Mink goes Hunting

I saw something I never would have expected to see. I saw a mink hunt down and kill a young rabbit.

I didn't even know we had minks on the property. I had seen the elusive Mustelids a few times, but I thought they were weasels or ermine (weasel's fancier name). Who knew they were coming back. In the whole of my 50 years, minks have been so trapped, so pursued for their fur, I didn't think many were running around here wild.

But in rural Noble County, along the ponds, I have seen many. They bound like otters, but are smaller, with cute little heads and that beautiful brown fur. Last weekend, I just happened to glance out the window when I was preparing food, and I saw a sweet bunny hopping through the yard. And behind it was a little cat-like creature, which I realized later was a mink.

The bunny would hop, and then the ferret-like mink would hop up, kind of mimicking its movements. I just don't think normally a mink would hop like that - as I said before they kind of bound along, more stretched out. I saw it take two or three bounces near the innocent rabbit, which never did take off running - and then moving very near by, the mink pounced.

Its posture was totally different then - it reminded me of the way a cheetah strikes - pouncing and then rolling its prey over, biting its throat or spine. The mink held the bunny tight, biting it, and striking its stomach with its sharp back claws.

The mink just stayed in this position a minute or two, holding the bunny down, I guess while it finished dying. Then, like a mother cat carrying a kitten, it picked the bunny up by its neck and carried it down to the water. I didn't see either one of them after that. It either swam off with it or carried it somewhere past the cat tails.

That was real hunting. No shot gun, no retriever dog. It was kind of an honor to see that, when one thinks most of the wildlife has been marginalized. You go, mink. It was so much more fun to see you that way, instead of part of a coat.