Ermine

[Jonathan_S]

To the OP, habitat ranges a lot.  However, all you have to do is locate an area and then you can continue to trap that for a good long time.  Similar to mink, they don't congregate and live together but they do live in areas together. 

Areas to consider are edges of forests near clearcuts.  I have a deer stand that requires me to walk through an 8-10 year old burn area with lots of young tamarack and fallen logs.  Tons of mice and weasels.  I've got a cool picture of one that ran up a tree and barked at me.

Also, I wouldn't be afraid to try and trap them around the Tri-Cities.  They are a very adaptable critter.  I trapped them in the grass draws between wheat fields and around ponds out in scabrock country.  Look for their track in the snow.  They look like four dime-sized prints in a rough v-shape.

Do you have any boxes with rat traps?  Don't be worried about getting blood on them, it'll clean right off in cold water.  Just be careful about extracting a dead weasel (or marten) from a trap because they can freeze to them.

[sirmissalot]

I didn't even know we had weasels here... until the other day I was up in the woods and this little thing was viciously attacking a rabbit in the road... thought it was a mink but a lady friend with me quickly corrected me that it was a weasel? I lost that bet. Mean little buggers that rabbit was easily 3 maybe 4 times its size and weight.

[fast60eddie]

 

OK, so there are 3 kinds of weasels:  Long-tailed, Short-tailed, and Two-legged.   

[Carp Commander]

To the OP, habitat ranges a lot.  However, all you have to do is locate an area and then you can continue to trap that for a good long time.  Similar to mink, they don't congregate and live together but they do live in areas together. 

Areas to consider are edges of forests near clearcuts.  I have a deer stand that requires me to walk through an 8-10 year old burn area with lots of young tamarack and fallen logs.  Tons of mice and weasels.  I've got a cool picture of one that ran up a tree and barked at me.

Also, I wouldn't be afraid to try and trap them around the Tri-Cities.  They are a very adaptable critter.  I trapped them in the grass draws between wheat fields and around ponds out in scabrock country.  Look for their track in the snow.  They look like four dime-sized prints in a rough v-shape.

Do you have any boxes with rat traps?  Don't be worried about getting blood on them, it'll clean right off in cold water.  Just be careful about extracting a dead weasel (or marten) from a trap because they can freeze to them.

Thanks for the info and yeah I have two dozen weasel boxes. Last year I caught them using chicken livers. Any suggestions on bait and/or lures.

I have seen them plenty of times around here but always in the summer when they are brown. I am not sure they turn white here.

[UrbanTrapper]

No ermine here. They stay brown all winter. I did have a number of pictures of them working my cat sets and I use beaver for bait. They don't eat much so I don't really care. Used to catch them occasionally in civet sets but apparently their too light to set off a cage trap.

They get white in Central and Eastern WA.

[CementFinisher]

tag

[Carp Commander]

So apparently we have long tail and short tail weasels in Washington State. The name Ermine is actually the name for the fur the short tail, long tail and in Europe the Stoat produces.

"The white fur also is known as "ermine," and even in regions where the animal is known as a "stoat," the animal with this winter coat may be referred to as ermine, or as being "in ermine."

Not much money in them but a fun species to trap.

[Carp Commander]

Also, I wouldn't be afraid to try and trap them around the Tri-Cities.  They are a very adaptable critter.  I trapped them in the grass draws between wheat fields and around ponds out in scabrock country.  Look for their track in the snow.  They look like four dime-sized prints in a rough v-shape.

We definitely have plenty of wheat fields around here. I would never have thought to find Weasels in the sage brush. Maybe I'll try catching some in the brush around the rivers here in the Tri-Cities. I am assuming the thick brush that holds rabbits would also hold Weasel.

Has anyone tried wiring or tacking the rat trap to a tree. I thought about trying to find a set that would work to avoid the shrew and mouse catches and avoid having to pack weasel boxes.

Doug