• Tuesday-What'sUP January 17 - 08:02 am

Looking at the sweet little face on this tiny critter, you'd never know that it's a ferocious hunter, now would you? I bet Z-Man wasn't thinking about how menacing "Ernie the Ermine" was either, just about what a great shot this was going to be! In researching these little mammals, I discovered that they find their prey with a keen sense of smell, but I won't go into detail how they manage to subdue their dinner on this page, since it's a bit gruesome. Let's just say that if Z-Man was really nose to nose with "Ernie", then he's lucky he's bigger than the normal prey an ermine goes after! If you'd like to read more about their hunting habits, you can do so here: U of M Museum of Zoology.

What a cute little bugger. Can hardly see him in the snow though. Mary, thanks for not describing what they do. I don't watch those kind of nature shows. Only the ones where nobody gets eaten. LOL

I followed your link,Mary. Hard to believe such a pretty little creature is such a fearsome hunter.He/she looks as soft and fluffy as the snowdrift.

How'd you get that shot, Z-Man?! Now that would make a good jigsaw puzzle!

Marsha,

Ask and ye shall receive. Years ago I found a website where you
can upload your photos and have them be online jigsaw puzzles.
You can even choose how many pieces, shape type, etc. Personally
I like the 50 piece circles. Here is the URL for Ernie (you can first
choose your puzzle pieces shapes, then click on Ernie):

http://tinyurl.com/3p4m8

Enjoy.

Impressive. Awesome. Congratulations.

Wow, what a great shot.

Hi everyone! I was born in Hancock and spent about a year and a half up there before moving to chicago. Since moving to Chicago i have spent every vacation for the last forty seven years up in that area. I love the U.P. Maybe some day i will be back for good. In the meantime i want to thank you all for the pictures and comments. They have made my day for for quite some time. Thank you for the link to the puzzles.

My goodness, it would take a lot of those little critters to make a coat!! My dad and brother used to trap beaver and mink and weasels and sell the pelts. Ewwww....

I knew a group of yoopers exiled to troll-land to earn money (we were all working at the same crappy company). Once a winter they went back to the UP and snowshoed back in to one guy's camp. Two features always struck me about this camp. One, they'd keep the seat from the outhouse inside by the fire until it was time to use it. Two, they peacefully shared the space with an ermine, who hunted mice all night.

That Z-Man is always in the right place at the right time. Wonder how long he had to wait to capture this awesome shot. Now that's a zoom lens!

Joanie, lets hope its a zoom lens!! Great shot - he sure is a cute little guy!

I like the white on white.

Really Vicky, it wouldn't be too comfortable laying in the cold snow waiting for some action! Gotta love dat der Z-Man!

He is doggone adorable. He is now featured on my wallpaper.

Thanks for the suggestion, Kathyrn, about keeping the toilet seat in the cabin between uses. I will file that one away for later use, should I ever have the fortune to be snowed in at a primitive cabin.

I shared a shelter one cold spring night with a skunk, who made his nest in the leaves under my bunk. This was on the Appalachian Trail in the Smoky Mountains in Tennessee. We spent the night in a log shelter with three walls and a fence on the fourth to keep out the bears. It was snowing and blowing outside, and the critter decided to share his warmth with us. We were glad that was all he shared.

Welcome Mark Maki. This site makes a lot of people's day complete.

or else regarding jigsaw puzzles all one has to do is contact Mrs. Moose right from the pasty home page-- I noticed it the other day, and plan on having one made myself soon of my "best friend" Tundraa. Mrs. Moose Jigsaws is located in Negaunee, and she has some wonderful nature shots for puzzles and floral as well, or you can submit your own photo. I know it sounds like it's my very own business, but when I looked at the site, I was lost for over an hour viewing all the possiblities. My favorite shot was the "Big Boy Convention" in the north woods! Check it out. :) http://mrsmoosejigsawpuzzles.com/funstuff.htm

Mary says: Thanks for doing my job for me, Michele! I was trying to remember what the name of the puzzle place that advertises right here on Pasty.com and is located in the U.P. was and couldn't come up with it! Seems only right that if you're going to have a U.P. picture made into a puzzle, you should use a U.P. merchant!!

He's beautiful! What a great shot!