Present Distribution of North American Mink in Norway

Abstract

The mink (Mustela vison Schreb.) was imported from North America to fur farms in Norway in the last parts of the 1920's. Animals that have escaped from fur farms have founded stocks of wild minks now inhabiting extensive parts of our country. The author has earlier given a detailed account of the occurrence of the species in Norway up to 1948 (fauna, Oslo, 4: (December), 1949). In this paper shall be given a brief summary of this account in addition to records from recent years (1949–1954). As sources, the information concerning occurrence of different animals which the game investigation service receives every spring and autumn from local officials throughout the country are used. As mink are regarded as destructive to small game and poultry, there is a bounty for hunting them in many districts. The bounty statistics can to a certain extent be used as a check on the information from these districts.