# Look who was hanging around the hen house



## apostle423 (Jan 22, 2008)

Howdey,

My wife and son successfully caught a weasle we saw sniffing around our hen house. She got him on a large mouse (rat) trap with a piece of hotdog. She saw him and took the photo's. We knew he was around cause we saw his tracks. He didn't last long after the sighting. Not sure why she figured hot dog was on the menu, but it worked. Pretty small fella. I thought it was an ermin, but a freind told me it is a "lesser weasle". Just thought I would share. Only one I have seen in the wild (or my chicken coop) Ha!!


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## ottertrapper (Jan 6, 2006)

Nice job on the shortail weasel! The least weasel would be without the black tip. It looks like a nice size male from the pic, but hard to tell for sure. Either way nice catch and you probably saved a few hens! Congrats! OT


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## Mister ED (Apr 3, 2006)

Tell your wife nice job on weasel. 

The Least Weasel is also much smaller than the one your wife caught (at least the one that I have seen). Skin it out and make a little stretcher out of a coat hanger to stretch it. I think Rob (Wizzard) has a post around if you search.

Here are a couple threads that offer some tid bits ... if you read through them:
http://www.michigan-sportsman.com/forum/showthread.php?t=220218&highlight=weasel
http://www.michigan-sportsman.com/forum/showthread.php?t=220036&highlight=weasel


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## apostle423 (Jan 22, 2008)

Yes he was a male. My son is so excited, I think we are going to see about getting him taxidermied. Can't wait to see him.


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## Mister ED (Apr 3, 2006)

apostle423 said:


> Yes he was a male. My son is so excited, I think we are going to see about getting him taxidermied. Can't wait to see him.


That's a great idea also!! 

That twinkle in his eye and smile on his face, in the last pic, is priceless.


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## Fur-minator (Nov 28, 2007)

Nice job!

I like the picture of the weasel peeking out from under the henhouse.


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## Waterloo Redtick (Nov 1, 2009)

Fur-minator said:


> Nice job!
> 
> I like the picture of the weasel peeking out from under the henhouse.



Maybe that is how you should mount him. Have the taxidermist ahve him sticking out of a hen house, just an idea.


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## Ranch84 (Aug 5, 2009)

I was wondering if that is what would be getting in my chicken house also. I live west of midland. Cool pictures


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## apostle423 (Jan 22, 2008)

I don't know that he ever actually hurt any of the chickens. We think he was feeding more on the table scraps we pitch out to them. My wife first saw him run out and grab something from the food scraps. My grandfather told me that they most definitely can kill chickens. According to him they bite them in the back of the neck and drink the blood. I don't think this one would have been big enough to drag a chicken off. And we never found any dead ones. However we did find some squirrels dead. Each one had a small puncture wound behind the head. I thought maybe the turkeys got them. The turkeys and squirrels some times fight under the bird feeder. I thought maybe a tom might have gotten a couple squirrels, but my grandpa not even seeing the squirrel told me that it was a weasle. I started looking for the tracks and sure enough I found them in the snow. My son was the first person to see the weasle under the coop. We couldn't see him from our vantage with our height, but at 4yrs old he could. He kept asking us what the white thing was. We didn't know what he was talking about. Then my wife saw him as I mentioned above, and a few hours later that was all she wrote for the weasle. We haven't had any dead squirrels since either.


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## ottertrapper (Jan 6, 2006)

Any weasel (ermine) can and will kill a chicken if the want to eat. They take out rabbits and hares also. I have heard of people who lost all their chickens to a weasel. They are viscious little guys. OT


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## Wizard3686 (Aug 30, 2005)

They maybe small but the sure are some mean lil guys. I have had one charge me lmao he didnt want to give up the weasel box i had set with the mice in it.


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## FREEPOP (Apr 11, 2002)

Yep, the little weasel will kill rabbits and/or hare if and when they can. It's usually not a fast event either, based on my neighbor's accounts. They will get ducks, if they can too.


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## apostle423 (Jan 22, 2008)

Are they strong enough to haul them off to some other location? We had a duck come up missing this year. No idea where it went. Not a trace of it (like feathers or blood). Just gone. I figured a **** must have gotten it at dusk or something.


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## apostle423 (Jan 22, 2008)

Another question?

How doe you set a real trap for a weasle?? I saw a fresh set of tracks just this morning. These ones were out in the woods.

Thanks
Warren <><


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## Wizard3686 (Aug 30, 2005)

apostle423 said:


> Another question?
> 
> How doe you set a real trap for a weasle?? I saw a fresh set of tracks just this morning. These ones were out in the woods.
> 
> ...


 
Warren here is a link to a thread i made a while back it has alot of info in it if you have any more questions just ask away i will try and give ya a good answer lol. 

http://www.michigan-sportsman.com/forum/showthread.php?t=257242


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## ottertrapper (Jan 6, 2006)

Just make a box like this or similar and either use a 1 1/2 longspring or the victor rat trap like you used to catch the first one. I bait mine with beaver or muskrat, but chicken livers work great too. My boxes are 16" long and inside width is 5 3/4" to fit the set trap of the 1 1/2 LS, if going with a rat trap it can be narrower.

Good luck!


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## apostle423 (Jan 22, 2008)

Wow Wizard. Thanks for the info. That is a great thread. I learned alot. Looks like I have another critter to go catch. This stuff is pretty fun I must say. Ha!!


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## FREEPOP (Apr 11, 2002)

apostle423 said:


> Are they strong enough to haul them off to some other location? We had a duck come up missing this year. No idea where it went. Not a trace of it (like feathers or blood). Just gone. I figured a **** must have gotten it at dusk or something.


I doubt they could move them very far. Although a **** could, most **** attacks I've seen have been a bloody murder scene with the carcass still there. I would guess a hawk or owl if it was missing, possibly a fox or coyote too.


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## apostle423 (Jan 22, 2008)

Thanks Ottertrapper,

I hate to say this, but as soon as all this christmas stuff gets over, I can get to making some boxes and having a bit more fun. I usually love christmas, but with my new found love of trapping this year, it is putting a crimp on my new style. Ha!!:lol:


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## ottertrapper (Jan 6, 2006)

Uh oh another hooked by the weasel bug! :lol:

And if you want a bigger wealth of knowledge go to trapperman.com and check out under the trapper talk forum the 2009 weasel thread and last years weasel thread in the archives. Lots and lots of info


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## Bow Hunter Brandon (Jan 15, 2003)

Wow someone got bit by the trapping bug and the poison spread quickly :lol:

Welcome to the club. My trapping season is just getting ready to start. The ice is safe and snow is deep enough I need snow shoes. Beavers through the ice this year with a few weasel boxes as well.


I will post pictures when I can finally get in the woods.


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## Beaverhunter2 (Jan 22, 2005)

Congrats to the Mrs! That's very cool! The word to your local predators- "Don't mess with Mama's chickens!" :yikes:

Weasels are neat critters. I'm just glad they aren't any bigger than they are!

A weasel mount would be awesome. BTW Any weasel in it's winter white phase is an "ermine". Go get 'em!

John


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## FREEPOP (Apr 11, 2002)

I've put this on here before but the O.P. probably didn't see it


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## timberdoodle528 (Nov 25, 2003)

That is very cool! I love the pictures. Looks like trapping will be in the future for your son for sure! That is just wonderful to get the kids involved. Nice work!


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## arcticcatet71 (Mar 7, 2007)

does anyone know whether or not weasles are located in the Macomb Co. area, i just started trapping this year and can't get enough of it, i want to get in on the weasel action!!


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## apostle423 (Jan 22, 2008)

Well,

Got the weasle mount back. We are pretty happy with it. A friend from work did it for me. Didn't know what to expect. I think it is a great idea with the dragonfly. We gave it to my youngest boy for his birthday. He has become my little trapping buddy. Well hope you like too.


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