Sunrise at Wescoat Bogs Tuesday, October 10

Jon Holcombe

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Dec 1, 2015
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I saw a small animal on Batsto-Fireline road around 6 AM. About the size of a house cat or otter, short snout, close to the ground. Sauntered off when it saw me. It scampered into the woods, but I was near wetlands. Looked sort of like a mink but with jet black fur, and the fur was not slicked down. I would be curious if anyone knows what it might have been.
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Jon Holcombe

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Dec 1, 2015
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Thanks Bob. Although the pictures I saw show mink with dark brown fur, a Google check indicates they can also have black fur, so it was a mink. His fur was beautiful. I can see why their pelt was so prized.
 

manumuskin

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Jul 20, 2003
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millville nj
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A mink is one critter I have never seen in the wild.I"ve only seen weasels twice.I would imagine an animal with dark brown fur would look black if wet.I know my hair being dark brown looks black when wet at least till is started getting these mysterious white hairs popping up all through it.I have also never seen a Bobcat yet though i think I may have once but too fast to tell.I have seen trees tore up by Bobcats scratching,at least they matched images of Bobcat trees on Google.
 
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RednekF350

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Feb 20, 2004
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I once watched a mink for over an hour down in Aura. He was building a food cache in a stump from scraps of a gut pile from a deer that my buddy had left in the woods the day before. He would chew off a piece of whatever and swim across an 8' wide stream with it, climb a maple stump and disappear inside for a minute. He would emerge and do it all again.

I have to see if I still have my cell phone video of it. I took it off my phone and I am hoping I saved it on my desktop computer.
 

Jon Holcombe

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Dec 1, 2015
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Medford
MM, even though it was dark, I caught him square in the headlights at close distance. The animal did not look wet, and was not an otter, fox, or anything that I have seen in the wild. I read the American Mink can have black fur. Do not know if that applies to Pinelands mink.

**EDIT** I just took another look in Google, and the animal I saw could have been Weasel or Ermine. I still swear it was black though, because I first thought it was a skunk, but quickly realized that it had no white fur.
 
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manumuskin

Piney
Jul 20, 2003
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millville nj
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Actually the Fisher quite surprised me.I was in Cook Forest State Park and had no idea Fisher ranged that far south.I always thought of them as a far north critter.I saw it while driving down a road about 50 ft off the road,woods very open.I got out and followed it about 100 yards before
it miraculously disappeared,just vanished.I later read in the park office on a posting that ten years or so previous they had transplanted Fisher in nearby Allegheny Forest and they were doing quite well.
 
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Toothy Critter

Guest
I continue to be impressed with your photography, Jon. Yours and others on this forum. But I am equally impressed with the deep knowledge that many of this forums members have for the pinelands. For the history, and for knowledge of the natural resources, plant and animal life of this forest. I imagine that many of you are familiar with books such as Albert D. Horners "Pinelands: New Jerseys Suburban Wilderness" and "Seasons of the Pines: A Photographic Tour of the NJ Pine Barren" by Bob Birdsall. Just a thought, but, this forum has plenty of people with the talent to collaborate on a photo book but with some short historical or interesting facts printed on the page. Not just a book about the pines and not just a photo album, but both. If its been done already, I missed it. Just a crazy idea. Or is it? Put all your talents and knowledge to work for yourselves. I have been roaming the Pines for close to 50 years now. Have seen its beauty but know nothing about its life and history compared to some on this forum. My hats off to you all. I will say nothing more on the subject other than this... I will still enjoy learning every time I log on.
 

RednekF350

Piney
Feb 20, 2004
4,944
3,080
Pestletown, N.J.
I once watched a mink for over an hour down in Aura. He was building a food cache in a stump from scraps of a gut pile from a deer that my buddy had left in the woods the day before. He would chew off a piece of whatever and swim across an 8' wide stream with it, climb a maple stump and disappear inside for a minute. He would emerge and do it all again.

I have to see if I still have my cell phone video of it. I took it off my phone and I am hoping I saved it on my desktop computer.
I found the mink video. I will try to post it tonight.
 
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Jon Holcombe

Explorer
Dec 1, 2015
967
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Medford
Thank you TC. I have not only learned everything I know about the pine barrens from this forum, as a resource to scout locations, put names to places, and use the maps (including Boyds excellent Lidar maps, etc. But members like Manumuskin, Teegate, Bobpbx, RednekF350, 46er have taken the time to provide detailed location information with maps and advice on how to approach locations. I've learned how to get through briars, cross beaver dams, how to avoid Lyme disease... I could roam the woods for another 20 years and not have the knowledge that is present on this forum. Photographing the Pinelands National Reserve has become an obsession in the past 3 years, and I hope to approach critical mass in the next couple of years regarding having enough good photographs to "do something" with, whatever that may be. One of the pleasures has been dragging my 28 year old son along on quite a few trips. His enthusiasm is infectious, and he is fearless, maybe too a fault, in his "pathfinding" and urging me on. I have both books you mention, and suggest that you Google the photographs of Ernest Cozens if you are not familiar with him. His work is astounding in it's beauty. I appreciate the kind words.
 
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T

Toothy Critter

Guest
Thank you TC. I have not only learned everything I know about the pine barrens from this forum, as a resource to scout locations, put names to places, and use the maps (including Boyds excellent Lidar maps, etc. But members like Manumuskin, Teegate, Bobpbx, RednekF350, 46er have taken the time to provide detailed location information with maps and advice on how to approach locations. I've learned how to get through briars, cross beaver dams, how to avoid Lyme disease... I could roam the woods for another 20 years and not have the knowledge that is present on this forum. Photographing the Pinelands National Reserve has become an obsession in the past 3 years, and I hope to approach critical mass in the next couple of years regarding having enough good photographs to "do something" with, whatever that may be. One of the pleasures has been dragging my 28 year old son along on quite a few trips. His enthusiasm is infectious, and he is fearless, maybe too a fault, in his "pathfinding" and urging me on. I have both books you mention, and suggest that you Google the photographs of Ernest Cozens if you are not familiar with him. His work is astounding in it's beauty. I appreciate the kind words.



My suggestion includes those members you have listed , among others, for their vast knowledge. You are just one of many who could contribute.
 
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