Mink

The mink is a medium-sized member of the weasel family. The first American mink were brought to British fur farms in 1929 and all wild mink in Britain today are descendants of escapees or illegal releases. The natural wild colouring is a glossy dark brown, appearing almost black in some light. Mink spend up to 80% of their time in their dens, sleeping, grooming and eating food they have carried home. Frequently found near water, they are often mistaken for otters, although mink are in fact considerably smaller. Mink are a major factor in the decimation of the water vole population, because they are small enough to follow their prey down its burrow. They are highly effective predators and, given the opportunity, will kill far more than they can carry away and eat. They are major predators of much of our native wildlife and should be controlled at every opportunity.

Your Questions Answered

Q.
We have a stream that runs through our garden. We used to have water voles a few years ago but recently I have seen a mink on three occasions in the last month. I am wondering whether to try to trap it as your website suggests.

With minks, there are no real alternatives except for trapping. There are no easy edible or pesticidal products, just effective trap units as shown and referred to in the section. I have no local contacts for this, but a simple search via google or yell.com should help.

Q.
How do I skin the mink once trapped and killed

The same way as for a rabbit. Check out instuctions via Google.