Found this weasel near the back door today. I assume that it met its grisly doom by way of the cats, but for some reason they didn't eat it. At first I thought that it was a juvenile--I had always thought weasels were much larger than this. It gave me something to worry about for a little while, anyway, since they are carnivores and could easily burrow into the chicken coop.
Finally, I had the chance to look up weasels on the Illinois Department of Natural Resources site. It appears to be the 'least weasel' according to the description. The least weasel eats mainly voles and mice. Too bad. The cats are great for rodent control, but this little weasel was, too! Not to mention that they are kinda cute. If this had been the long-tailed weasel, then I might have had something to worry about, as the list of its prey includes larger animals such as rabbits. There is also a statement that the [long-tailed] weasel can become a problem for poultry.
I had heard that there were once fishers in our area. I have never seen one and hope I never do. Now that might be something, as far as the chickens go.
