# Ermine population SE MI?



## BillBuster (Apr 25, 2005)

I was wondering what some of you pros could tell me about population density of ermine in SE MI? I built a few boxes so me and my boys 6&8 yrs old could have some fun this winter. Since snow came I havnt seen any tracks and I'm in heavy brushy/cattail cover. Thanks for any advice.


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## FREEPOP (Apr 11, 2002)

Couldn't tell you the population status but try in and near cattail sloughs also. That's where I've seen the most tracks.

Good Luck!


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## MIfishslayer91 (Dec 24, 2013)

Not sure about numbers but I see LOTS of tracks around here. Lots of sign around frozen cattail marshes and small creeks. Dry culverts under railroad tracks or roads are pretty great for weasels. I've barely seen any tracks this year but the snow in the swamp is pretty deep and soft still, they might be under it.


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## bhugo (Jan 12, 2007)

Should see mink for sure.


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## BillBuster (Apr 25, 2005)

Thanks guys!! Sounds like I'm set up in the right spots just not seeing tracks. I may need to relocate to another frozen catail marsh. Caught quite a few as a kid just not seeing sign like I used to.


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## Gamechanger (Sep 26, 2014)

BillBuster, I hope you find some and provide some photos. IMO, weasels and ermine are some of the neatest critters out there.

I had the great good fortune while sitting in a tree stand during bow season to witness a least weasel take a chipmunk from an old field stone fence. 

There were a few chipmunks scampering around, popping in and out of all of the crevices in the stones, and I was having way too much fun watching them instead of watching for deer. 

Had I not been looking directly at this one particular chipmunk at the exact time of its demise, I'd have never even known the incident had happened. A weasel popped out of nowhere and in a fraction of a second it was off to who-knows-where with its prize. Wicked fast...no, make that wicked quick...almost unbelievably quick.


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## BillBuster (Apr 25, 2005)

Game changer that's what actually sparked my interest. I was firearm hunting in Alcona county. I saw a nice shorttail moving around about 40 yds away. I squeeked him In right under my stand. It was neat to watch him working the cover below me , trying to figure out where the noise had come from. It kind of took me back to my youth. When I got home the boys and I built 3 boxes. We have them baited with mice and fresh muskrat. The best bait in the world will do me no good however. If I'm not seeing tracks. May just have to move around a bit. Thanks again for replies.


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## wicklundrh (Mar 18, 2014)

Funny, I was sitting in my bow stand a month back right before the firearms season and had a joyous morning watching a litle Ermine scamper about at 20 yards. Fun little critters.

I spoke to an older gentleman from the UP back in August when I was fishing a tournament up in the SOO. He used to make his living as a trapper. We had a great conversation at my camp and he utilized some knowledge I had never heard of. He said he used to build his boxes and the traps he used were a specific kind of "rat" trap. He would take one spring off so they didn't snap as hard. He also used to cover the trap wire that made contact with the Ermine. Said he used tin foil. The reason was the wire used tended to rust and put a rust spot on the Ermine. The foil helped eliminate that rust as it was what made contact with the animal.

He used to look for spots under pine trees that had less snow. Said he had a deal with a sowing machine company (I think Singer) and sold all of his Ermine to them. Said that every place he trapped mink on his long line he put out Ermine sets. Many days he was skinning Ermine for hours. Was very successful. Neat old gentlemen. Tons of stories. Boy those must have been the days!


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## 9 (Jan 17, 2000)

BillBuster said:


> I was wondering what some of you pros could tell me about population density of ermine in SE MI? I built a few boxes so me and my boys 6&8 yrs old could have some fun this winter. Since snow came I havnt seen any tracks and I'm in heavy brushy/cattail cover. Thanks for any advice.


It's been some years now since I trapped ermine but at that time I made all of my boxes into "ermine tip-ups". Worked great because I didn't have to make anymore tracks then the initial setting to check'em on public land.


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## reelbusy2 (Jan 15, 2005)

Buddy and I were up to camp bird hunting and getting fire wood at the end of October, and had one running around. It kept coming to my buddy's boots and I asked if he put mink oil on his boots,and he did just before we went up!


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## reelbusy2 (Jan 15, 2005)

Another


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## reelbusy2 (Jan 15, 2005)

And a week later.


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## Gamechanger (Sep 26, 2014)

Great photos reelbusy2. Thanks for sharing - those made my day.


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## fowlme (Jun 19, 2009)

2 weeks ago my wife lost 5 chickens in one night, couple nights later had 1 more dead but with the snow we saw tracks, had her take a picture and texted it to me, showed a guy at work and he said either weasel or mink. got home from work built a trap and nothing. I am going to build some more. I am guessing that is what killed of all my duck a couple months ago. destructive things.


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