What did I see?

[bmoan]

we sure its not a ground hog? it looks like one and a picture of one swimming on google looks kinda like that

 

[BigBoxaJunk]

Yep, I'd say mink.

 

[dtkw]

In the old days people used to hunt them for their furs.

 

[eatsnopaste]

A really wet beaver!...Let's resurrect that one!

 

[Captianbullseye]

I would also agree with everybody else +1 for a mink.

 

[Bounty Hunter]

I say Mink. I have caught several big ones, (Males), years ago on the trap line. Worked for taxidermist. They do get pretty good size some of them. First one I ever caught was the biggest one I have seen. It was a big ole Male, and did not like me being there for sure. A male mink can get that big.

 

[calcot7]

We could make one really tiny coat.

Yes...... and sell it to a mink.

 

[Hardscrable]

That
is
a
Mink.


That tail is not an otter tail. That nose is not an Otter nose. That head is not the shape of an otter head. Those eyes are mink. That fur is not otter. Add it up and you don't get otter and certainly not a young otter alone in spring as posted above.

You sit on my patio and you can eventually see beaver, otter, mink, pine marten, fishers, porcupine, muskrats and others. Mink are easy to ID once you learn their face. Also their fairly solid brown color is somewhat unique compared to the others.

I have seen large mink just like the one in the pic. It surprised me as well, I am use to seeing smaller ones. I have never asked the DNR guy about the escaped mink. There are still some active mink ranches up here.

Totally agree...definetly a mink. Grew up and lived most of my life on a farm close to a river with drainage ditches throughout neighborhood. Trapped as a kid and mink & rats were common. Retired to small lake. One side of property is lakefront and one is inlet channel that drains hundreds of acres of swamp & wetlands. Spend a lot of time fishing along banks in my yard. Very common to have mink, beaver, rats swim right past within a couple feet. Mistaken identity at a distance is easy to do but up close they all are easy to identify and that is a mink...a large one more than likely a male. Had a LARGE male living close to my house for couple years. First time we saw him was early one morning, sitting in living room drinking coffee while watching news. Just happened to be looking out and saw this head and neck appear over our deck...slowly rotated left to right, back and forth a few times, then down it went and disappeared. Started seeing him quite often and he got so that he would get fairly close to us while fishing (both in water & on shore ) provided you made no sudden movement and remained quiet. When he was dry, on shore, in bright sunshine he was a beautiful animal. Coloring ranged from black to red.