One in a million?... :)

Well...the chicken raider is dead.  Here in bush Alaska, you often get the chance to see wildlife in your 'backyard', that much is certain.  Sometimes, however, the wildlife you do see is not the kind you'd like to.  Case in point:  some neighbors (well, maybe 200+ yards away neighbors) mentioned that they were having some trouble with foxes and weasels harassing their chickens.  I was very happy to say that my boys and I would be glad to rectify that problem, and so we set out to do it...

Upon arriving and talking with the neighbors about the situation, we learned that this would be a pretty favorable setup.  The chicken coop bordered the brush and tundra at the edge of their yard, and the offending weasel had been seen pacing around and around the coop looking for entry on multiple occasions.  Just what we like to hear. :)  Warren, Abram, and I found a great, level spot to place the box, and I set the trap and allowed them to place it in the front of the box.  We added the bait - raw chicken of course (giblets) - to the back of the box and secured the lid.  We chose not to use any lure in this case because I felt that the use of any type of long distance call I might normally use (Lenon's weasel lure, or, say, some gusto) could potentially call in more predators than were already causing problems.  That, and we already had (or the chickens had) a captive audience.  I figured, let the chickens stay under the radar for as long as is possible, if you ask me.  The neghbors also thought this was a good approach, as they had already shot one fox and mentioned possibly taking care of some others, though it seemed they didn't want to if it wasn't necessary.

At any rate, me and the boys left the trap there, and we went back to check the next day, only to find nothing.  They were a little bummed, but of course I had the chance to once again explain why this is trapping, not catching, and that if there was some fur in the trap every time we went to check it, things just wouldn't be the same.  The next check, however, was a different story.  After finally getting the boys' attention away from the chickens, they came over to the box, and opened it - and the celebration began...and while they were jumping and hollering it occurred to me - this weasel looked 'different'.  Quite different.  My first reaction, caught in the video we took, was to say He's....like....BLUE!.."  And so he was...


I've never seen anything like him. My first thought was that he was coated in something. But what is laying around a house or garage or whatever, and is that color?...Also, how did he do such an even job of "coating" himself, if in fact that was the case?...
The tale remains to be told, as when we take him out of the freezer to skin him I plan to wash a bit of him in dishsoap and get the skinny for sure. At any rate, though, the boys were CRAZED, as usual, and it was better to just enjoy the moment than wonder why. :)