Do ermine follow similar routes daily? I was wondering if setting a trap where I recently saw one is effective? I know they are on the move quite a bit, but wondered if they travel similar routes daily or weekly?

I don’t think their ranges are large. I like to see sign in an area on more than one occasion, then you can count on the ermine returning. Set on their sign and you’ll catch some ermine.

X2

Very effective

Yes, if not daily soon.

Old logging trails through the tag elders were often crisscrossed with ermine tracks.

Hard to beat sign !

In my experience - generally yes. Though it depends on their age/sex and the time of year, with males having larger and more sporadic routes for foraging and females being more confined to one area, especially around breeding season.

Juveniles will disperse from the den when old enough and will keep moving on until they find a territory they are happy with. Males will also actively search for mates when they are sexually mature, and may roam around until they find one, whereas females tend to hunker down in one area and wait for a male to find them instead.

Both males and females often scat on rocky outcroppings and exposed and raised features on the ground to claim territory, this can help with locating where they often are.

If you saw an individual, you will likely be able to determine the run/ trail it was using, which is probably your best bet, natural choke points etc. but I'm sure you know all of this