Mink Hunting

Mink hunting with hounds was invented when otter hunting was banned in Ireland in 1976. In the 1960s minks were intentionally introduced to hunt as an otter hunt ban was inevitable. The otter hunt ban did include a hunting “clause” until 2000 when it was made entirely illegal to hunt them. Once this came into force, mink hunting supposedly replaced otter hunting. Mink and otters live in virtually identical waterways, so it is not possible to specifically hunt or the other. They are hunted along waterways with hounds bred to hunt otters which leads many to wonder if serious wildlife crimes are committed by those who hunt in this fashion. The hunt people will have long sticks with them to knock any minks out of trees. There are very few known mink hunts in Ireland, mostly focused in the south-west of the country.