Animal I Spotted This Weekend

[Water_Gremlin]

While camping at Grouse Lake in Seward I spotted an animal about 20 feet away out of the corner of my eye. The animal did not spot me or my walker hound while it trotted towards the road. I lip squeaked and it stopped dead in its tracks, and with neck snapping force it whipped its head in my direciton. Slowly and caustiously it carefully stepped towards a rock pile about 30 feet away. It mounted the rock pile an starred at me for about a minute. With each lip squeak this animal popped its head out of the rock pile and looked at me with curiousity. This animal was completely black, about 3.5 feet in length with a skinny tale including the fur. The face reminded me of a weasel. Its legs were no more than 6 inches long and had a minimal amount of fur on its face and snout. This animal was not a fox or a wolverine. I have seen wolverine pelts and I researched many pictures leading me to believe wolverine was out of the question.

It was raining that day and I figured this animal could be brown in color but the drenched coat would appear black. I am thinking this animal is either a weasel or marten. I do not know if these animals inhabit the Kenai Peninsula though. I have looked at pictures or marten and weasels and it's closest match was the marten. But I do not know if these animals patrol the Seward area either. Are there any ideas of what this animal could have been? All I know is that if it was in season I would have smoked it. LOL J/K

 

[Matt]

Did it have a white/grey looking snout? If so, I'd say it was a marten.

 

[AlaskaHippie]

Used to run traps just down the road from Grouse Lake for Marten & ermine back in when I was in high school (when all the 'STOP' signs said 'WHOA')....So yes, marten is a possibility....from your description though I'm inclined to wonder if it wasn't a river otter??

 

[375ultramag]

Sounds to me like the actions of a marmot

 

[sheep man]

Well if i was to guess i'd say otter..

 

[SeaULater]

River Otter.

 

[MARV1]

I'd have to say an otter also from your description.

 

[twodux]

otter

otter

I'm inclined to go with an otter too. 3 1/2 feet long is a bit long to be a martin. And a martin is more inclined to head up a tree if spooked.

 

[Water_Gremlin]

This animal was not a river otter. Maybe 3.5' in length was stretching it, maybe the length was more around 3' including the length of the tail. I am looking at pictures of martens and ermines.

http://www.vwt.org.uk/images/male_pine_marten_in_summer_coat.jpg

http://images.google.com/imgres?img...ages?q=ermine&ndsp=18&svnum=10&hl=en&lr=&sa=N

the animal was the most simliar to these two animals. I am more inclined to say it is the marten. It was completely black, no white around his snout, head or body. I wish I had a camera but I forgot the darned thing at home.

 

[gogoalie]

Chupacabra

Chupacabra

It was a chupcabra cub, man your lucky the mother wasn't no where around to tear you into peices dude...& ****, think of all the money 2 b made from a chupacabra cub!!!! Dude, you missed a gold mine!!!!

 

[homerdave]

why not an otter??

why not an otter??

sure sounds like one to me...
why are you sure it wasn't one?

 

[kenaihntr]

My guess would be a river otter but... Have you looked at any photos of a fisher?

 

[martentrapper]

3 ft is still stretching it for a marten. Plus, you say it was all black, or at least all dark brown. Marten are rarely one color. They also have a somewhat bushy tail. A martens head is almost always much lighter than it's body.
As the rest say, your description fits Otter, to a tee. If not an otter, at 3 ft long, including the tail..........maybe a very large mink.
You sure it wasn't another campers dachshund?

 

[Alaska Gray]

It finally arrived in Alaska. Run for your lives, It 's the chupacabra

 

[nebs]

Watergremlin,
I bet it was a fisher. Look up a few pics of a fisher and I bet that is what it is. They can be that long no problem. They are in the weasel family and cool animals. They are kind of like a giant mink. I'm interested to hear what you think.

 

[gogoalie]

It's True...

It's True...

there's even a website for this "Chupacabra!" LOOK!!!!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chupacabra

 

[homerdave]

no fishers in alaska...

no fishers in alaska...

hey MT, you realize we are agreeing!
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA.
<grin>

 

[Water_Gremlin]

I have seen river otters and this was not one, river otters do not have the weasilish like face of this animal. I have looked at so many pictures and read far to many descriptions to even keep my recollection in tact.

 

[AkHunter45]

I agree with some of the others, that sounds like a fisher to me, seen them back in Maine and they have a ear piercing scream too.

 

[kenaihntr]

?

?

No fishers in Alaska? I'm not an expert as I only know what I've read form F&G and heard from a couple of old timers here in Seward. I think a Fisher is a possibility.