polecat sightings

weeman

Well-Known Member
I apologize if this shouldn't be on here but in recent nights gone by on my way home from work I've seen a polecat same place and nearly same time 23:00 close to where I live.
Are polecat sightings rare or frequent ..??
I did have to do a little picture study to cconfirm the identity.
I didn't get much response when I spoke to my local rspb reserve.
 
Probably a lost ferret. When they have a litter near the road you often see them in the same place. Every year I see ferrets by a barn near my house. Most of the time they get run over.
 
Probably a lost ferret. When they have a litter near the road you often see them in the same place. Every year I see ferrets by a barn near my house. Most of the time they get run over.

That's how I came by my hob. He was living under a neighbour's shed a couple of years ago. They caught him in a basket and brought him round to me. He's been here ever since. He was never aggressive, frightened mostly, underweight and covered in ticks. He's good as gold now, fat, sleek, happy and bone idle.
Feral ferrets are pests but I hate seeing them squashed on the road.
 
My description from what I seen.
Head size of a golf ball, approx length 8inch, slim body, all black apart from little white around nose and white markings in ears.
Nearest house to where I seen it half a mile. Getting within 15 feet away.
 
Sounds like a polecat, why shouldn't it be? I suspect a litter nearby , it may also be a good spot for rabbits. We have a small population locally every now and then one gets run over usually in the same spots, someone in the village caught one on trailcam recently. Definitely not ferrets.
Ferrets tend to wander around aimlessly till picked up and don' tend to go feral successfully.
I would have thought it was the perfect environment for them in you neck of the woods.
 
In the last 8 months I've had two different polecats caught in an un-baited, but set, trap at home (Cheshire area). Man when they get worried they really stink. As they are not what I'm after anyway, I let them both go unharmed & although I gather they're pretty vicious animals, they're really quite a deceptively nice looking creature.

​Last night a friend who lives some 20 miles from me also saw one crossing his cow lane....now it really matters to him as he has his pheasants in. ATB
 
if they are true polecats all well and good, although they may not be everyone's cup of tea.

But the alternative I guess would be or is Mink and I know which one I would rather see around


​Phil
 
Whenever I go to the Midland Game fair I see dead polecats embossed into the tarmac on the final few miles down the A road to the show ground (Cannot remember name of it but it is the old Roman road). Only time I have ever seen Polecats dead or alive. Going by the amount dead there must be a strong population in the area.
 
O well looks like it is, nice to see a different animal knocking around.
There is rabbits etc.. In the adjacent fields.
 
we have feral polecat ferrets ,that have bred wild for upwards of 20 years and they do not wander around lost, waiting to be picked up ,they have become very aggresive ,i spoke to scottish natural heritage, about thinning them out two years ago ,and they still havnt got back to me .
 
As they are not what I'm after anyway, I let them both go unharmed & although I gather they're pretty vicious animals, they're really quite a deceptively nice looking creature.

​Last night a friend who lives some 20 miles from me also saw one crossing his cow lane....now it really matters to him as he has his pheasants in. ATB

+ the fact they are a protected species I believe. Please correct me if I am wrong. We see them very often around this area, eyes glow as bright as a cats at night.
 
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