Nighttime visitor: Darn varmints!

[pd]

Folks, it doesn't matter how tight your chicken coop is, these little rascals will find a way in, and cause commotion.  This bugger dug deeply under the defenses, and made his way to 2 of our hens.  Nothing that a 20 gauge shotgun at very close range couldn't resolve.

It's dangerous out there, be careful.

[Elliott]

is that a mink? Good shooting!

[pd]

We see these critters a couple of times per year.  They slink across the yard too quickly to get a shot.  I have always thought that there are minks, but I am no expert.  Perhaps somebody else could ID it for me.

Good shot?  Not really.  'Tis true, a shotgun is hard to shoot with the weak hand holding a flashlight.  But a missed shot at 3 yards would get me kicked out of the club for sure.  Prior to the shot he had big floppy ears.  Doesn't have any ears now.

[Dbax129]

Tag
What is that?

[Hilltop123]

Mink......are you close to a stream or river? 

[pd]

Tag?  Ummm.  Never thought about that.  Little bugger was eating my livestock, so I shot it.  That wouldn't work well for Bald Eagles, I know.  It was 2:30 in the morning, what else can I say, Your Honor

No rivers here; we live on an island.  There is plenty of water (wetlands) in the area, however.  Mink, opossums, raccoons, coyotes, hawks, eagles (especially Bald Eagles), are all very common.  Field mice and rats, too.  No shortage of varmints here.

[lokidog]

This is most definitely a mink, I've trapped/killed at least seven this last six months, one after killing 16 of our young hens in one night.  You do not need to be near water to get them.  We are 1/2 mile from the nearest water, the shoreline.

We used to have lots of rabbits here on Decatur Island, then the mink showed up, very few rabbits left.   

[Elliott]

Now I know why they are a popular critter for coats, because they arent missed much except by PETA... and PD but he got him on the second shot

[pd]

Now I know why they are a popular critter for coats, because they arent missed much except by PETA... and PD but he got him on the second shot

'Tis true, Master Elliott.  But in my defense, I was in my pajamas, holding a torch in one hand and shooting the long barreled shotgun with one hand.

OK, I fess up.  This wasn't the first missed shot of my lifetime.   

[floatinghat]

Funny that Chilean fella was just telling me he had never seen one.  I said I see them down by the beach once or twice a year.

[pd]

Funny that Chilean fella was just telling me he had never seen one.  I said I see them down by the beach once or twice a year.

As we both know, they are not rare, not at all.