Do mink eat trout

minktrapper

Srameen is trying to tell me that mink do not eat trout to any great degree.Your opinions please.

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

OK. Yes, mink eat fish, including trout. Can they impact stock levels? Yes, in stocked lakes but not to any great degree on rivers containing wild brown trout.
Do trout make up even a moderate percentage of a mink's diet. No. Frogs, birds, eggs, small mammals, eel are the primary targets.

Ask on the Nature forum if you don't believe me. I can only speak from the experience of over 40 years full time in the field on wildlife study, research and management and as an angler for over 60 years. Mink are a pest and must be eradicated but it is highly unlikely that they wiped out trout stocks in your river.

And with that I'm through, as you obviously just want to believe otherwise.

minktrapper

I am not doubting your opinions or your experience.It is a hell of a lot more than I have.And full time.I am just putting the question out there to get other views and thinking.

I am of course trying to find out as well what I think is happening on the river I fish.

minktrapper

Srameen.What do you think the marks were on trout tail areas.About the size that you could place your small finger into or smaller.

He's right. Is your river wild or stocked trout? Any pike or large trout?

niallon

Thread closed

Doubt that anything of a conclusive answer is going to come from this and it's all spiralling a bit. There's plenty of info elsewhere online for/against the topic.