VERY little would likely be more accurate.

I was traipsing around in the woods and stopped to look around.

I had been standing there for several minutes when I noted movement off to my far right. Dark brown and headed straight for me so I made like a tree and along comes a big ol mink and it passes with 5' of my feet.


Nearest creek is several hundred yards away. I have only seen mink in and around creeks/rivers.

Is this just my mink ignorance showing, or an uncommon occurrence for a mink.

I've never seen a mink far from water, maybe it was a male in search of a female.

I have seen mink go cross country in lots of different country, especially the arid west. Caught one in a coyote dirthole set in a mile-long trail between pothole lakes in Eastern WA.

It's breeding season for mink; starts in Feb in the southern parts of the range and later the further north. That ol' boy has his snoot full of "mink" and is cruising to find it.

Ive seen them hunting birds at my feeders and rats in my barn. I've also seen them on a ridge at least 200 ft above the nearest water during deer season.