Pawtuckaway Lake Association

Kayaking at dusk in Neal’s Cove I came upon a mink fishing along the waters edge. Just as I grabbed my camera the mink dove i nto the water and pulled a smallmouth bass up onto the shore. The mink’s sharp claws quickly shredded the fish as he h urriedly ate his dinner. I was very lucky to witness this scene; mink are very reclusive and seldom spotted in the wild. They are plentiful, however, living in forested areas near rivers, streams, lakes and ponds in most U.S. states.

Mink are long and sleek, about 2’ long and weighing between 1 ½ to 4 lbs. Males are typically 1 ½ times the size of females. They have small ears, short stubby legs, slightly webbed feet, and a tail that is about a third of their length. Their thick fur is brown to black in color with a layer of oily guard hairs that provide waterproofing. They have a patch of white fur under the chin and sometimes on the chest.They do not hibernate in the winter so they grow an additional layer of fur for added warmth. Baby mink leave their parents at 6 weeks old and live a solitary life averaging 3 years. Males and females will sometimes team up to raise their young but separate again once the babies are weaned.

Cunning predators, mink spend most of their time prowling within 100’ of the water’s edge, swimming and diving (up to 16’ deep) looking for a meal. They are ferocious carnivores; their diet consists of muskrats, rabbits, mice, chipmunks, fish,
snakes, frogs, birds, and crustaceans. Their bodies don’t store heat well so they need a lot of food to survive. They are one of the few animals that will kill more than they need to eat, storing carcasses in their dens to eat later. Being nocturnal, they are active mainly from dusk to dawn.

Mink make dens from natural cavities around tree roots, in hollow logs, or in abandoned beaver and muskrat dens. They are nomadic, traveling extensively in an area as large as 5 square miles and rarely stay in the same den for long. There are two glands under the tail that spray (similar to a skunk) a musky smelling fluid they use to mark their territory or to  discourage predators like owl, fox, coyotes, or dogs.

When running, a mink flexes its body, inchworm like, appearing to have a hunched back. Yet, they can travel at 7-8 mph on land and swim 1 ½ mph on the surface of the water.They frequently sit straight up and look around their territory
for a meal. When content, a mink will purr like a cat.