Dear Mr Mink . . .

[Tiercel 6,986]

 

 

 

 

The chap had an idea and ran with it, nowt wrong with that. To be honest I have been thinking about it this afternoon and the only differance I can see between his way of hunting with mink and falconry, is the romance of the hooked beak and the fact that the mink is an alian species to our shores. Both disiplines use the natural abilities of the animals, but without really taming them.

 

I could see that within any country that has a natural mink population people would try what he has done. As there would not be the resentment to a destructive alian preditor that there is in this country.

 

I honestly think he does not really comprehend the strength of loathing in this country towards the mink.

 

 

 

TC

Loathing? I hunted foxes, but I knew people who tamed & kept them as pets, loathing never came into it...

What part of the above quote underlined did you not understand? I stated that the loathing for mink far excedes a dislike for any other preditor. TC

 

I only read the last line.....lol..........I skim sometimes.....lol

Me thinks you need to leave the Belgian larger alone, it does seem to be just too good for you.

 

TC

Edited January 12, 2014 by tiercel

[Accip74 7,112]

The chap had an idea and ran with it, nowt wrong with that. To be honest I have been thinking about it this afternoon and the only differance I can see between his way of hunting with mink and falconry, is the romance of the hooked beak and the fact that the mink is an alian species to our shores. Both disiplines use the natural abilities of the animals, but without really taming them.

 

I could see that within any country that has a natural mink population people would try what he has done. As there would not be the resentment to a destructive alian preditor that there is in this country.

 

I honestly think he does not really comprehend the strength of loathing in this country towards the mink.

 

 

 

TC

Loathing? I hunted foxes, but I knew people who tamed & kept them as pets, loathing never came into it...

What part of the above quote underlined did you not understand? I stated that the loathing for mink far excedes a dislike for any other preditor. TC

 

I only read the last line.....lol..........I skim sometimes.....lol

Me thinks you need to leave the Belgian larger alone, it does seen to be just too good for you. TC

 

Lol....not the beer mate.......just a basic comparison to two pest species, why would he need to comprehend the strength of loathing towards mink in this country when talking about it?....,,I even know of a guy in England attempting something similar with a mink......being a loathed pest has got fu*k all to do with it....

[Tiercel 6,986]

Once upon a time, around 1976 I used to fish a river here in west wales called the Gwendrieth Fach it was a beautifull little river with trout up to the pound and a half mark. The mayfly hatch was sepectacular and fishing it was a real pleasure. The bird life was what you would expect from a lowland stream, Mallard, Moorhen, Kingfishers, Wagtails even the odd Dipper. Fishing that river was never boring.

 

Then in 1979 I seen the first mink, I had heard what they could do to the wildlife along a river but had never witnessed it first hand. Over the next couple of years the decline in the bird life along the river was very noticable, the first decline I noticed was the Moorhens and Kingfishers and by 1981 they had disappeared completely from the river. at the same time you would see a brood of Mallard decline every day, although they favour faster streams the dippers that were there, either moved or became another casualty of the mink.

 

It was not only the birds that were a casualty, the number of the larger trout, that were always returned by the anglers fishing the water, were in a deep decline also. No other pest species has had such a marked effect not only on the Gwendraith but on many other rivers thought the country.

 

That is why I hate mink with a passion that no other preditor in this country could match. I am not alone.

 

TC

[Hot Meat 3,109]

Tiercel if I only changed the name of river and dates I could have wrote that myself and not been making it up. After 6 years constant cage trapping and using dogs to kill them we finally got rid to the point all wildlife is on the up and it's rare to see a mink now, but I'll still hunt every last one I see and will not let them ruin my local river again.

Edited January 12, 2014 by Hot Meat

[Minkenry 1,044]

Well, the history of minkenry is perhaps a little short would you not think? And seeing as at the moment the other two areas we know it includes is stuff about ferrets and stuff about polecats, neither of which the author has seen, or knows about. I was just suggesting that immediately writing a book, may be a little premature. From what he has said, he has material for a damn good paper, but not much more. Give it another couple of years. . . . . and a book would probably be interesting.

 

But every one likes to be famous. . . . or at least try. . . .

 

 

I get a flood of questions all the time about mink, and how I train them, and how I got started, ect ect.

 

In the book I share the story of minkenry, because a lot of people wonder how and why I got started in mink. The story is rather short, because I got my first mink 10 years ago, and I've only trained something like 12 mink in my life, but it is interesting to read (according to those who have read it, who actually don't like animals).

 

I also have compiled a good chunk of information on mink in nature(almost none of which is original to me, but gleaned from mink studies) to help teach the basics on mink.

 

I then finally am going to write out the how to of mink care and training.

 

It actually wasn't my idea to write the book. I've had people begging me to write it for over a year now. They have been bugging me ever since, so I broke down and started writing it. This book, my videos, and my messages have noting to do with me being famous. I want minkenry to become famous. I couldn't care less if my name was attached to the sport or not.

Edited January 12, 2014 by Minkenry

[Tiercel 6,986]

Do I admire what he has done? The answer is yes without a doubt. Will it take off in the UK? I doubt it, although some will be captured with the novelty of hunting mink. To be honest I am with Ideation on this, personally, I would have kept it under wraps for a good few years so that any flaws or fluctuations in training could be ironed out and an authoritive work could then be published.

 

TC

[Minkenry 1,044]

To be honest I am with Ideation on this, personally, I would have kept it under wraps for a good few years so that any flaws or fluctuations in training could be ironed out and an authoritive work could then be published.

 

TC

 

 

That would be a good idea if I wanted a name for myself, or wanted to be looked upon as a wise teacher.

 

The truth is I want the sport to grow and become more advanced. I don't care who has a good idea, as long as it works. I could try to figure it all out by myself, and gain some kind of special prestige, or I can spread the word on my sport and learn from others wiser, more experienced in life, and more talented than I, who could easily pass me up in the sport. To be honest, I search for people who I think would pass me up in the sport, that way I can learn from them, instead of just using trail and error like I did in the beginning.

 

By myself I can struggle through and figure stuff out, but with others we can greatly improve our hunting/training methods exponentially. One of the most influential tools to minkenry, the caching tube, was invented by a falconer/ferreter friend of mine who I got started in the sport almost a year ago. I don't care about looking good, I care about furthering minkenry and sharing it with others. If you ever end up reading my book, you'll find that I openly talk about my failures and stupid ideas that didn't work, right along side giving others credit for their contributions to the sport. If it was all about ego, it would be easy to just leave stuff like that out of my book and make myself look good.

[Minkenry 1,044]

Right so I thought I would have a crack at ending all of this bollocks. . . .

 

So I decided to start a post and try to answer some of your questions.

 

 

Thank you so much for your effort, and for being so thorough! It is VERY MUCH appreciated!

 

 

 

 

However, you decided to write a book. Like I have said, a paper would be neat, out lining what you did training wise, and what the results in the field are. But a book? Seriously mate, we don't need it, you don't have enough original findings etc etc etc to warrant it, at this stage, anyway.

 

And that's where all of the problems started wasn't it. In your book, you are writing about OUR way of hunting. . . . and OUR native animals. . . . . and not really listening to what WE say. We couldn't fault you on the Mink. . . . but you shouldn't have started talking about ferrets! It's what has put folks backs up, and then the ball has rolled.

 

 

I'm not writing the book for you guys, I'm primarily writing it for those who want to practice my sport, and secondly for those curious about it. I've had people begging me to write it for quite some time now, so now I'm finally writing it.

 

I have no plans on explaining much of anything about YOUR ways of doing things, since I know I have very little experience in that area. I've owned a grand total of 3 ferrets, and have only minor experience hunting with them (though I get the feeling I have more experience with ferrets than some of the loud mouths on here who are all talk and no walk).

I don't feel qualified to really teach about ferrets, I just was talking about the differences between hunting with domestic and wild animals. I HAVE hunted with ferrets before, though my experience was limited, and I have plenty of experience hunting with dogs. Being as I've hunted with both falcons and mink, I feel like I have a good idea about hunting with wild animals (though I know I have much to learn). I though that I could get some help here to make sure I was being as accurate as possible with my 3 paragraphs that mention ferrets, but I guess I just hit a nerve by asking. I very much appreciate you answering my questions so thoroughly!

 

 

 

Muskrats - they are pussys. When you consider that in days gone by (when legal) terriers were used on badger and otter, and are still used in many countrys on them, along with coons, coyotes, bob cats, boar, fox etc. You kind of realise that a GOOD working terrier, would make a mink of most sizes. . . . . .into an ex mink. Not saying it wouldn't get a bit smashed up, just depends on the situation. And that bite isn;t that bad at all, I've had similar of rabbits!

 

 

Muskrats are only "pussys" when you are ten times their body weight. It would take a tough little dog to handle a muskrat that out weighs it! That of course doesn't exist, but if you notice, the terriers are almost always attacking game smaller than themselves, something I don't find the least bit impressive, or attacking game close to the same weight in packs. There are tough little terriers out there that take tough game like raccoons of equal weight by themselves, but they are the exception not the rule. I know there are some lines of pretty hard little game bred little terriers, but they are not the norm. Of course, if you get a dog game enough, they are quite the tough beast. It would BLOW YOU AWAY what THE REAL game dogs can do. Pit bulls are my all time favorite dog, and the crap they pull while hunting will blow you away! It would be down right AMAZING if you could breed a mink to be as game as those little dirt dogs. It would be BEYOND amazing to have one as game as a pit bull!

Edited January 13, 2014 by Minkenry

[Minkenry 1,044]

 

 

 

Actually, I take that back. You'd just end up with a dead mink. Mink can't take the beating a little terrier can. Mink need to be more careful than a rough and tumble terrier,

[Ideation 8,216]

All of those examples that I stated (species) are greater in size and body weight (often or always) than the kind of terriers we (and other nations) use. And there are plenty being worked on those quarry single handed. Although not often with the intention of the dog killing it, I will admit. But they certainly don't get killed.

[Tiercel 6,986]

 

To be honest I am with Ideation on this, personally, I would have kept it under wraps for a good few years so that any flaws or fluctuations in training could be ironed out and an authoritive work could then be published.

 

TC

 

 

That would be a good idea if I wanted a name for myself, or wanted to be looked upon as a wise teacher.

 

The truth is I want the sport to grow and become more advanced. I don't care who has a good idea, as long as it works. I could try to figure it all out by myself, and gain some kind of special prestige, or I can spread the word on my sport and learn from others wiser, more experienced in life, and more talented than I, who could easily pass me up in the sport. To be honest, I search for people who I think would pass me up in the sport, that way I can learn from them, instead of just using trail and error like I did in the beginning.

 

By myself I can struggle through and figure stuff out, but with others we can greatly improve our hunting/training methods exponentially. One of the most influential tools to minkenry, the caching tube, was invented by a falconer/ferreter friend of mine who I got started in the sport almost a year ago. I don't care about looking good, I care about furthering minkenry and sharing it with others. If you ever end up reading my book, you'll find that I openly talk about my failures and stupid ideas that didn't work, right along side giving others credit for their contributions to the sport. If it was all about ego, it would be easy to just leave stuff like that out of my book and make myself look good.

 

I do not doubt that your intentions in writing the book are for the advancement of your sport. However, for a book to be taken seriously it has to be authoritive, mistakes and failiers all count towards an authoritive approach, is not that the way we all learn? If you cannot deliver a definitive way of training mink, then I would respectfully suggest you wait untill you are able too. There is more than one way of skinning a cat as the old saying goes, but that does notmean that you cannot learn one way then add others as you gain experience.

 

TC

[Minkenry 1,044]

 

 

TC

 

 

Yep, along with procrastination, the lack of a defined way of successfully training a mink to cache was one of the things that held me back from writing my book for a year after people started to asking me to. I have a system down now, that has been tested on multiple mink, and multiple mink trainers, so now I finally feel comfortable with presenting a mink training formula. Though I'm sure our methods will change as time goes on, we now have a method that works, and it has been proven to be duplicateable. So I finally feel confident with presenting our methods, though just a few months ago I couldn't say the same thing.

[paulus 26]

flash in a pan as me old mother would say

[danw 1,748]

Another Micheal Shaw in the making

[loafer 47]

Self belief and self promotion seem,s to be very much an American trait.