We've not done a weasel thread in quite some time. They are one of my favorites. I don't trap specifically for them, but am always pleased when I catch them in marten traps or sets for other critters. In North America, there are three different species, depending on where you are.

Nothing like catching an early-season long-tail weasel. They are usually stunningly white.



In marten running pole sets, the short-tails were a pretty common catch, and were always welcomed.



The least weasels are very small, have a very stubby tail with no black tip.



The long-tails are always an added bonus on the trrapline.



The short-tails in Alaska are nearly as big as the long-tails in Idaho.



The short-tails we have in Idaho are very small. This is a photo of an adult male.



In summer, all the weasels in Idaho are yellow or brown. Only in winter are they white.



Jack

They are such cool little creatures. And they make beautiful decoration on Native items.

Wow, that short tail is a chunk!!
Weasels are cool. Thanks for the pictures.

To me here in Pa the longtails do not turn white. No photos of a white one either. But by Dec first the shorts are white at least north of I-80. Friends south of me say they don't get white ones??? I don't know. And I have never seen a least weasel, in photo or real life. Just a week ago a short tail crossed the road in front of me around 5 am, big eye shine-steady run no inch worm hopping just zoom. In trapping if I need a long call lure because there is just no sign or right spot to set, I frequently use a weasel box with all sorts of smells, they are attracted to anything here, then set a 1 1/2 in front if that and some trail sets or obvious travel routes with my #3's dukes.....jk

Cool pics, Jack. To this day, after over 60 years of trap line experience, my White Whale is the Least Weasel!...... It is still the only michigan-legal furbearer I have never caught.....in fact, I have only laid eyes on a dead one hauled home by my late Uncles housecat several decades ago! Wiley little beasts. If I am ever lucky enough to trap one I will absolutely do it the honor of a full lifesize mount, glass habitat case, and display the trophy prominently in my man-cave!

Nearly 60 years of trapping produced 2 weasels for me I also live in PA nearer the southern border I have a picture of one of them but it is a old picture with the weasel laying outstretch on my brothers arm But it is not a good picture that even allows you to see it laying on his arm And my brother once saw one while sitting in his tree stand deer hunting So that was a very rare sighting Even though they are a beautiful little critter they are quite fascinating. Jack as usual great pictures An some of those very white ones almost burn your eyes because they are so bright Does anyone know if het glow in the moonlight Very enjoyable ost about a small ritter in a vast universe Thanks for posting

Weasel's what a cool little critter,caught many shorttails,weasel boxes marten boxes etc.I've seen two longtail tracks,but never caught one yet,20 plus years ago I did catch a least weasel in a 110 body grip,it must of hit the trigger just perfect to trip it.A few years later I was sitting in a blown down barn,used for a deer stand and there was a least weasel entertaining me for the evening sit,no deer were shot that evening.I'm glad weasel are not a 20 to 30lb animal,they are fearless and will stand there ground to anything no matter what size.I was lucky enough to see a weasel kill a rabbit,what a ride that must of been for the weasel hanging on,went about 30 yards.Thank's for sharing...

Your right about them being fearless Rick. My g Norwegian grandfather used to tell us kids about how our great uncle was killed by one. "Ya" ge would say, " your great uncle Rudy was coming home late one night, crossed the tracks and never heard the weasel."

;

Ha! That's great 20Scout!

One of the "coolest" weasels I ever caught was in the Spring. The back had already changed to a dark brown but the belly and legs were still white. Sadly, it had no fur value and I wish I had just sent it off to Moyle's to be tanned.

Really like to see shots of them.

that's amazing Sharon!

cool

I like trapping thoes little guys.

Look what the cats dragged home years back.

Jerry, was that a S.D. Least, or a U.P. Least?

Camp weasel. He’s safe

Almost acrobatic…

Excellent photo, Bushmaster. Wow! Don't often see them in that phase. Is that a long-tail?

Thanks to all you others who contributed with observations and/or pictures. Some real fine ones here.

BvrRetriever - Thanks. That's quite the contortionist!

Fun to catch
Longtail vs shortail



Only one I’ve ever caught with a brown tip tail

Easy to put up

Vacuum seal and they keep for a long time

Put a screen at the back for bait stealers. Beaver works good but so do the mice that happen into the box

New type body gripper for weasels......jk

SD one

We have short-tailed weasels and least weasels here, same species as in North America. For some reason they mostly stay in the steppe parts of our forest-steppe landscape, avoiding treed areas, so we rarely cross paths.


In my home region, we have two more species that are technically weasels (= the genus Mustela ) - the steppe polecat Mustela eversmannii and the Siberian weasel Mustela sibirica. There are two more a few hundred miles to the south of here, in the Altai mountains - the mountain weasel Mustela altaica and the marbled polecat Mustela peregusna, but I don't have any first-hand experience with them.


The Siberian weasel has almost - or completely - disappeared from many areas in the northern parts of its range, probably because sable have been getting more numerous: sable have been documented to use every opportunity to track down and kill them. These weasels are still relatively common here but the current marten/sable tsunami may wipe them out. Their fur has no value anymore and most buyers only buy the tails, even though the fur is good and durable and the orange color is really striking. The Russian name kolonok transformed into kolinsky in the West. Siberian weasel tails is what the kolinsky sable-hair brushes are made of.




The steppe polecat is believed to depend on the red-cheeked ground squirrel - it's their primary prey, and they live in their burrows - but the ground squirrels are disappearing here, probably because of pesticides. It used to be the most numerous mustelid here, but some local trappers report seeing/catching less and less polecats in the past couple of decades. There are fears that it may eventually repeat the fate of your American black-footed ferret Mustela nigripes. I'm sampling the few I catch in marten sets so we can check their genome for signs of inbreeding, which happens when populations become small and fragmented.

Their fur has almost no value, but it's really pretty.

Interesting looking animals Tatiana.
First thing I noticed about the kolinsky is its chubby head,coarse looking guardhair and small feet
Also the polecat-small feet and overall resemblance to a mink(except for colour).
I suppose they dont do as well as marten/sable in the deep snow.

We had kalanok in fairly good numbers in Primorye. Because of their pelt value, we didn't target them. Accidental catches, however, were welcomed. Thanks for the information, Tatiana.

Jack

Yes Gulo....

I have caught all three types of weasels in my yard. I see their tracks often in the winter in the snow. I have never had them bother my chickens. I watched a short tail, that was watching my chicken and after a while he went down the hedge and was trying to catch a sparrow. I don't trust the long tail around the chickens. Europe has pole cats. I was fishing on a lake in Spain from shore and heard a rabbit squealing and saw it rolling down the hill with something else. I took off that way watching for a rock and saw a can full of mud. I grabbed it on the way by, and wacked a pole cat with it and the rabbit ran off. A friend in the Netherlands says ferrets are domesticated pole cats. He bred pole cats in cages and had some that were tame enough to handle.

While I was resetting the trap I told the dog to leave the weasel alone. When I got done I looked and the weasel was gone. I looked up and the dog was headed for the house with my weasel. Maybe it was his weasel, he knew we had lit before I did.

Only trapped a handful. I have no pictures of those. Inquisitive and aggressive little guys. I lip-skweaked this one up to sniff my boot but can't figure out how to load the video.

Love the one that hasn't completed turned white. Completely regret not tanning it.

Sharon You have a God given talent and a genuine skill at being able to capture the look of a live on the move animal Your art work is a blessing to this forum

[quote=Tatiana]We have short-tailed weasels and least weasels here, same species as in North America. For some reason they mostly stay in the steppe parts of our forest-steppe landscape, avoiding treed areas, so we rarely cross paths.


In my home region, we have two more species that are technically weasels (= the genus Mustela ) - the steppe polecat Mustela eversmannii and the Siberian weasel Mustela sibirica. There are two more a few hundred miles to the south of here, in the Altai mountains - the mountain weasel Mustela altaica and the marbled polecat Mustela peregusna, but I don't have any first-hand experience with them.


The Siberian weasel has almost - or completely - disappeared from many areas in the northern parts of its range, probably because sable have been getting more numerous: sable have been documented to use every opportunity to track down and kill them. These weasels are still relatively common here but the current marten/sable tsunami may wipe them out. Their fur has no value anymore and most buyers only buy the tails, even though the fur is good and durable and the orange color is really striking. The Russian name kolonok transformed into kolinsky in the West. Siberian weasel tails is what the kolinsky sable-hair brushes are made of.




The steppe polecat is believed to depend on the red-cheeked ground squirrel - it's their primary prey, and they live in their burrows - but the ground squirrels are disappearing here, probably because of pesticides. It used to be the most numerous mustelid here, but some local trappers report seeing/catching less and less polecats in the past couple of decades. There are fears that it may eventually repeat the fate of your American black-footed ferret Mustela nigripes. I'm sampling the few I catch in marten sets so we can check their genome for signs of inbreeding, which happens when populations become small and fragmented.

Their fur has almost no value, but it's really pretty.


Those Siberian weasels certainly are a beautiful critter It must really stand out against a snow white background Some very good info on how the species affect other species within the area More proof that mother nature has a way of dealing with anima l populations and it is not always kind Thanks for your insight in to the thread concerning weasels