Heavy Traffic on a Lonely River

Recently a friend who owns a cabin on the bank of the Henry’s Fork, told me about a critter that had been living in his cabin’s attic. The unwelcome guest was leaving a pungent odor that permeated the entire structure, much to the displeasure of summer guests.

My friend, Ron “Beaver” Hay and I took up the challenge to rid the cabin of this annoyance. Our first mission was to scout out the scene, determine the identity of the offender and form a plan of attack.

Ascending the cabin’s attic stairs, we recognized the musky scent of a member of the weasel family. The droppings clustered in the corners confirmed our suspicions. All evidence pointed to a mink or pine marten using the space between the interior walls to gain access to his penthouse. Checking the exterior of the cabin, we found an active burrow under the front porch that provided the animal access under the cabin and allowing him a path up the interior wall.

Beaver and I began our attack. First, we set a trail camera that would monitor the burrow entrance under the porch. Second, we set a live trap in the attic baited with part of a frozen squirrel. Luckily I keep a squirrel in our freezer for such situations, but then … doesn’t everyone?

The first week the trap was empty but we did pick up a couple photos of a mink and a squirrel. 

There were a lot of moose and marten tracks around the cabin as well.

Later we got photos of an otter, a fox and more squirrels.

Last week I checked the trap and found that a large mink had sought to dine on a meal of squirrel in the cabin’s attic. The uninvited guest was removed from the premise without incident.

I was amazed while conducting this task at the variety of wildlife active in the immediate vicinity of the cabin. Some animals looking for shelter in or under the cabin. Other critters were looking to feed on the sheltering animals. Despite the apparent loneliness of the Henry’s Fork in winter, there is a bustling world of animal activity to see if you take the time to look.