Dead Stoat - Paws & Tracking

[Ashley Cawley]

I noticed a dead Stoat on the road nearby my house, I've only ever had glimpses of these elusive animals so I thought I'd stop and take a close up look. I mentioned it on Twitter when I got home and Pablo from www.woodlife.co.uk (http://www.woodlife.co.uk/) really wanted a photo of it's Paws (for tracking I guess!). Anyway I went back to take some shots for him, thought I'd share them here to if anyone is curious...

Warning! If you can't handle a furry animal with a bit of blood don't click the link!
- https://picasaweb.google.com/NaturalBushcraft/DeadStoatForPablo#

[Roadkillphil]

Hey Ashley,
Whereabouts was it exactly? Em and Jo have seen stoats down at Matt n Jo's yard years ago, and I seen one nail a rabbit over at Littlejohns Pit, near Roche. But never up st Eval.
I love seeing wildlife that takes the greatest care to avoid humanity. Over in the Pits the wildlife seems quite tame, I suppose the Imerys boys have left them to it all these years so humans seem less of a threat maybe?

ATB

Phil

[swkieran]

thanks for the pics ash:),never seen a stoat dead or alive ever before in my life unusual looking animal, feret like,i saw a badger a live one for the first time the other night whilst driving me car home in the early hours of the morning:),sat watching it for about ten mins before he decided hed had enough then dissapered into the darkness

[Fletching]

Beautiful creatures. Was it too stiff for the pot though?

[Ashley Cawley]

Hey Ashley,
Whereabouts was it exactly?...
This should take you right to the spot: http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=st+eval,+uk&aq=&sll=53.800651,-4.064941&sspn=21.27781,39.506836&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=St+Eval,+United+Kingdom&ll=50.478336,-4.984945&spn=0.000696,0.001206&t=h&z=20&layer=c&cbll=50.478336,-4.984945&panoid=je96Y-Dn3hvQz7rnKpAQzQ&cbp=12,258.68,,0,29.13



thanks for the pics ash:),never seen a stoat dead or alive ever before in my life unusual looking animal, feret like,i saw a badger a live one for the first time the other night whilst driving me car home in the early hours of the morning:),sat watching it for about ten mins before he decided hed had enough then dissapered into the darkness
Badgers are cool eh? Here is a short video of Stoats so you can see them alive, they are funny, fast, incredible creatures...



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HNbqvqf3-14


Beautiful creatures. Was it too stiff for the pot though?
Man you wouldn't want this one for the pot! - It's been squished out both ends and as I picked it up the first time I got a tiny bit of liquid on my finger, not sure if it was urine or some sort of scent gland but man I have never smelt anything so pungent & revolting - instantly made me gag to be sick! So there's a warning to you also Phil if your visiting it! :p

[Roadkillphil]

Man you wouldn't want this one for the pot! - It's been squished out both ends and as I picked it up the first time I got a tiny bit of liquid on my finger, not sure if it was urine or some sort of scent gland but man I have never smelt anything so pungent & revolting - instantly made me gag to be sick! So there's a warning to you also Phil if your visiting it! :p

Scent glands without a doubt! My Hobs used to stink anyway, but if they got teasy or had a off with another hob in spring they'd unload their glands... The smell was unreal!!

It was probably Em that spanked it on the school run! And it's probably pancaked by now unless you put it in the hedge..

ATB

Phil

[Ashley Cawley]

Yeah Em will no doubt pass it on the school-run.

I did put it on the grass-verge to stop it getting squished anymore, but I do often see Cats around that area, I don't know whether they'd move it, probably not given the smell. Fox might have'e.

I told Claire this morning and she mentioned she saw a stoat up by the cross-roads near St Eval the other day, I have also seen one there, so that's a good sign :) I think the un-used aerodrome up here probably creates a safe-haven for them, tons of gorse, grass & patches of woodlands, ideal really.

[swkieran]

i enjoyed that vid :),great plucky little creature