Saw a critter, not sure what it was...

[JohnVH]

I cant find it googling, so, NW Washington, whatcom county, yesterday I saw a weird little animal I cant figure out. 

Id guess about 6-10" long not counting tail, light tan/light brown color, trotting on all 4's, had a longer thin tail same body color, but at the end of the tail had a fuzzy thicker patch dark color, and when it was running the tail was up in the air kind of in an S shape..

Any ideas?

[7mmfan]

Weasel

[pianoman9701]

  or chupa cabra, one or the other.

[Samloffler]

Weasel, ferret, mink, muskrat...?

[JohnVH]

Weasel

Thats possible, Tail is different, but otherwise similar, wish I could have gotten a pic, didnt realize there was any of those up in ferndale area.

[gaddy]

I actually had a similar sighting this morning when I stepped out the front door. Caught it out of the corner of my eye as I stepped off the porch. It blasted up the tree in the front yard, blew past the cat sitting there on a branch, launched onto the roof of the house, sprinted to the end and leaped into the neighbors tree where I lost sight of it. It all happened so fast that I really didn't get a good look. Definitely had an -s- shape to the tail, light tan color and a lighter under belly. Now that I think about it, I have seen this critter squished on the road around here a few times.

[Doublelunger]

Ermine...for sure. AKA short-tailed weael aka stout aka some other names probably.

[nwwanderer]

Last one I encountered came bounding by with a mouse in its mouth, saw me dropped the mouse and was gone.  Stood still, trying to get another glimpse, shortly the little devil came back, got his mouse and was gone for good.

[7mmfan]

I had a really cool encounter with one a few years ago while elk hunting in the Rimrock unit. I was watching a clearing, and all hell breaks loose uphill of me. Sounds like two squirrels fighting. All of a sudden, what appears to be a juvenile Ermine comes blasting downhill full speed with a big squirrel right behind him. The Ermine zips right under my pack laying next me and hides there for a minute with the squirrel standing off a ways chattering at him. He then tried to bolt but the squirrel was hot on him again so he came back and this time he burrowed in under my orange, that I was wearing!    He hid out there for a couple minutes until the squirrel lost interest, and then peaked out, gave me a nod, and went about his day. Still one of my fondest memories.

[1851navycolt]

My guess is ermine. Found one in winter one time that was totally white color phased. Ermine are cool like that. Fur can change color to blend better in seasons. Summer n spring n most of fall tannish to brownish. Winter snowy time white with a black tipped tail sometimes pretty neat lookin little buggars.

[Scheindogg]

UCO
Unidentifiable crawling object
👀

[wapiti hunter2]

Pine martin

[KFhunter]

Weasel

Thats possible, Tail is different, but otherwise similar, wish I could have gotten a pic, didnt realize there was any of those up in ferndale area.

long tail weasel

[KFhunter]

Weasel

that's a short tail weasel, it'll turn white pretty soon and we'll call it ermine. 

[Bango skank]

Weasel

that's a short tail weasel, it'll turn white pretty soon and we'll call it ermine.

[wolftrapper]

My brother once called in a weasel by lip squeaking.  It scampered right up his leg, and he tried to grab it when it got to waist level, but it launched.  They are fearless!

[Bango skank]

My brother once called in a weasel by lip squeaking.  It scampered right up his leg, and he tried to grab it when it got to waist level, but it launched.  They are fearless!

Tried to grab a weasel?  Hes lucky he failed, that little sucker would have ripped him a new one.

[KFhunter]

I've found a few dead ones, I think my barn cat is killing them 

[nwwanderer]

FFFF, fearless, fast, ferocious, fun. 
Always on a quest and seem to have fun along the way.  Look, do not touch, multiple tiny holes, all bleeding would be expected.

[Sandberm]

My brother once called in a weasel by lip squeaking.  It scampered right up his leg, and he tried to grab it when it got to waist level, but it launched.  They are fearless!

Tried to grab a weasel?  Hes lucky he failed, that little sucker would have ripped him a new one.

Had one trapped under the porch once. Vicious! little son of a gun. Pretty sure he could have handled me if I tried to grab it. Lost fingers, ears, eyes...then he probably would have burned my house down.

[boneaddict]

My brother once called in a weasel by lip squeaking.  It scampered right up his leg, and he tried to grab it when it got to waist level, but it launched.  They are fearless!

 

Wolverine on crack.

[KFhunter]

I got to watch one chasing a snowshoe hare in the deep snows, really cool.   

Unfortunately I didn't get to see it catch it, but the hare had ran up against a rock wall and there was a lot of scrambling around before they both ran along the rock wall and out of sight. 

[Bango skank]

Came home to find this one dead in my barn.  Wonder what would have killed it?

[Okanagan]

I read some biologist one time who said that if weasels weighed 60 lbs. each they would rule the world.

A weasel found a mule deer buck I'd shot before I did, and the little critter claimed it as if he were grizzly bear size.  He stood on the buck, growled and showed his teeth and defied this 180 lb. man with a 30-06 in hand to take it from him!

[bornhunter]

They have been known to carry rabies so beware! Dont be messing with stuff you find dead without taking precautions. I had to go through the rabies exposure shot series and it aint fun and you better have really good insurance.