White weasel?

[BaldguyLee]

I was out Saturday afternoon, 8G public land, for squirrel or rabbit. My daughter, my friend, and I saw what I think was a white weasel! It came out of a brushpile my buddy was stomping on for rabbits.

It was the size and shape of a petstore ferret, and all white except for the black tip of the tail.

I was laughing too hard to take a shot but the others did and both missed. So no pictures.

I've never seen one before but only been hunting five years or so. How common or not are these things?

[Water Rat]

Sounds like a black tail weasel.

[G-Man]

Fairly common, you saw the winter color phase. In summmer it would be brown.

[turkeyfeathers]

Long tail weasel. Brother had one living in his walls a few winters ago, The field mice that got into his cellar and red squirrels in the barn quickly disappeared . He actually has pics of it sticking its head out of a small hole in his wall. Pound for pound one of the most blood thirsty critters there are.

Weasel boxes ( looks like a duck box but a little smaller ) are a trappers friend in trapping them. Medium sized leg trap in the box with bait in the other end. The leg trap actually becomes a killer trap because of its size to the weasel. Minnesota area a guy catches hundreds of them each year. Awesome little animals.

[jim335]

Winter "white" phase called ermine.

[turkeyfeathers]

Winter "white" phase called ermine.

a short tail is actually called an ermine I do believe. Long tail would not.

[BaldguyLee]

Cool info, I didn't know it was the same as standard weasels. Thanks.

[Curmudgeon]

Charismatic minifauna.

[TreeGuy]

I'll have to pull out the old cards but I had friends trapping at my house and two nights in a row the weasel got in and out of the box without getting caught. Put my trailcam in the back of the box... Got a sweet video of the weasel poking his head in and out then hoping in over the trap and out with the bait. He switched to a conabear.... Old "popgoesda" didn't make it past that one.