Fur hunting is distinguished by its dynamism. It is of interest to both beginners and professionals. In this article we will talk about popular hunting objects, the main methods of their extraction and timing.
The list of fur animals allowed for hunting and the hunting period for them is established before each season by local authorities. The dates of the hunting season may shift for various reasons, so we advise you to familiarize yourself with all dates in advance. We write about the new rules and deadlines here. We'll tell you more about who you can hunt in the fall of 2021 here.
Badger
The badger is a burrowing and clean animal that is predominantly nocturnal. To breed offspring, he builds entire underground settlements with many tunnels, which can be found in different forest belts of Russia. Permanent burrows will not contain waste material at the entrance. For short-term needs, the badger builds temporary burrows with vertical tunnels, which are similar to the homes of marmots.
The wide habitat affects the appearance of the badger. In this regard, many of its subspecies are distinguished: European, Siberian, Amur, Caspian, etc. The weight of a large individual ranges from 20-30 kg, and the body length reaches 95 cm.
Badger hunting times
According to federal laws, badger hunting opens on August 15 and lasts until October 31. The October period is especially popular. This is due to the characteristics of the animal: by mid-autumn it is most active and reaches its maximum shape, preparing for hibernation.
Badger hunting methods
- Hunting from ambush
occurs before sunset, when the badger leaves the hole, and early in the morning, when he returns to it. Don't forget to take into account the direction of the wind, it should be blowing towards you. If you have the opportunity to perch on a tree, then take advantage of it. You can't think of a better place to hunt a badger.
- Hunting with a husky
carried out in the evening, when the animal goes in search of food. While the dog is looking for the departed badger, the hunter closes all exits from the holes.
- Hunting with burrow dogs
(dachshund, fox terrier, jagd terrier), which penetrate into badger homes and fight with them there. The dog must be well prepared for such a fight.
- Surge hunting
carried out at 4-5 am, when the badger returns to the hole from night feeding. During the absence of the animal, it is necessary to block the entrance to its hole with branches.
Pomeranian Spitz
At first glance, a dwarf Pomeranian spitz looks like a plush toy; it is not always possible to immediately believe that it is a living dog. Spitz have abnormally thick and long hair, which is located almost perpendicular to the body. Especially a lot of hair grows in the neck area, on the back and paws. A particularly cute feature of these dogs is their ring tail, which swings playfully from side to side.
The coat of the dwarf Spitz requires careful care; it needs to be combed 2-3 times a week with a special comb. But the dog does not need frequent washing, which is a definite plus. Particularly original owners cut their pets' hair like lions, tigers, bear cubs, foxes and other animals.
Marmot
The marmot is a herbivorous rodent. It feeds on cereals, leaves and roots. The weight of an adult varies from 2 to 7 kg, the body length is up to 70 cm. These are lowland inhabitants of the southern regions of the country. They live in deep and branched burrows, from which they crawl out to satisfy their hunger. Marmots have good hearing and vision, thanks to which they escape from predators.
Marmot hunting dates
The new rules extend the period for hunting a marmot by two weeks. According to federal laws, hunting for steppe, gray, Kamchatka, and Mongolian (tarbagan) marmots now opens on June 15 and ends on September 30. In some regions where the marmot population is small, the harvest of the animal is limited to the end of August. You can find the current deadlines for a specific region here.
Groundhog hunting methods
- Hunting from the approach
carried out first from afar. It is necessary to study the colony in detail using binoculars, select the largest trophy, and then quietly sneak up to it within shooting distance.
- Hunting from ambush
happens before dawn. First of all, the young of the year stick their noses out of the holes, then their mother, and then the father badger. The hiding place is built near the place where most of the holes are located.
- With a dog
They go for the groundhog less often. A dog can be useful if, after shooting, the hunter loses sight of the wounded animal and does not notice which hole it crawled into.
plush cow
This type of cow is the result of a long process of work by breeders from the USA. The cows turned out to be incredibly cute, they have disproportionately short legs and abnormally long and silky hair, and there are no horns or udders. What are they for then? They don't give milk, is it really for meat? Not at all! These cute comrades are regulars at exhibitions, where they are judged according to special criteria.
Plush cows remain cute only for up to a year, then they become like ordinary cows, the plush fur disappears, and prominent muscles grow. This breed is not officially recognized and is considered a hybrid.
Hare
The hare is a herbivorous mammal. The weight of adult individuals is 4-7 kg, the body length can reach 70 cm. Larger representatives of lagomorphs are less common. The maximum running speed that the animal develops is 70-80 km/h.
Hare hunting is very popular and usually takes place at dusk. During the day the animal gains strength, and in the evening it comes out to feed, jumping and running in different directions to confuse its tracks. It feeds on all kinds of herbs, twigs and tree bark.
Hare hunting times
According to federal laws, hare hunting (hare, hare, tolai, Manchurian) opens on September 15 and ends on February 28 (29). The timing may vary depending on the subject of the Russian Federation. Find current deadlines by region in the article and here.
Ways to hunt a hare
- Hunting from the approach
Most often it is carried out collectively. They look for hare in the forest, and for trotter in open areas. Such a hunt involves a thorough search for hare beds.
- Hunting with tracking
requires the hunter to have special training and the ability to read tracks in the snow. The hare is good at entangling them, so this method is good in late autumn, when there is morning powder and light frost.
- Out of hiding
The hare is hunted in its feeding areas. The shelter is constructed at shooting distance and is well camouflaged.
- Hunting with a dog
often quite successful. The dog tracks and chases the hare, and the shooter predicts the direction of the hare's movement.
We tell you more about hare hunting here.
Chinchilla
It takes at least 100 animals to make one chinchilla coat. Chinchillas were originally found in the Andes, but increased demand for their skins has virtually wiped out the animals, and they are now being bred. The chinchilla has very soft, light and warm blue-gray fur with a dark undercoat. Chinchilla coats are expensive because working with their delicate, thin skins requires some skill and effort.
Beaver
The beaver is a black, brown or light brown mammal. It is believed that this is the largest rodent found in Russia. On average, the weight of a mature individual can reach 20-30 kg, and the body length sometimes reaches 90-120 cm. Its size is largely determined by its habitat and daily diet. Larger individuals live in swamps and ponds with little current. In fast-flowing rivers, on the contrary, small-sized animals are found.
Determining a beaver's home can be quite difficult. But, if near a reservoir you notice fallen trees with a characteristic cone-shaped cut or built dams, then know that these rodents are somewhere nearby.
Beaver hunting dates
According to federal laws, hunting for European and Canadian beavers opens on October 1 and ends on February 28 (29). Regional deadlines often differ from federal ones. They can be found here.
Beaver hunting methods
- From the approach
The beaver is hunted in the early morning when the family returns home. On land they move much slower than in water, so they can be quickly detected.
- Hunting from ambush
It is most successful in the evening and is relevant for those who have already discovered a rodent’s hut. The hatch should be located on a tree or any other hill near the pond.
Domestication of fur-bearing animals and rabbits
Fur-bearing animals bred in fur farms are direct descendants of wild animals living in the wild. The domestication of most fur-bearing animals began recently, 80–90 years ago, and sables and raccoon dogs only 50–60 years ago, and all of them, in most respects, differ very little from their wild ancestors. But nevertheless, they should be considered domestic animals: they are already a product of human labor aimed at their improvement, they reproduce well under modern conditions of their maintenance and are used to satisfy the material needs of the population.
As a result of the domestication of fur-bearing animals, the color changed the most - one of the main characteristics that determine the value of the skin. On farms, animals are bred in significant numbers that are similar in color to their wild ancestors, but compared to the original forms they are significantly improved in accordance with existing requirements. At the same time, many have skins of colors not found in nature. These are mainly mutant forms, as well as animals that combine several mutant genes. These colors are especially common in minks. As a result of breeding work, improvement of housing and feeding conditions, the quality of fur in caged animals is usually much better than in those living in the wild.
The process of domestication of fur-bearing animals has been going on for several decades. During this period of captive breeding, fur-bearing animals retained mainly the dynamic stereotype of their wild ancestors - a certain reaction to constant external stimuli (in particular, the length of daylight hours) in the form of seasonality of reproduction, molting, metabolic rate and other factors. Animals should not be handled without special precautions. They usually do not get used to nicknames and react sharply to new, unusual stimuli.
However, over the entire period of captive breeding, fur-bearing animals have undergone a number of significant changes. The initial period of domestication affected changes in the type of higher nervous activity. More and more calm animals began to appear on farms (mainly veiled arctic foxes and mutant minks), which were easily handled during transplants, grading, weighing, and vaccinations, which was a consequence of the significant participation of defensive and weakening predatory reflexes.
Due to prolonged physical inactivity and selection aimed at making animals larger, their live body weight has changed. Animals became larger than their caged relatives at the beginning of the era of expanded industrial fur farming. At the same time, due to a decrease in motor activity, the potential working capabilities of the body decreased, which was expressed, in particular, in minks in an increase in the rhythm of breathing and cardiac activity at rest and a decrease in the cardiac, pulmonary and renal indices. Raising minks for many generations in the absence of water for swimming led to changes in the regulation of cardiac activity and respiration during and after diving. This was reflected in the disappearance of the effect of bradycardia at the time of immersion in water and recovery tachycardia after reaching land.
The ancestor of the domestic rabbit is the wild rabbit. The place of origin of the rabbit is considered to be Asia, from where it spread to Europe and Africa in the Tertiary period. During the Ice Age, the rabbit's habitats were concentrated in the Iberian Peninsula.
During the New Stone Age (roughly 4500–2500 BC), the inhabitants of the Iberian Peninsula captured wild rabbits and kept them temporarily in captivity. Data from archaeological discoveries indicate that the domestication of the rabbit began here at the turn of the Stone and Bronze Ages (i.e., in the period 2500–1800 BC). The domestication process was completed by the Romans, and later by the French, who bred rabbits in special nurseries (reserves) from the 2nd century. BC e.
In the XII and XIII centuries. Rabbit farming spread to the rest of Europe. Later, rabbits were brought to places where they had never been found before (America, Australia, New Zealand, etc.). Now wild and domestic rabbits have settled almost all over the globe.
However, the process of domestication of fur-bearing animals has not yet ended. A number of their characteristic features have been preserved. First of all, this relates to the specific structure and functions of the digestive tract, the characteristics of reproduction and individual development, the annual cyclicity of many physiological processes, which differ significantly among fur-bearing animals of the order Carnivores and Rodents.
Sable
Sable is a representative of the mustelid family, a dexterous taiga inhabitant, and also the owner of valuable fur. Outwardly similar to a marten, but differs in smaller size. Body length reaches 50-60 cm.
He has a well-developed sense of smell and hearing. The animal moves deftly and quickly through trees and snow. The sable goes in search of food in the evening and at night, sometimes hunting early in the morning. You can find it in the upper reaches of mountain rivers, in dwarf trees or among a scattering of stones.
Sable hunting dates
According to federal laws, sable hunting opens on October 15 and lasts until February 28 (29) (lasting at least 120 days).
Methods of hunting sable
Hunting with huskies
- one of the main and most effective ways to catch sable. Having smelled a fresh trail of an animal, the dog will chase it until it drives it up a tree or finds it in a well and scatterings of stones. Sometimes it can be difficult to drive it out, so sable hunters take a netting net for hunting and drive the animal out with a probe.
Educational resource about culture, science and art
Author of the article: Sergey Kuriy Article from the “Cultural Zoology”
The diversity of mustelids is the envy of all other families of the carnivorous order.
Firstly, it is the most numerous in its composition and includes 56 species (this is without skunks, which tireless zoologists have recently identified as a separate family).
Secondly, its representatives have mastered almost all natural niches - they successfully jump in the mountains, climb trees, dig holes and swim well, both in rivers and in the seas.
Thirdly, many mustelids are characterized by the so-called. latent pregnancy. That is, fertilized eggs are in no hurry to divide and develop, but wait for a favorable moment. It’s as if a couple of students conceived a child, and he was born when the couple decided that their career was made and their everyday life was settled. For example, in badgers, pregnancy can last 4-5 months, in a marten - 236-276 days, and in an ermine - almost a year (although the actual development of the fetus takes only 26-27 days).
Weasel, stoat and ferret
“Making his way through the bushes, the wolf cub suddenly heard a piercing, ferocious cry. ...At that same moment, a yellow spot flashed before the wolf cub’s eyes again. He heard a fierce cry, something hit him hard on the head, and the sharp teeth of the mother weasel dug into his neck. ... The wolf cub did not yet know that the little weasel is one of the most ferocious, vengeful and terrible predators of the Northern wilderness.” (Jack London "White Fang")
Mustelidae predators are excellent. For the most part, these are energetic, dexterous animals with a flexible, elongated body, small ears and sharp teeth. And size doesn't matter here.
Weasel.
Take caress, for example. Don't look at her name being that. Don't look at the fact that it's no bigger than a pencil. This baby's character is fierce and courageous. There are known cases when weasels killed prey x number of times larger than it was - a hare, a pigeon, a chicken. Yes, and she can rush at a person if he has driven her into a corner - she won’t bite her to death, but she can easily bite through a finger.
Weasel.
Although, of course, the main diet of the weasel is more adequate for its weight category. There is no mercy for mice from this predator - you can’t hide from it either under the snow or in a hole - it will crawl through everywhere, find you everywhere. It is not for nothing that until the 9th century, until cats were domesticated in Europe, it was weasels and ferrets that played the role of guardians of the house from rodents.
The strength and ferocity of the weasel have long been valued and even exaggerated. For example, Pliny the Elder wrote that only a weasel can defeat the monster Basilisk.
The weasel attacks the Basilisk.
And in Japanese folklore there is a character named Kama-Itachi. More precisely, this is not a character, but characters - three weasels with razor-sharp claws that rush around like a furious whirlwind. Here comes a Japanese man, something passes by him - whoosh! However, the Japanese have strange folklore...
Kama-itachi.
Although European fantasies are no less strange.
Plutarch “On Isis and Osiris”: “To this day, many people think and say that a caress conceives through the ear, and gives birth through the mouth, and that this is similar to the birth of a word.”
In ancient times, due to its spindle-shaped body, the weasel was often identified with a snake. But even more often it symbolized femininity (there is often a plot about the transformation of this animal into a female temptress and vice versa). For example, in one of Aesop's fables, a weasel fell in love with a young man. The goddess Aphrodite took pity on her and turned the weasel into a girl. However, already in the bedroom with her lover, the girl saw a mouse and, unable to resist, rushed at it. Aphrodite got angry and again returned the weasel to her bestial form. And Aesop added a moral: “So people who are bad by nature, no matter how they change their appearance, cannot change their character.”
Weasel.
The Slavs have another belief associated with affection. It was believed that she was a mysterious “master” who came to the stables at night and drove and tormented horses until the morning. The next morning the peasant looks - the horse is standing in the stall, and his back is covered in soap, and his mane is tangled in braids. It was believed that only the smell of a goat could drive the “owner” away from the horses.
A. N. Tolstoy “Boss”: “Karakovy hid in a corner. “Little little crow, little falcon,” the “master” creaked, “I’ll braid your mane, “are you afraid of me?” Why did you call the goat? Don’t call the goat, don’t scare me...” and, with a twist, a pluck, he grabbed the black one.”
There may well be a rational explanation for this belief. After all, while chasing mice around the stable, the animal could easily jump onto the horse’s croup, disturbing and frightening the animal.
And yet, why “weasel”? There is no clear answer, although there are plenty of versions. Some suggest that the name is consonant with the word “swallow” (in Slavic languages the animal is also called “lastka”, “lastitsa”, “lastovitsa”), which replaced the real taboo name of weasel. Others believe that the name comes from the word “to climb.” Still others, that from the word “hair-haired”, among the meanings of which is “greedy, greedy for delicacies.” The fourth derives the name of weasel from the Latvian “luoss” - i.e. "ginger". The summer color of the weasel is really reddish, but in winter it becomes snow-white.
Weasel in winter.
The same seasonal changes occur with the weasel's closest relative, the ermine, except that the tip of its tail remains black.
Yakov Polonsky, “On a snowy plain”: On a snowy plain, covered in greenery, a gloomy spruce grew dark; And, like ermines, the blizzard covered Her shoulders with fluffy snow...
Ermine in winter.
Ironically, it was the ermine’s “camouflage” winter fur that made the animal a desirable prey for hunters. In the Middle Ages, this fur with black dotted tails was used to line the robes of kings, judges and other nobility. They say there was a case when the defendant appealed the verdict only because the judge’s robe turned out to be made of fake ermine.
Nicholas Pineman. Portrait of Willem II. 1850.
In heraldry, “ermine fur” is called one of the background colors of the coat of arms (if the colors are inverted - a black background with white “tails” - then such a coat of arms is called “anti-ermine”). What the ermine symbolized is clearly shown by the legend about the appearance of “ermine fur” on the coat of arms of Brittany (now the northern province of France). According to it, the Breton Duke Alain Crookedbeard somehow escaped from the Normans. Suddenly his path was blocked by a flooded dirty river. And then the Duke saw an ermine who stopped in front of the river, not wanting to get his snow-white coat dirty. So the Duke decided not to stain his honor and turned his face to the enemies, and the motto of Brittany became the phrase: “Better death than shame!”
Coat of arms of Brittany.
M. Cervantes “Don Quixote”: “... when the hunters hunt this animal, they resort to such a trick: having tracked down where it is in the habit of going, they smear these places with mud, then scare it away and drive it straight there, and the ermine, as soon as notices the dirt, stops, because he prefers to give up and fall into the hands of the hunter, rather than, walking through the mud, get dirty and lose his whiteness, which is dearer to him than freedom and life itself. A faithful and honest wife is an ermine, but her honor is purer and whiter than snow.”
The snow-white ermine has long symbolized purity and purity. It is believed that it was precisely this allegorical subtext that Leonardo da Vinci laid in the famous portrait “Lady with an Ermine” (1490).
"Portrait of a Lady with an Ermine" by Leonardo da Vinci.
Although in fact there could be no talk about any physical integrity of the heroine of the portrait - Louis Sforza's beloved Cecilia. In addition, modern researchers are almost sure that what was nestling in the lady’s hands was not an ermine, but a ferret (or furo), an albino variety of ferret.
Fretka.
Yes, yes, the famous chicken coop robbers - ferrets, like weasels, were often kept in houses to hunt the same mice. Moreover, in the paintings there are scenes where medieval ladies hunt a rabbit with the help of ferrets - after all, these predators could get the lop-eared one right in its hole.
Despite this, the ferret's reputation is unsightly - that of a thief. In our country, a “ferret” is usually called a cunning, sneaky, dishonest person. In early English literature, this was the name given to prostitutes in particular and immoral individuals in general. And even now one of the English nicknames for ferrets and weasels - “weasel” - means a clever deceiver who does not fulfill his obligations.
Ferret.
If the body length of a weasel is 13 cm, an ermine is up to 38 cm, then ferrets can be more than half a meter. Unlike their relatives, ferrets have more colorful fur colors, which does not prevent them from being considered fur-bearing animals. Otherwise, the ferret is just as active and powerful a predator, easily killing rabbits and poultry. By the way, the image of the fearless Buck from the film Ice Age 3 is probably either a ferret or a weasel.
N. Zabolotsky: A beetle ate grass, a bird pecked a beetle, a ferret drank the brain from a bird’s head...
Ferret.
It is impossible not to mention another small mustelid predator - the rufous weasel, primarily because brushes are made from the hairs of its tail - both for painting and for cosmetic procedures.
Marten, sable and wolverine
“Who hasn’t seen expensive fluffy sable fur! It has been known for its value and good quality since ancient times and has become part of our folk tales, songs and sayings. Previously, there were enough sables in Western Siberia, but now there are not many in Eastern Siberia, and, probably, the time will come when there will be very few of them, and then the edge of some padded jacket will cost very, very expensive!.. In our time, of course , will reach Eastern Siberia, but our descendants, after several generations, will probably have to renew and wear their great-grandfather’s sable cast-offs...” (A. Cherkasov “Notes of a Hunter of Eastern Siberia”, 1867)
In ancient times, the main article of Russian export was not oil at all, but furs (or, as they called it then, “soft junk”). In addition, fur played the role of a kind of internal currency - it served as a measure of exchange, it was given a salary and paid taxes.
For example, in 883, Grand Duke Oleg (the one who is “prophetic”) demanded from the Drevlyans a tribute in the amount of one “black kuna” (i.e., marten skin) from the hut. It is not for nothing that foreign coins that were in circulation in Rus' were subsequently called “kuns” - the eastern dirham and the Western European denarius.
Well, after the conquest of Kazan, Ivan the Terrible immediately obliged the Tatars to annually replenish the royal budget with 30 thousand sable skins. Actually, martens and sables were the main reason for the expansion of the Russian state to the east - to Siberia.
A. Brem “Life of Animals”: “With their skins, foreigners paid “yasak”, or government tax, in exchange for them they purchased from traders everything they needed for their daily living. The times are not yet so far from us when the Kamchadals laughed among themselves at a stupid Cossack who exchanged a knife for a sable skin...”
In other countries, no one laughed at “Russian furs”. So in 1635, Tsar Mikhail Fedorovich sent the Shah of Persia a luxurious gift - live sables in gilded cages. It was sable fur that was considered the most rare and valuable. For many reasons. Firstly, it is really very thick, soft and beautiful, and can also be styled easily - no matter which direction you iron it. Secondly, Russia quickly became a monopoly in this area, because almost the entire range of the sable is located in the taiga (outside Russia, the animal is found only in Mongolia and in the north of China and Korea).
Sable.
Sable fur is evaluated, first of all, by color - the darker it is, the better (remember the Russian proverb - “The chest of a swan, the gait of a peacock, the eyes of a falcon, the eyebrows of sable”?). Therefore, the most expensive skin is worn by the Barguzin sable, which lives in the Baikal region and has a charcoal-chocolate color. Furriers have always tried to remove the sable skin as much as possible - along with the paws.
Barguzin sable skins.
In the old days, few could afford a fur coat made entirely of sable (and even today it costs about 60 thousand dollars). Typically, collars, sleeves, skirts and hats were decorated with fur. King Henry VIII even issued a decree according to which only those whose status was not lower than a viscount had the right to wear sables. Many believe that the famous shoes of Cinderella from Perrault’s fairy tale were originally sable, and not crystal. It’s just that over time, the word “vair” (“fur for edging”), like a broken telephone, turned into “verre” (“glass”).
Marie Antoinette and her children (1787). The Queen is shown wearing a dress trimmed with sable fur.
In the 1640-50s, the fur trade in Russia accounted for 20% of the state budget. It is not surprising that the sable quickly became endangered. So, by the end of the 17th century - literally in 50 years - the annual production of sable skins decreased from 145 to 42 thousand skins. They became seriously concerned about the protection of this animal only under Soviet rule. So in 1935, sable hunting was completely banned for 5 years, and then its shooting was strictly controlled. All these measures led to the fact that by the 1960s the animal had multiplied so much that it was possible to resume its fishing at the level of the 17th century.
Marten on the coat of arms of the Ufa province.
In general terms, martens and sables are very similar - both in appearance and in habits (the sable is somewhat stockier and has a cat-like tail). By the way, the American marten is an analogue of sable in North America, although its fur is still not so soft and beautiful. Like many mustelids, sables and martens are agile, agile predators. Thanks to Soviet cartoons, since childhood I have developed the image of a marten as a real forest robber, dashingly jumping through the trees and harassing unfortunate squirrels. Martens and sables are really good dart frogs and dangerous enemies of squirrels. However, they most often hunt on the ground (in winter - in thick snow), chasing rodents. In addition, stone martens have adapted to live near humans and periodically rob chicken coops.
Pine marten.
The largest species of martens, the kharza, originally lived in the tropics of Indochina, and then, through China and Korea, reached the Amur region. It reaches a length of 80 cm and is quite capable of killing a musk deer, a piglet or a fawn.
Kharza.
An even more serious predator is the wolverine, which, thanks to its size, bulk and clubfoot, looks a little like a bear.
Wolverine.
It reaches 105 cm in length and weighs up to 20 kg. Her fur is coarse, shaggy, dark brown (with two light stripes on the sides), her paws are wide (more wide than they are long), her claws are large and hooked, and her temper is ferocious (the main character of the film epic “X-Men” was not nicknamed for nothing Wolverine).
O. Tenner “Bears and Other Animals of Prey”: “In Alaska's Mount McKinley National Park, observers saw a wolverine kill a ram that weighed more than three times its weight, and drag the carcass more than two kilometers along steep snow-covered slopes and across a river, before I found a suitable place to have lunch.”
Wolverine.
As you can see, this is a very strong and cunning animal, capable of killing prey larger than itself - especially if it is stuck in the snow (in winter, the wide-legged wolverine really has a serious advantage). Usually, the wolverine does not run very fast, so it prefers to starve its prey. Or even find carrion, rob hunting traps and even... recapture prey from wolves or lynxes. For its unpretentiousness in food and good appetite, the wolverine was given the Latin name “Gulo”, which means “glutton”.
Wolverine.
Alexander Cherkasov “Notes of a Hunter of Eastern Siberia”: “...she, being surrounded by dogs and seeing no salvation, emits such a stench that the dogs immediately jump away from her. Local industrialists say that “damn it, it clouds their vision, so that dogs then see it poorly and lose sight of it,” and some even claim that if a dog gets under the very stream of stench, it subsequently loses the sharpness of its senses; That's why local industrialists don't hunt good dogs on wolverines. Animal hunters even say that its stench is so strong, “that it makes the snow shine and sting.” ...Wolverine is extremely mischievous and loves to take advantage of other people's goods, such as: visiting the mouths, pits and other traps of animal traders, stealing the prey he comes across and carrying it away; if she is beyond her power, as they say here, then she devours it right there on the spot. ...The local foreigners extremely dislike and are offended if they are called a wolverine in jest or in their hearts. “You yourself are a wolverine,” they say, “but mine is not a wolverine; This is where, very much where, the very last beast."
Mink, otter and sea otter
“- My husband bought me a mink coat! - Oh, it’s all full of holes. “These are not holes, these are minks!!!” (Joke)
If among mustelids the most beautiful fur belongs to the sable, then the thickest fur belongs to its aquatic relatives - minks, otters and sea otters. And this is quite understandable. Firstly, the water is wet, and secondly, unlike seals, aquatic mustelids do not have a thick layer of fat. Therefore, you have to protect your body from moisture and cold solely due to the quality of the skin.
Mink.
For example, in a mink there are from 9 to 24 downy hairs for each guard hair. This skin practically does not get wet. In addition, mink fur is very light, strong and durable. Mink coats and collars (often dyed in different colors) have long been the coveted dream of fashionistas, especially after Hollywood movie stars dressed up in this fur in the 1930s.
Mink.
Otter fur is also distinguished by its excellent quality and density (up to 50 thousand hairs per sq. cm!). It is covered on top by a rough awn, and underneath there is a soft underfur. When processing the skin, the guard hairs are torn out. Hence the name of the animal, which later became the subject of jokes, puns and anecdotes.
Otter.
Anecdote: - Hey, tydra! - I'm not an otter, but an otter. - I still didn’t have enough to call everyone “you”!
Igor Severyanin: ...Like the air is thoughtless, like a mummy is wise. He who is famous for eagles - oh, he has no time for otters!
Tongue twister: In the depths of the tundra, otters in spats are poking cedar kernels into buckets. Having torn out the gaiters from an otter in the tundra, I will wipe the cedar kernels with the otter, I will wipe the otter’s face with the gaiters - The kernels into buckets, the otter into the tundra.
By the way, in the old days the otter had a more understandable name: “Poresnya” - that is, living near rivers. Thanks to the aquatic lifestyle, minks and otters acquired similar features - short legs with membranes between the toes, a highly elongated body with a long tail-rudder, a streamlined head with tiny ears. These animals settle in coastal burrows and feed on a wide variety of aquatic life.
Otter.
At the same time, minks are much smaller than otters. If the body length of a mink is up to 45 cm, then that of an ordinary otter is up to a meter. And there is also an “extraordinary” - giant - otter. It lives in the rivers of South America and reaches one and a half meters plus another 120 cm of tail. Which makes it a contender for the title of the largest representative of the mustelid family.
Giant otter.
By nature, otters are peaceful, sociable and very playful animals. They often hunt and frolic together, and in winter they love to slide down ice slides on their bellies with their paws pressed together. In addition, otters are very talkative - they whistle among themselves, but they can also chirp, meow and puff.
Among the mustelids there are also inhabitants of salty seas. They are sea otters, sometimes called sea otters.
The honor of discovering sea otters for Western civilization belongs to Georg Steller. Steller took part in the Kamchatka expedition of Vitus Bereng, when at the end of 1741 the ship was wrecked near the Commander Islands. The expedition members had to spend a difficult winter on the island before they were rescued. Of the 78 people, only 47 survived (Bering himself was among the dead). Perhaps there would have been no one left at all if furry animals had not been discovered in the coastal waters, not feeling any fear of people. At that time, people were primarily interested in meat, but the main value and death of the animal was its warm, dense fur.
Sea otter.
G. Steller: “The fur of the sea beaver, whose skin is loosely attached to the body and sways in all directions while running, is so superior in length, beauty and dark color to the fur of the river beaver that the latter cannot withstand any comparison with it.”
Sea otter skin quickly soared in price, so many hunters flocked to the Far Eastern coast. At first, the animal was nicknamed the sea or Kamchatka beaver, but then another name took root - sea otter (from the Koryak “kalaga” - beast). Thank God, the sea otter was luckier than another of Steller’s discoveries - the sea cow, which was exterminated to the ground. Today, only the indigenous population of Alaska, the Aleuts, are allowed to hunt sea otters.
Of all the mustelids, the sea otter is the most devoted to water. So much so that its hind limbs turned into flippers, splayed to the sides.
The sea otter's favorite position is to lie on its back and sway on the waves. They sleep in this position (at the same time, to prevent them from being carried far out to sea, they wrap themselves in seaweed or hold each other’s paws).
They eat in the same position. The meal is worth talking about separately. As Steller already wrote, the sea otter’s skin is clearly not his size and is gathered into deep folds. In one of these folds - under the arm - the sea otter stores its cutlery - a stone. When an animal catches a shellfish, a crab or a sea urchin in its paws, it puts the food on its belly, takes out a stone from its bosom and, with a real blow, crumbles all the hard shells.
The relationship between female sea otters and their cubs looks very touching.
A. Brem “Animal Life”: “Females carry them in their mouths, and in the sea - lying on their backs and clasping them with their front paws. They play with them like a loving mother, throw them up and catch them like a ball, push them into the water so that they learn to swim, take them back to them when they get tired, and kiss them just like people... The love of parents for their cubs is so great that For their sake, they are ready to expose themselves to obvious, mortal danger, and if their little ones are taken away from them, they sob loudly, almost like children. Their melancholy can be so great that within a week or two they become sick, weak and do not want to leave the shore.”
But in their sexual life, these cute animals behave like real maniacs. So, during mating, the male literally rapes his girlfriend, grabbing her nose with his teeth and periodically dipping her into water (then the female walks around with a bloody muzzle for several more days). There are even shocking cases of sea otters raping... baby seals.
Badger and honey badger
“So, Merlin sent you,” said the badger, “so that you complete your education.” Well, I can only teach you two things - to dig the earth and to love your home. However, this is what the true purpose of philosophy comes down to.” (T. H. White, The Sword in the Stone)
The badger is a familiar animal to the northern hemisphere. We all know this stocky, squat animal with an elongated muzzle, two black stripes along the eyes and dense grayish skin. By the way, the name “badger” translated from Turkic languages means “gray” (the Tatars called the animal “bursyk”, the Cossacks called it “borsuk”).
Common badger.
Today, in the era of freedom and democracy, some wits allow themselves to make puns and call bars after the animal. The “Badger” sign (and even divided into two parts by color) immediately acquires a “deep” subtext, which, however, does not prevent women from visiting this establishment...
It must be said that the classic gray coloration with a two-striped muzzle is characteristic, first of all, of the common badger. Other species - for example, the American badger - can be more variegated and chaotic in color.
American badger.
The appearance of these representatives of the mustelid family clearly indicates that they are very “close to the earth.” It is not for nothing that the English name for the badger - badger - comes from the French becheur - “digger”. Badgers dig constantly - either looking for food or digging holes (for this habit, one of the species - the teleda - was nicknamed the “pig badger”).
Teledu.
A. Brem “The Life of Animals”: “The general impression produced by this animal is peculiar: at first you might think that you see in front of you a pig rather than a predatory animal; The grunt of a badger also reminds me of a pig.”
Sometimes several generations of badgers are engaged in the arrangement and expansion of one underground dwelling, as a result of which real “badger towns” arise - branched, with dozens of entrances and exits. The largest of the known “towns” consisted of 879 meters of tunnels and had 129 exits! Medieval people sometimes looked for very strange explanations for the badger’s talent for burrowing quickly and deeply.
From the medieval “Bestiary”: “One badger digs, swallowing soil, and the other two hold a stick with their teeth. When the digger is “full to the brim,” he clings to this stick, and the other badgers pull him out of the hole to empty himself.”
As befits a digger animal, the badger’s main diet consists of rodents, worms and larvae. True, this predator will not refuse larger prey - it can even attack a calf. The American badger, hunting a hare, often takes as its “partner”... a coyote. One predator drives the prey out, the other grabs it. By autumn, the badger gains more fat, after which it plunges into hibernation, which is not typical for other mustelids. It’s not for nothing that we sometimes talk about some kind of dream - “Sleeps like a badger.”
B. Grzimek “Animals Next to Us”: “Tom’s huntsman once came across an unusually large badger sleeping, snoring, in broad daylight in the open air. The stone thrown by the huntsman and falling nearby did not wake up the self-confident animal. And only when Toma, coming close, loudly shouted “get up”, the sleepyhead finally jumped up.”
The animal's lifestyle was immediately reflected in its fabulously literary appearance. In most books, badgers resemble sullen and secretive homebodies who value their den, family and comfort above all else.
K. Graham “The Wind in the Willows”: “— Badger, buddy! Come to us! - called Rat. The badger ran a step or two, then muttered: “Hey, there’s a whole bunch of people here!” - turned around and disappeared. - Exactly! This is what he's all about! - Rat was upset. - He just hates society. Now he won’t poke his nose at us all day... - What if we visit him ourselves? - suggested the Mole. - What do you! - Rat was alarmed. - He's so arrogant! Yes, he will simply go wild. Even I won’t risk visiting Badger in his own house, although I’ve known him for a long time.”
Mr. Badger from K. Graham's fairy tale "The Wind in the Willows".
It is really not recommended to tease this “conformist” - an irritated badger is strong beyond his size and can turn out to be a very formidable opponent. However, if left undisturbed, he is quite peaceful. Of the literary badgers, I know only one clearly negative character. This is Tommy Brock from the fairy tales of Beatrix Potter, who kidnapped the children of Benjamin Rabbit.
B. Potter “The Story of Mr. Todd”: “Tommy Brock was a fat little man with a hobbling gait. There was a constant grin on his stubbled face. He had bad habits. He destroyed wasp nests and ate frogs and worms, which he dug up under the cover of darkness by the light of the moon.”
Badger Tommy Brock.
The badger's fur is beautiful, but rough, so it has no special value (although in the old days it was used to make shaving brushes).
A. Cherkasov “Notes of a hunter of Eastern Siberia”: “Badger skins are extremely strong and are used here only for muffs, or cases for rifles, because badger hair, greasy to the touch, has a special property that the Siberians took advantage of so well: it cannot be penetrated by any rain".
The situation is similar with badger meat - it is quite edible, but if cooked incorrectly it acquires an extremely specific taste. Badger fat, which is considered a panacea for colds, pulmonary and ulcerative diseases, is most valued. However, badgers were also hunted for fun - usually with the help of dogs. The English language even introduced the verb “badger,” meaning “to disturb” or “irritate.”
Badger hunting (XVI century).
The one who really shouldn't be annoyed is the honey badger. Although this inhabitant of the open spaces of Africa and Asia is not at all small (body - 75 cm, weight - 10 kg), it has a strong body, sharp teeth, short clawed paws and a “crazy” ferocious disposition. It is very difficult to confuse it with other mustelids - the honey badger is colored white above and black below.
Honey badger.
Don't let the name fool you either. He really really loves honey, though. To get it, the honey badger even enters into a “criminal conspiracy” with the bird, whose name is also telling - honey guide. The honey guide scouts out where the bees' nests are, after which the honey badger "guides" them, he destroys the nests, and both "accomplices" begin the feast.
However, honey is only a small part of the animal’s diet. The ferocity and strength of the honey badger is enough to kill a monitor lizard, a cobra, a three-meter python, a turtle and even a sheep. In India, these animals were even seen in cemeteries, where they dug up graves and devoured corpses.
Few dare to contact the honey badger himself. In the 2nd part of the wonderful film “The Gods Must Be Crazy,” there is a funny scene where an angry honey badger first grabbed the hero’s shoe, and then chased him for hours until he himself fell from fatigue.
As it turns out, not everything in this scene is the director’s imagination. No wonder the Guinness Book of Records declared the honey badger the most fearless and daring animal in the world. No matter who makes the honey badger angry, he will always rush into battle. There is a known case when two animals repelled the attack of six lionesses. Therefore, Kenyan hunters, having killed a honey badger, try to eat its heart, which, in their opinion, contains the animal’s strength and reckless courage.
Skunk
“A Hare and a Skunk were running through the forest. They fell, hit their heads, and both suffered amnesia. Hare: - Listen, let you describe me, and I’ll try to identify myself? Skunk: - You are of medium size, a navel-shaped tail, gray, long ears. Hare: - I’m probably a hare! And you’re also so average, you stink, and there’s a streak across it. Skunk: “Listen, I think I’m w..a!” (Joke)
Imagine this picture. A visiting foreign tourist is walking through an American forest and suddenly sees a small animal in the bushes - it looks like a ferret, but only very beautiful and fluffy. He has a fur coat with black and white stripes, and a tail like a fluffy whisk. “So cute!” - the lady says and comes closer.
The animal doesn’t run away, it just turns its front to the forest and its back to the lady, and raises its broom up like a flag. Then it’s time to leave, but our heroine, suspecting nothing, continues to approach the “cutie.”
He begins to get nervous - hiss and stomp his paws. “Look, he’s so angry!” - the lady thinks, but is in no hurry to leave. And then, having exhausted the entire arsenal of warning signals (and these were exactly them), the “cutie” shoots a whole stream of liquid right from under its tail. The jet flies quite far (two, or even six, meters).
Further developments depend on the accuracy of the “shot” and the physical strength of the lady. If the liquid gets into the eye, you can even go blind for a while. But its main strength, brother, is not in this, but in the unbearable stench that it exudes. Imagine the smell of garlic and rotten eggs - only amplified a thousand times. The victim's reaction to this “gas attack” can vary from shock to vomiting and even fainting.
I am sure that many of the readers would hardly find themselves in this situation. Thanks to American cartoons and films, many of you will quickly guess that the cute animal is the infamous skunk - the same one with which the movie hero Ace Ventura “shot back” from poachers. The name of the animal speaks for itself - translated from the language of the Alconguin Indians, it means something like “urinating fox.”
Striped skunk.
The fluid that accumulates in the skunk's anal glands contains butyl selenomercaptan (C4H9Se H) and produces one of the most foul, pungent and persistent odors in the world. Only 0.000000000002 grams of this substance is enough for our nose to smell it. What can we say about a whole stream! They say that a tailwind can carry the smell of a “shot” skunk over a distance of a kilometer. The skunk’s “cartridges,” however, are not endless. The liquid is enough for 5-6 shots, after which the animal needs at least two days to “recharge”.
A person sprayed by a skunk is unlikely to risk appearing in public for the first few days, and the soiled clothes will most likely have to be burned. There are, of course, recipes for removing odor using tomato juice or hydrogen peroxide, but they are not very effective.
B. Grzimek “Animals Next to Us”: “It is recommended to thoroughly smoke spattered clothes in smoke, but, apparently, this does not get rid of the stench. Judge for yourself. Skunk-splattered boots that had been sitting in chlorinated water for four months still retained a foul odor.”
People have known about the “bad manners” of the skunk for quite some time.
“Relations of the Jesuits” (correspondence of French missionaries in 1634): “Another [not found in France] is a small animal, the size of a small dog or a cat. I mention him not on account of his perfection, but to make him a symbol of sin. ...The animal is more white than black, and at first glance, especially when it walks, you would say that it is worthy of the name of the dog of Jupiter. But it is so stinking, it emits such a clinging bad odor that it is not worthy to be called even Pluto’s dog. No sewer ever smelled so disgusting. I wouldn't believe it if I hadn't felt it myself. Your heart almost stops when you approach this animal. Two were killed in our yard, and for several days after we could not enter there.”
It is not surprising that the word “skunk” quickly became an insult and characterized a person as a scoundrel, a deceiver and a scammer. However, in cartoons, skunks often appear as positive characters. For example, the shy character in the film “Bambi” (1942) with a paradoxical name for a skunk... Flower.
Despite the image of "stinkers", these animals are easily tamed. And their skin is gorgeous. Therefore, skunks are kept in homes and specially bred on farms. Naturally, after removing the foul glands. At one time, the United States even exported skunk skins to Europe, wisely advertising them as “American sable” fur.
Previously, skunks were classified as members of the mustelidae family (now they are in a separate family - skunks). And all mustelids, to one degree or another, have odorous musk glands. For example, in the Old World, the role of the skunk is successfully played by the African ferret, nicknamed zorilla.
P. Pfeffer “Asia”: “The author of a number of books, Evan T. Sanderson, claims that there is no other animal that spreads such a disgusting smell. He also tells of five lions frightened by Zorilla, who were forced to wait until the “father of all stinkers,” as the Sudanese call Zorilla, had had their fill, and only then were they able to taste their prey.”
Zoril.
Author: Sergey Kuriy October 2015
Chipmunk
The chipmunk is a striped relative of the squirrel, which can be found in coniferous, mixed and deciduous forests, as well as forest-tundra and forest-steppe. The weight of a small rodent ranges from 30 to 120 g, and the body length is from 5 to 15 cm.
The chipmunk lives in the Northeast of the European part of the country, in the Urals, the Far East, Siberia and the Kama region. It feeds mainly on plant foods (grass seeds, pine nuts, mushrooms, berries), but sometimes it does not mind eating insects.
Chipmunk hunting times
According to federal laws, chipmunk hunting opens on September 15 and lasts until October 31. Regional deadlines may differ greatly from federal ones. Current deadlines for a specific region can be found in our article.
Chipmunk hunting methods
- Hunting with a husky
- the main method of catching a chipmunk. The success of the outing depends on the dog and its skills. The Laika must not only have perfect hearing, vision and sense of smell, but also not lose sight of the rodent when it starts jumping across the treetops.
- From the “by ear” approach
The chipmunk is caught in the morning when it is actively feeding. At this time, the hunter must move as silently as possible from tree to tree, looking for nibbles. In calm weather, the animal can be heard from 50 meters away. In bad weather they do not hunt it, since audibility in the forest is greatly reduced.
- Hunting on the trail
relevant for those regions where there is already snow in the fall. The most important thing is to be able to determine the freshness of the trail.
Look for more hunting products on our website or in the World of Hunting stores.
Delivery is carried out throughout Russia. The reference article is based on the expert opinion of the author
Chinese silk chicken
Silk chicken originates from China. There it is bred not only for its dietary meat, but also for its feathers, which resemble dog or cat hair. Their feathers do not have a guard rod and easily fall apart, covering the entire body of the bird. At first glance, the silky chicken resembles a ball of fur with a beak; no eyes are visible.
The feathers of silky chickens are used in industry in the same way as sheep's wool. Plus, these birds make a great addition to any yard.
