THE WEASEL.
The weasel is the smallest of all carnivorous animals and the various
species and varieties are distributed over the greater portion of
northern Asia, Europe and North America. In this country alone
naturalists recognize some twenty species and sub-species, most of
which are found in Canada and Alaska, also the northern and western
states. Of these it is only the northern varieties, those which
become white in winter that are of importance to the trapper.
The ermine of Europe is a species of weasel, and the American white
weasel is sometimes called the ermine, its fur being used to imitate
the fur of that animal.
The change of color in the fur of this animal is not understood by
naturalists. It occurs only in the most northern portions of its
range and it is not known whether the animal really sheds its brown
summer coat when the cold weather approaches or whether the fur
bleaches, but it is certain that the change occurs in some way, the
fur becoming white in the fall and changing to brown again in spring.
The smallest variety of the weasel is found in northwestern Canada
and Alaska and with it the black tip of the tail so characteristic of
the weasel is missing. Very large weasels are secured in the northern
part of Maine, but it is said that the finest skins are obtained in
Nova Scotia and Newfoundland.
The weasel from many sections have a peculiar, sulphury yellow cast
to the fur, especially on the hind-quarters, and of many of these
stained skins only the black tip of the tail is of value. What causes
the stain is not known, neither is there any known method for
removing it. One fur buyer states that about seven out of every ten
skins received, show this yellow stain and are of little value.
The weasel is one of the most blood-thirsty of animals and is very
courageous. It is a terror to rats, mice, rabbits, partridges and
poultry. It will kill for the love of slaughter, even when not
hungry, and I have known a single animal to kill more than thirty
chickens in a night, sucking only a little of the blood from each.
On one occasion I knew a farmer who had turned a drove of fair-sized
pigs into a pasture, and one day, hearing a wild squealing over along
the pasture fence, went to investigate. He found the entire drove of
porkers running along the fence and squealing from terror and
following them was a little brown weasel.
Curiosity is highly developed in the weasel. Many times I have seen
them in my camp at night and if I remained perfectly quiet they would
approach to within a few feet and stand upright on their hind legs to
get a good view. At the least movement, however, they would disappear
only to return a minute later.
As before mentioned the weasel is a blood-thirsty creature, and when
it finds some food that is to its liking it can scarcely be driven
away. On various occasions I have found them attempting to remove the
bait from my traps and such times I would adjust the trap so as to be
very easily sprung, and then step aside and wait for the animal to be
caught.
The weasel has a sharp eye and a keen nose. While trapping in the
North I would always keep on hand a supply of snared rabbits for use
as bait, and often weasels would come into the camp at night,
attracted by the bait, and it is interesting to note how quickly they
could scent out the freshest rabbit in the pile and by biting into
its ears would attempt to drag it away. Quite often they were able to
move a fair sized rabbit. I usually kept a trap setting in my camp
and in this way in one season caught fifteen weasels in one camp.
I have never learned anything regarding the breeding habits of the
weasel, but judging from the large numbers of these animals found in
favorable localities I would say that they are very prolific.
For trapping this animal I recommend the No. 1 1/2 trap and prefer a
trap that is loosely hinged and springs easily, such as the Victor.
Any trap will hold a weasel but when caught in the smaller sizes they
quite often double up about the jaws and when they die and freeze in
that position it is difficult to remove them from the trap. With the
1 1/2 they are always caught over the body and there is little
trouble from that source. As the animal is so very light in weight it
is necessary that the trap springs very easily. There are various
styles of rat traps on the market which make excellent weasel traps,
but as one never knows what animal may happen along, I prefer to use
the steel trap.
My method of setting is to place the trap inside of a small enclosure
of chunks of wood, bark, sticks or whatever is most convenient. No
covering is needed but when setting on the snow I make a bed of
evergreen boughs for the trap to rest on. Rotten wood will answer
just as well. I fasten the bait with a stick just back of the trap so
that the weasel will be obliged to stand on the trap when attempting
to remove the bait, for it should be remembered that they will never
eat any food where they find it if able to move it away. Fasten the
trap securely for some larger animal is likely to be caught. I do not
place the traps far apart, where tracks are seen in fair numbers, and
I drag a fresh killed rabbit from set to set, splitting it open with
a knife so as to leave a bloody trail. Any weasel that strikes the
trail is sure to follow it.
For bait I prefer rabbit to anything else as it contains more blood
than other baits and fresh blood is the only scent that I know of
which will attract the weasel.
In order to obtain good prices it is necessary that the fur be kept
clean and I use a small cloth bag in which to carry my catch.
The tracks of the weasel resemble those of the mink but are
considerably smaller. The average length of jump is perhaps about
eighteen inches.
[Illustration: The Marten.]