Weasels in Nebraska

So I am a teacher in the O'Neill, Nebraska area. Lately i have had students telling me they have had weasel sightings and issues in the past. I asked if it was a mink and the one student said it was white with a black tipped tail so I immediately thought ermine. Thoughts you Nebraska boys?

I grew up in ainsworth and we used to see weasels pretty regular along the canal that came out of Merritt. Not sure what kind theynwhere but they where pretty big, like a small female mink. Saw one a guy had up buy Dakota city about 10 years, it was tiny about as big as your thumb, they thought it was a least weasel

I have caught 2 by accident through the years. Watched one drag a rat across the snow once, from the hay stack yard. Rat was bigger than the weasel.

Hey Luke, How are ya Buddy?

Weasels / Ermine are known to be present in Nebraska.

I have seen a grand total of TWO live ones, which just happened to be on the 160 acres where I live. One in the mid 1960s, the other in the early 1980s.

I also pelted and 'put up' a large Ermine that my brother-in-law killed in the Scottsbluff area, back in the seventies.



Charlie

I am good Charlie. Been awhile since I have been present on Trapperman and hope to be a little less of a stranger on here.

The only legal fur bearer that I have never caught in Nebraska. But, then, I never tried either.

1990s paper put out by UNL extension office is stunning at how quickly the population has declined in our state based on sales and sightings.
Almost non-existant on our end of state for sure. I could see them being present north of I-80 vs south.

Would be something to see one here for sure.

Erdkamp over in Exeter said he caught one last season. That is first one I've heard of caught around here since 70s, personally.

Jim

When I was a kid in the 70's, a friend and I were rabbit hunting along the Elkhorn river. We played hide and seek in a tree pile with a weasel. Tried to shoot it, but was to fast. After about an hour, we decided the weasel won.

I have the South Fork of the Elkhorn just north of me. Thinking about setting along it this season.

They are all over but seldom seen I would say. I have come across several over the years and if I did not take a second look would of "seen less" but they are out there. It seems like most sloughs here have weasel tracks in them but people seldom set for them.

I've never caught one around oneill or Chambers area but I seen them a few times farming and trapping. Our farm is north of Chambers a couple miles by the river and watch out for otter cuz I usually catch one a year if I have to trsp beaver out of the sandpits and the river. Chambers has a few trappers and the kids go coon hunting and coyote hunting quite a bit. Got any questions I live in oneill and work in Chambers at farm and trap a lot in both places

Sounds good. I have a couple spots I will be trapping at but will be a fairly small line.

I see their tracks once in a while. I found a dead one that my neighbors cat killed a couple years ago. I use to catch them but I haven't tried for them for a long time. I have seen the least weasels too, up around the Hubbard area of nebraska. They were in barns that had heavy straw or hay on the ground. That was in the last 10 years. The population is definitely way smaller now, spotted skunks are even more rare. I haven't caught one or seen any sign of one since. The early 80s.

I would of guessed your state would have a lot of weasels. That is very interesting, why it doesn't?

we had a weasel , that came into our hunt camp , a few years ago. Kept the mice cleaned out old 243

I grew up in Washington County, Nebraska. I've only seen two live ones in my life in the state. The first was north of Alma about 5 years ago, second was between Elkhorn and Kennard maybe 2 years ago.

The UNL study pointed to susceptibility to pesticides and we are heavily ag centered state.
Jim

Oops my bad. I thought it was a post about that politician by the name of Chambers from Omaha. Never mind.

While I don’t know about other areas I have caught 3 weasels and saw one live in the past 3 years. All south of I80 near Kearney.

Lol grandly stated!

1Crazytrapper, you are welcome. That dude is so far from earth. Is it true that Omaha is going to change the city name to Calimaha?

They are slowly working on it and lincoln as well.

I have been trying to catch a weasel here in Saline County in SE Nebraska for years. I know I am setting in the right places as my traps are usually full of the mice the weasels consume.... in big numbers I have found in my research. There have been several who have brought to me a weasel wondering what it was. A farmer clearing brush, moving a rock pile, a dog or cat bringing it to the farmstead homeowner, etc. I have never caught one, but they are around here. Not in big numbers. Sam Wilson told me a few years ago that north of I-80 would be a place where a person would have a better chance of catching one. I am going to keep setting a few weasel boxes on watershed dams rip rap, creek bottoms thick with switch grass, cat tails slews, old farmsteads and rock piles. Surely some day I will have one...…. probably happen when I least expect it. One can only hope!