Cute little MINK in the barnyard -----NOT !!!!!

WARNING  - this post contains content which may be OFFENSIVE to some. 

Yesteday, I'm pulling out of the driveway headed to work at 6:55 am.  I notice something small and black in the barnyard.  I stop to get a better look, and it's a mink!  My first thought was, "Oh, how cute, a baby mink........I bet it's eating the left over food on the ground - I better get a picture for the blog"    How could I have been so NAIVE !!   As soon as I stopped the car, and got out to take a picture, I thought it would run away..........and it did run...........right after the WHITE TURKEY !!   I FREAKED !!!  I yelled and screamed, and THEN, he latched on to our CRESTED DUCK !!! I yelled and screamed some more, and threw rocks, but it would not let go of the duck.

I ran to the house as fast as I could, screaming at the top of my lungs.  I burst in the front door (thank goodness it's Tuesday), and Roger D. was just pulling on his shoes.   I screamed, "A mink is in the barnyard killing the ducks!", and I turned and ran back out.   As I was running back, I eyed the rakes, shovels, brooms, etc.  hanging on the back of the detached garage.  What would be my weapon of choice?  I figured I'd get more SMASHING room with the scoop shovel, so I grabbed it, ran towards the fence and hurled first the shovel, and then myself over the fence.  I seriously wish I had a video of this amazing feat.  Remember the other day when I said Rog scaled this same fence very fast to protect Tagg from the Black Turkey?  Well, I TOTALLY  put his climbing/scaling/vaulting TO SHAME!!  TO SHAME I SAY!!!   I was a total MAD WOMAN, running towards the poor duck, who still had this LITTLE MINK SHE-DEVIL on her back, biting into her neck and head.  I slammed the shovel over and over again, missing each time.  I wanted to KILL THAT THING !!!  She finally let go of the duck, but she WANTED MORE!!  She had the taste of blood, and she must have been starving, because she kept darting around me, trying to get back to her tasty meal.  She BARED her sharp little white teeth at me as I approached, swinging wildly and smashing down time and time again.  I MISSED. EVERY. TIME............  I was about to have a heart attack, and Roger D. had arrived at the fence by this time (actually he had been standing there watching me - WTHECK?!?!?!?)  He could see me faltering in my quest, so he hopped the fence (not nearly as fast as me), and tried his hand at it.



He finally made contact, and stunned the little bugger.  He ran to the house and got the pellet gun and finished her off.  I DID NOT shed any tears, you can bet on that !

It was just a tiny thing - maybe 7 inches (in body) - but it sure did alot of damage.

The crested duck's head and neck were bloodied, and the runner duck's leg was about torn off.  We think the crested will make it, but we will probably have to put the runner duck down :(

We soon realized that our black turkey was missing !?!?!  We found evidence of a tremendous fight, and suspected the worst.

We found the poor bedraggled bird hiding in the back corner of the barn, with a chewed up bloodied shoulder, and many many missing feathers.  His one TOE? looks to be broken also, but he will be okay I think.  

There is NO WAY to make the barnyard totally varmint proof, and just when you think things are going so well, something like THIS happens !!  Oh well, such is the life of a farmer..........and farmer's wife ;)

**Sure wish I could have a video of  my mad screaming run, the vault over the fence, and my frenzied mink smashing self.  We could probably be about a million dollars richer :)