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Animal Id- did I do the wrong thing?


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Checking my squirrel traps today, I found I had caught this critter:-

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The trap was in ferns in a small pine plantation about a mile inland. I knew it was larger than a polecat but there had been reports of a pine marten on the other side of the lake and I didn’t know whether I had a pine marten or a mink. The only mink I had seen, was around my Grandmas neck 50 yrs ago ! This  was a lot bigger, it had a large hairy tail and a face like a small terrier. It was very very aggressive, with a staccato cry and smelt terrible. 

I only had a sub 6lb air rifle, it was pouring down and I didn’t know anyone who could correctly Id it so I jammed open the trap to release it and it wouldn’t leave! It just wanted to snarl and bite me. It really wanted to take me on, so I left it snarling and let it take its time to wander off.

Checking on the web, it looks more like a mink. Could one of you knowledgeable chaps like @islandgun confirm what I had caught and what I should have done please?

Thanks

 

 

 

 

 

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From Shooting Times:

 

”The polecat is listed in schedule 6 of the 1981 Wildlife & Countryside Act, and Schedule 3 of the 1994 Conservation Regulations.

Under these laws, certain methods of taking wild polecats are prohibited. 

These Acts prohibit the deliberate or intentional setting of traps, snares and so on for polecats without a licence. Where traps are set for other (pest) species, the 1981 Wildlife & Countryside Act requires that reasonable precautions to prevent injury thereby to any wild animals included in Schedule 6. Regulation 41 of the 1994 Conservation Regulations prohibits the use of traps that are non-selective according to their principle or conditions of use for taking or killing of protected animals, including the polecat. 

In addition, the 1995 Spring Traps Approval Order specifically excludes the use of spring traps for the capture of any species listed in Schedules 5 and 6 of the 1994 Wildlife & Countryside Act. 

It is legal to shoot polecats with appropriate firearms, and there appears to be no lawful reason why polecats (harmed or otherwise) caught in traps cannot be shot or kept in captivity. All in all, a confusing state of affairs.”

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