize that “optimal operating” conditions are most likely to determine when mink are active; mink don’t like to be too hot or too cold. For example, when nights are likely to be coldest, mink will be more regularly seen out hunting during the day. On the other hand, mink are less likely to be out in the heat of the day during warmer months. Foul weather tends to keep mink sheltered.
Mink are generally solitary but are sometimes seen in pairs. Mink come together to mate in late winter. After a gestation of about 51 days, one to eight young are born with an average of four kits per litter. Young mink stay with their mother into the fall. At this time, they disperse to establish territories of their own. Mink become sexually mature at about 10 months of age.
Mink vocalizations include squeaks, screeches, growling and hissing. With that said, I have witnessed hundreds of mink in my life, often in relative close proximity, and have yet to hear one vocalize. From my research, I have learned that vocalizations are often associated with breeding, territorial disputes and times when mink feel threatened. Mink have also been known to purr when they feel contented.
Another way that mink communicate is through scent. Much like skunks, but without the accuracy, mink can spray when they are threatened. The scent has been described as worse than that of skunks. Purposely marking territory with anal scent glands is done to mark territory. Mink also have scent glands in their throat and chest. I have witnessed mink rubbing their faces along moss cover logs on fallen trees within their territory.
Signs left behind
The webbed feet of mink leave easily identifiable tracks in mud, damp sand and wet snow. Like all mustelids, mink have five toes on each foot. Their tracks range in size 1-1/4 to 2 inches wide for the front track and 1 -1/4 to 1-7/8 for the rear track. Mink often leave piles of crayfish remains or other leftovers from their hunting efforts. Mink scat is often left in prominent places such as docks or logs near the water. Scat is twisted in appearance, is usually dark or brown and often full of fish scales or crayfish remains.
How and where to see mink
Mink like good cover to hunt and hide within. Generally speaking, they need a large enough wetland or water body to meet their needs. On my property we have a small pond that has recently become larger because of beavers. In the 25-plus years of living at our home I have seen only one mink at our pond. Despite having small bass and sunfish, this wetland just isn’t productive or large enough to support a population of mink.
In contrast, the south end of Cayuga Lake holds dozens of mink in a relatively small area. This space is incredibly rich and dynamic, offering a density of food opportunities. There are seasonal runs of migratory fish, waterfowl abounds, there is an array of rodents in the nearby thickets and woods, and the local tributaries help to keep life interesting. On one April morning I spotted five mink in a two-hour period. Two of them were scavenging a dead carp.
When looking for mink, be sure to move slowly and quietly. This is vital as any sudden movements or loud sounds will easily be detected by birds and animals. When you find a promising location, be still and carefully scan promising spots. Pay special attention to the area where water and land come together. This is the domain of the mink. One indicator that I often come across is ripples created from a mink making its way along an undercut bank. Water bubbles can also be trailed when a mink submerges, making it possible to anticipate where it will pop up.
Mink are excellent observers. My wife and I once watched a mink for five minutes that seemed just as curious about us as we were about it. We were paddling in Catherine Creek on a cool fall day in Watkins Glen at the time. Being in a quiet vessel such as a canoe or kayak can bring one up close and personal to mink. In my experience, mink often seem less concerned if they happen to spot me while I’m in my canoe than if they happen to notice me when I’m on the land.
Local birds and other prey species can help in your quest to find mink. Listen for alarms and behaviors that help indicate that there is a predator afoot.
For me, watching wildlife is one the greatest joys in my life and mink are one of the most dynamic and interesting animals that I regularly see. They always teach me something when they are out and about, and generally exhibit interesting behaviors. If you follow my suggestions, it’s very likely that you will begin to discover more and more of these amazing creatures. Good luck, get outside, slow down and have fun!
Dave Hall is the founder of Primitive Pursuits, a youth-focused nature awareness program offered in partnership with Cornell Cooperative Extension of Tompkins County. He has worked as a naturalist and guide in Massachusetts, New Jersey and New York and has served as an instructor with the Adirondack Mountain Club, the State University of New York at Cortland, Cornell Outdoor Education and Ithaca College. Hall’s newest book, The Naturalist’s Guide: A Field Guide to Observing and Understanding Wildlife was released on September 1, 2022. He also is co-author of Winter in the Wilderness: A Field Guide to Primitive Survival Skills. He can be reached at davehalloutdoors.com.
