Have you seen a polecat?
Post categories: In depth
| 18:20 UK time, Tuesday, 26 May 2009
This year my hi-tech team and I have been set what is possibly our toughest Springwatch mission yet: to film a polecat.
You can follow this mission on the show but we'd also like to build up a picture of polecat populations across the UK. The muntjac survey we did for Autumnwatch was so successful we'd like to do the same again for polecats. And this is where you come in...
Have you seen a polecat? Have you taken a photo of one? Have you even filmed one? Tell us about your sightings below, upload a video or send us a picture to our Flickr group (it would really help us if you could tag it 'polecat').
With your help we'll be able to build a map of polecat populations across the country.
(If you're unsure about the difference between a polecat and a ferret have a look at this clip from BBC Wales' wildlife expert Iolo Williams.)
Thank you!
Update 27th May
Wow! Thanks for the amazing response. There's been some really interesting sightings here. Please keep them coming in. Here's a slideshow of some of the pictures you've sent in so far.
Comments
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I live on the outskirts of Lichfield, in quite a rural spot, surrounded by countryside. About 2 years ago, we saw an injured polecat in our garden. I don't know if it had been hit by a car, but it was up against some garden stairs. It was extremely distressed and looked pretty vicious! It managed to get into the hedgerow and I never saw it again.... but I was delighted to think that polecats were around this area. I know it was about 2 years ago, but I presume they would still be in the area.
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I had a polecat in my garden a few years ago. At the time my pet female ferret that lives in the garden was in season, so I assumed it was a male polecat. I saw him twice, then my ferret was spayed and I havent seen him since. I was quite suprised to see the polecat as I dont live in a rural area and dont see many wild mammals around here (Stoke-on-Trent).
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In September 2006, on a farm in South Wales, my father in law found a polecat in his Wellington Boot who was quite poorly. We adopted the young lady, naming her Sabina, and paid for an operation which was succesful. She was with us for 3 months but was a wild little lady and we ended up asking the RSPCA to help us. They took Sabina away to a sanctuary which was sad but the right thing to do.
Sabina was poorly because she had not mated in some time. There is a technical or biological term for this and the only option was to operate.
She was a star to have around and hid most times in our settee. She was, though, a wild animal and needed a lot more than we could offer her. I have posted a photograph of her.
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i work at Leek, Staffordshire and i saw a polecat by the canal at dinnertime 26th May
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We were birdwatching at Lake Vyrynwy. It was early afternoon and a bit overcast. When we got to, approximately, map reference SJ000203 we saw something running along the side of the road, ahead of us. It was too big to be a Stoat or Weasel but we couldn't think what it could be and as it was in silhouette we couldn't see any details. Watching Springwatch has made us think it may have been a Polecat. Have they been seen round that area? It would be great if it had been a Polecat!
What a great place the Lake area is, by the way!
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I saw one on the coast path between Fishguard and Dinas Island, last year in broad daylight. It ran off into a cow field.
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I havent seen a wild polecat, but i let my ferrets run in the field behind my house and 1 got pregnant by a wild polecat!! In from Buckinghamshire. I shall keep looking!
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I saw a polecat recently at the stables where I ride in Burgh Castle in Norfolk. The yard cats were stalking something under the stables, when they lost interest the polecat emerged and scuttled away.
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My dad and I have both spotted polecats close to Whitchurch in Shropshire, just north of the border with Cheshire in a place called Tushingham. One was dead at the side of the road and one appeared to be attempting a similar suicide!
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We had a polecat visiting our garden in Apley Castle, Telford in January this year. It visited for two nights in a row and took food from a plate right by the patio doors. It looked in the house and seemed very curious and extremely cute. Sorry Simon!
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I saw a Pole cat in Leicestershire at water mead park last summer. it was running under the cars in the car park
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About two years ago, around midnight, my husband took the dog out into the garden and a polecat came bounding across our lawn. Our back garden is edged by a small stream, with wild country life on the other side. We live in north west Dorset.
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I believe that I saw a polecat on the Eastern side of Dartmoor this April, crossing the road ahead of me and then crossing a gateway. It had the striped face and was larger than a stoat or weasel - both of which I would recognise without trouble.
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i saw a polecat a year ago at my parents house near brynamman in the upper swansea valley
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many times over the past five years have seen polecats and weasels in carmel woods near the village of pentregwenlais, llandybie, carmarthenshire. i am a volunteer warden with the ccw.
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I live on the Isle of Man and see Polecats on a regular basis. I have seen numerous over the last 4 years alive and a terrible number killed on the road. I will try to get some pictures this year.
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Two polecats seen on the outskirts of East Leake, Leicestershire early evening (approx 7 pm) in January 2009. Quite surprised by what I saw,so I came home and checked on internet to identify whatI had seen, the distinguishing feature was the facial "mask". I originally thought I had seen a pair of ferrets but internet pictures showed that they were definitely polecats. Both animals seemed to be playing in the hedgebottom and were picked up in my headlights.
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We recently saw a polecat on the edge Mears Ashby which is in central Northamptonshire. We had a lovely clear view for about 3/4 minutes after spotting its eyes in the headlights of out car.
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I saw a polecat whilst at work about two months ago in the early hours on a chemical site at Carrington in Cheshire.
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Have seen polecats, 11.30 pm ish near the river dysynni (just outside BrynCrug, mid wales). Latest sighting early May this year. Have seen them in the same area before, last year numerous sightings.
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saw a polecat at the side of the main A road between leyland and preston in lancashire .Not at all worried about the busy traffic looking very alert and actually watching the traffic whist foraging for food.We were in the car at the time and I couldnt believe what I had seen .Ive been extremely interested in wildlife since I was very young and I knew instantly what I had seen.
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I live between Whittington and Ellesmere at a place called Hindford I have walked my dogs across the local farms for the last 20 years. There is couple of fields that fall away quite steeply to a wooded overgrown stretch with a stream where there is also a very large badger set. Through binoculars I have seen polecats on odd occasions in daylight and often at dusk.
One day last year in the lane that runs towards this area within ten yards I found three dead polecats, squashed I still find it hard to fathom how three could have been killed so close together
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I saw what I believe was a polecat crossing the road one night near the middle of April just outside of Bramshaw in the New Forest.
I'm not however 100% sure whether it was a native polecat or an escaped polecat coloured ferret.
It certainly a polecats bandit mask, but was gone out of the headlight beam too quickly for a detailed examination.
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We saw a polecat with kits in the field behind our garden in Alderton, Gloucestershire. We think it was about 3 years ago. Our neighbours were also lucky enough to see them on the same occasion. We felt very privileged!
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My dog uncovered a dead polecat (she definitely wasn't responsible!) near a road in Chelford, Cheshire on the weekend and I have the pictures to prove it. Unfortunately that's the only time we've ever seen one, but it proves they are around...
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I live about a thousand feet up The Rhobell Fawr near Dolgellau and in December a polecat dug into my chicken shed and killed 12 of my 17 chickens, I ran outside to see if I could save them and it hid under a log pile. Until my terrier flushed it out and my cat chased it down the road. I haven't seen it yet this year.
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I live in south Shropshire, close to the Long Mynd and have seen 1 carpeted on the road a month ago. A few nights later, about a mile away from the rta I saw one in the verge on the drive home.
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I saw a polecat at 10.30 pm in early March this year. It ran across the back road in the village of Llanover, just south of Abergavenny in Wales.
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I live near Northwich in Cheshire. Six months ago my wife and I saw a polecat in our garden. It was hiding under a bush attempting to ambush a rabbit. We observed the creature for about 5 minutes but have not seen it since. Our house backs onto the railway so we have a very high rabbit population, I suppose this might attract the polecats.
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While on holiday in Uist my husband and I saw a beautifully bandit marked polecat stick its head out of a hole as we went past. We were on a small island which was uninhabited that we had walked over to at low tide from the main island. I can't remember what it was called. This was in August 2004.
susan
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Polecats.
Hello Springwatch,
I just love polecats and have been lucky enough to see quite a few in my local area. I have seen 3 in a place called Woodspeen in West Berkshire all crossing the road on seperate occasions and then to my sheer delight I also saw mum and kits crossing the country road leading into Wantage a couple of miles from my house. The adult sprung out from a hedge and then across the road so I braked. And then just as I was about to drive on 6 kits bounded out of the hedge and followed her into the hedge the other side of the road. It was such a sight and very comical.
Good luck with your polecat sightings.
Yours,
Julie Roberts,
Great Shefford, West Berkshire.
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I saw a large polecat stalking a Hare in Kenfig Nature Reserve, South Wales
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i have seen four pole cats in the Frodsham area of Cheshire this year.
Two dead by the side of the road....and two around houses located in more rural areas.
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Saw a dead Polecat on the edge of the Cannock to Penkridge road near Pillaton today.
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During March 2006 at around midnight, we had a clear view of a polecat moving along at the side of the road. This was in Collingbourne, Wiltshire.
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I have seen polecats in two places in Cumbria where I live in Culgaith (late nights)and Wet Sledale, nr Shap(in daylight.
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I have seen a polecat twice at Contin near Strathpeffer in Ross-shire, most recently in April 2008 in my friends garden. I also saw it two years previous to that.
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We have seen a dead polecat on the road near here (Llangarron, Herefordshire, HR9 6NH), but a couple of weeks ago, coming home in the car, about 10pm, one ran along the grass verge of the main road, in front of us.
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I saw a polecat, unmistakeable by the bandit band, standing on its hind legs by the side of the lane as I cycled past little more than 8 feet away. As soon as I stopped to watch it disappeared into the hedgerow. This was in the village of Sturminster Marshall in Dorset, last summer, I haven't seen it since.
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A polecat ran infront of my car last month as I was driving home about 8pm. It was very clear and about 3 feet away - I had to slam on my brakes but we got a great view. It was on the edge of the Glenlivet estate near Drumin Castle ruins, Ballindalloch, Moray
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I have seen 2 wild polecats in the last six months whilst out working the ferrets for the hawks. The first one was living in a rabbit waren and tried to attack the ferret we were working outside the hole this was near abergele in north wales
The second one was on the sand dunes doing the same near gronant prestatyn whilst out hawking.
We also have a friend who lost a ferret whilst out in the fields near prestatyn and he found it six weeks later whilst walking the dog but the twist is the ferret gave birth to kits a week later and they all have the markings of wild polecats and he as never put the jill with a hob ferret so they will breed and are moving around the country
hope you a help
sean
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I saw a Polecat a few years ago in Althorp, Northamptonshire. He ran across the road in front of me while I was on the way to visit my horse.
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I saw a polecat last year (midsummer)at Sywell Reservoir in Northamptonshire. It shot across the circuit pathway (west side of reservoir) and then returned shortly afterwards.
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Hello Simon and the Team. I saw a Pole Cat 2 weeks ago on a
Small lane near Herbrandston, Milford Haven.
It was carrying a smaller animal in it's mouth. Not sure what it was tho.
I'd never seen one before and it socked me a bit.
Love the show.
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saw a polecat in dumfries 4 miles from the town centre it was running along a stone wall next to the road at about 2 in the morning,my car headlights picked it out,my freind phil also saw it
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2 years ago i had problems with rats around my horses and chichens ,so i purchased a humame rat trap and on the first night i set it and in the morning what should i find wedged in the cage but a polecat ,needless to say i drove it deep into the forest and released it ....mark ..forest of dean
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I saw a pole cat last year possibly June or July and around 10 in the morning at Harlech golf club between the 5th green and the 6th tee. It popped up out of a ditch and wasn't alarmed and seemed rather curious as to what I was doing. Fantastic experience for me
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This morning (about 9 am )whilst playing golf near Llanidloes, Mid Wales we saw what we initially believed to be a stoat. The creature circled the green ahead of us - about ten to twenty yards away - and disappeared into the gorse. About a foot or two in length, predominately brown with a darker brown tail and no obvious white markings underneath. The animal was making a purposeful run across our path but regrettable we did not see the creature face on. Having seen tonight's Springwatch ( 26th May) I wonder if we witnessed a polecat?
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Hi Springwatch Time, love the programme :0 x
Wanted to let you know that my husband and I have spotted a Polecat in a country lane not far from where we live in Llanharan (CF72) only about 6 weeks ago. Every time we use the lane we keep our eyes peeled! Also I was out with my mother yesterday on Cowbridge common and we were blessed with the songs of Skylarks, we counted about half dozen, it looked like males challenging each other to the 'highest song' competition. Marvellous. Keep up the good work. Thanks
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I have a nature reserve at the bottom of my garden. I live in Saltcoats, Ayrshire, in Scotland. I see a polecat every night around 10 o'clock. Ive been feeding it regularly and im going to pay him anoter visit in an hour or so.
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I live in the Isle of Man. There is a very large number of Polecats here especially in the Mountain Road area which runs from the north to middle of the island.
Liz
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My job takes me around rural Shropshire every day (Vyrnwy this morning!)
I see quite a few pole cats, unfortunately not all are alive. Quite regular on the B5063 at the bluebell crossroads-my trip too work!
A few years ago animal activists released some mink from a farm in the vicinity, is it possible i could be mistaking the polecats for small mink in some cases?
I don't always see the face, just the unmistakeable shape and dark coat.
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3 yrs. ago I reported a polecat in my garden. He set up home under our conservatory. Because the ground was hard (frost) we fed him roasted chicken wings. We then set up an infrared camera on a small tripod late at night and filmed two polecats coming to take our chicken (we also filmed a large cat doing the same). The film was sent to the Valentine trust and was confirmed as two polecats - male and female. We now loan the film out to a local "special school" each year and "Percy and friend" are appreciated. (Stafford post cose ST17 0LL)
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I live in Caerphilly, South Wales. Unbelievably, we had a polecat in our attic around 18 months ago. Our council pest controller caught it in a live trap and released it in a local forest. I don't know how it got there, and didn't appreciate the smell when it squirted me with its scent when I lifted the trap! I took photographs before we released it and sent them to a gentleman called Johnny Birks of the Vincent Wildlife Trust in Ledbury, who confirmed it was a polecat. My post code is CF83 2AN.
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Polecats are very common on the Isle of Man. I saw one just the other night on my way home. A couple of times we have seen a mother and kits just walking along the road by our house. Im sure you could film them easily if you came over here to see them
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We regularly see Polecats when driving home in South Shropshire late at night . The last sighting was last Saturday night at about 11.45.
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Monday 25th May 23:00.
location: small A road running from the white horse towards the town of Pewsey, Wiltshire.
we are 90% sure we saw a polecat running up the side of the road. at the time we thought it was a stoat but it was dark brown with lighter areas on the face. seeing springwatch today, we are pretty sure it was a polecat.
is this possible? have they been noted in Wiltshire before.
thanks,
mike and tracey.
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saw a polecat on my driveway around 9pm just walked across road to next garden year 2008. in 2007 in the morning polecat running along pavement while i was teaching pupil to drive
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We live in crugybar, llanwrda, wales and we have a video of a polecat eating cat biscuits in our conservatory I will try and transfer it to my computer and send it on.
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I was driving along the B4233 towards Abergavenny and at about 3 or 4 miles east of the town I saw a polecat in my headlights. It was about 3 years ago and at about 10.00pm.
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I have several sightings here between Llangrove and Llangarron in Herefordshire, the first about 6/7 years ago about midday crossing the road, about the same time I found a dead Polecat by the road on the otherside of the village, also on my weekend run last summer one polecat ran out from the bank and crossed the road about 5 metres in front of me also about midday.
But last year late summer early\autumn in the year both my wife and our neighbour had sightings down in the little copse below our house.
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Saw a polecat last summer near harlech(already a sighting on your map)at the old R A F base, Shell island, Llanbedr. It was about 3 o'clock on a very hot day and it was chasing crows on the old air strip, jumping 2 or 3 feet in the air. we could'nt belive our eyes.
Russ n Helen.
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I saw a polecat this time a year ago on the mill leat in Towcester Northamptonshire. It was running along the bank of what is about to become a wildlife park.
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MY FAMILY AND I VISITED CENTER PARCS IN CUMBRIA LAST JUNE. DURING THE AFTERNOON WE WERE ALERTED BY A HORRENDOUS COMMOTION OUTSIDE, AND RUSHED OUT TO SEE AN ANIMAL WHICH WE LATER CONFIRMED AS A POLE CAT, ROLLING AROUND THE WOODLAND FLOOR WRESTLING A RABBIT MUCH LARGER THAN ITSELF. THE RABBIT MANAGED TO ESCAPE FROM THE VICIOUS GRASP OF THE POLECAT AND SHOT OFF WITH THE POLECAT IN PURSUIT. AMAZING!! MISSED GETTING THE CAMERA BY SECONDS
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Ive seen a polecat on a couple of occasions between the villages of Bucknell and Chapel Lawn in Shropshire. Once at night along the lane in the headlights, and the other time just before dusk in the woods next to the River Redlake.
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In 1998 whilst walking in northern scotland - somewhere near Auchleven I saw a polecat hunting a rabbit warren in broad daylight. I watched for roughly 10-15 minutes whilst it searched through different burrows of a large warren, until I had to move continue my walk. The pole cat knew I was there it seemed completely unconcerned & basically ignored me.
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hi my name is richard fothergill look after glenfeochan estate in oban sctland and just to let you know we have had a few polecats on the estate allso this year it seems to be alive with pine martins.keep up the good work enjoing the programme.
richard
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Loving the show but missing Bloddie (my son thinks thats his name) We have seen polecats on several occasions, we live on the Romney Marsh, Unfortunately we only really see them when we are driving on the Marsh and they dart out in front of the car, so will never really be in a position to get a picture of one. Also spotted a Stoat or at least it looked like one. All my sightings have been in daytime.
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I was incredibly fortunate to see a polecat run along a stone wall for about fifty metres before disappearing into a hedge. This was on the South side of Betws-y-Coed at about 2am on a June morning back in 1980.
I noticed the animal's eyes reflecting in my headlights, and slowed down in case it ran into the road. It totally ignored me, despite the lights, and treated me for a few seconds,to a sight I shall never forget!
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I saw a fleeting glimpse of a polecat at night, about 12 years ago, as it crossed the road in front of my car, on the A498 just east of Tremadog in wales.
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We live in the Isle of Man and we see lots of pole cats at least one a month. Unfortunately, quite a lot are hit by cars so you often see them dead by the side of the road. We do occasionally see them going in and out of the hedge rows near a free range chicken farm.
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I found a dead polecat at the roadside just south of Aylesbury in Bucks at the end of March. Took photo as record. Apparently, they are spreading into the Chilterns.
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sorry forget to add i saw polecats in fraserburgh aberdeenshire
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Two years ago,i was driving to work at around 5.30 in the morning, i came across a polecat in the road, i was amazed as it stood up on it's back legs, as if to challenge me! this took place just outside dartmouth in devon.
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I saw a Polecat at the western end of Freeman's Marsh, west of Hungerford, Berkshire, in the morning of 31.7.2008 (photo taken on mobile phone is on Flickr). Adjacent to Kennet and Avon Canal.
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Forest of Dean. I have seen live ones and roadkill over the last 3 - 4 years, the last being in 2008.
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My son, Tom, and his girlfriend, Jenny, and I, saw a Polecat about 10:30pm on 16 May in a lane between Solva and Whitchurch in Pembrokeshire, Wales. We were driving along a very narrow lane when we saw this slim brown creature with a black and white face rooting about in the bottom of the hedgerow. We had a good but brief view of it in the headlights before it disappeared into the hedge.
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We live on the Isle of Man (which rarely gets a mention on Springwatch!) and we have polecats galore. Sadly we see many dead on the side of the road and with TT looming there may be more. Only yesterday we were talking to a wildlife volunteer who was entertained by a bundle of four playful polecats in a hedgerow in the Patrick area of the island. Hope to get a pin on the Springwatch map.
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I was startled by a polecat under my car whilst removing my boots at Pont-ar Daf car park near Storey Arms,Brecon Beacons early summer a couple of years ago
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We saw a polecat on our way back from our favourite pub in February this year. It was trotting alond the road,turned and gave us a defiant look, then jumped the wall into the wood. It was up from Thorpinsty Farm in the winster valley, Cumbria on 28th Feb.
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my dad has picked up (sorry to say) a dead female polecat last summer on the 614 at ollerton in nottinghamshire, and i have had badgers in my garden and i live 2 miles from the city centre of nottingham.
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It was ages ago now (October 9th 2007), but I wanted to post it anyway. We were at the Needles Park in Cornwall. It was around midday and the park was closed and deserted. Suddenly a flock of jackdaws went absolutely mad screeching and surrounding something on the floor. I got out of the car to take a closer look. I tried to get close and I managed to see a weasel/stoat-like creature was being surrounded and mobbed. It was sable and black in colour and I got a glimpse of a striped head. There was no way it was a badger. It bounded off, actually being chased the whole way by the jackdaws and then disappeared into scrub. It arched its back as it ran. At the time, we had no idea what it was, but since watching Springwatch and seeing pics of the polecat, we are absolutely certain that must have been what we saw!
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Hi, I have been photographing polecats for the last 3 days. I must have at least 10/15 good sharp images of them. In total there were 3 polecats. I have posted images of them on Flickr, polecat20. The images were taken at my local natures reserve in Tring Herts.
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There was a polecat killed on the A483 just north of Pant on the Shropshire/Powys border in March this year.
Also a local villager in Llanwddyn, Lake Vyrnwy found a polecat in a rabbit trap in their garden who they then released. It jumped onto a wall looked back at them and then disappeared.
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I live in West Wales near to Lampeter and we used to have an enclosure with pet rabbits in the garden. We had a polecat visit and help herself to one of our rabbits. We then made the enclosure more secure. The following year she brought her young with her and although she could not get into the enclosure her offspring did, but was too young and inexperienced to know what to do so we let him out in the morning.
we were able to observe these comings and goings from our bedroom windows at dawn. I assume that she still passes through, but we no longer have pet rabbits so we have nothing to cause her to hang around anymore.
Also, at least once a year I see polecats crossing the roads around here.
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Hi, july 2007 I stumbled across four baby polecats in a flooded ditch, on a little country lane near to where I live in Worrall Hill, Forest of Dean. I rescued them and brought them home where my children and I cared for them for a week under instruction from the gloucestershire wildlife rescue before handing them over once a van could get out of gloucester due to the flooding.this was an experience we will never forget. We kept in touch and had regular reports on thier progress right up till thier release in woodland at Five Acres. I have also seen adult polecats running across the track near to my place of work at Stowfield, Lydbrook. I have the most lovely pictures and will send them in once I have figured how to transfer them from my phone to the computer.
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I work at a bird of prey centre in Knutsford, Cheshire, and last year my colleague saw a polecat whilst out in the fields with the hawks. Thankfully the hawks didn't spot it!
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I seen a family of 5 wild polecats last summer, they were playing on a grass bank next to a very busy road near Llangranog West Wales. My husband and I watched them play for a good 7-10 minutes before they scurried off into a field.
Unfortunately we also see quite a few road killed polecats on the road between Llanrystud and Rhydefelin but at least it shows that there may be a good population of polecats in this area.
Well Done spring watch, it is by far the best show on telly.
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i have seen a polecat crossing the road at dusk near llangarron, ross on wye, and also at the doward, nr ross on wye
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My son spotted a polecat while he was camping with his troop at Thrithwood International Scout Camp site in Essex.
The polecat he saw backed out of a hole into some bushes, raised its head, and then ran off.
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in MAY 2007 AT ABOUT 5PM SAW A POLECAT CROSS THE ROAD BETWEEN APPLECROSS AND TOSCAIG (WESTER ROSS). IT STOPPED AND LOOK BACK AT OUR CAR AND THEN DISSAPEARED INTO THE ROCKS.
DAVID & AUDREY TORPY
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I saw a polecat in abbotsbury Devon, which was inside a drain pipe and looked at me then scuttled away!
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We saw a polecat a few months ago on my neighbours garden in the early evening in the Walton area in Chesterfield, Derbyshire.
We are very close to the local woods and are visited by badgers and foxes but have never seen a polecat before.
It rang along the edge of the garden by the fence and looked in through the patio doors. Then, when it realised that there was someone watching it from inside it ran back the way it had come and disappeared over the rear garden wall.
We had to check in a natural history book as we couldnt believe that it was a polecat.
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I was walking the dog approx. 2 months ago through our local fields around 8am when I saw an animal making it's way through the grass towards us. I made our dog sit and watched as a polecat made it's way closer to us. I'm not sure who was the most surprised the polecat or myself, it stopped just a few feet away then dived off into the hedgerow. I live in the Pewsey Vale, Wiltshire.
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I have not seen on myself but if you look in the new issue of Radio Times in the letters section there is a letter from John Casey of Manchester with a picture of what appears to be a polecast in his back garden.
Also, I love Simon's artwork this year. Can I have the cartoon of the polecat behind the camera pulling tongues please - it did make me giggle
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My daughter has spotted a polecat eyeing up our pet rabbits about 10 pm ish and also my husband has spotted a polecat crossing the road on his way to nightshift at approx 11.45pm, both sightings at Marsh Benham, Nr Newbury, Berkshire.
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We had a pair of polecats in my garden 2 years ago, we saw them one Sunday morning on our deck right outside our back door, later we were sitting down to a family Sunday lunch and the pair came back and were playing around on the deck for quite some time. We live in the Trentham area of Stoke On Trent, the previous year I saw a polecat in our garden under the shed, but I am not certain if it was one of the pair we had the following year. We have not had any sightings this year or last year, we assumed it was because our pet rabbit has since died. Incidently I have also sighted mink running wild on the Trentham Estate.
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When traveling up and down to wales, in and around Saint Asaph we often see road kill Polecats in one day we saw 5,a bit sad to see! kev (ROCHDALE)
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It's going back some years now but in the mnid 1970s I saw a polecat in Morayshire, Scotland, in countryside near Lossiemouth, in pine woodland. We had a good look at each other before it headed off into the wood!
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Last year I saw 2 polecats in July in my garden in Macclesfield, Cheshire. They came from under some decking and darted about playing in the garden but too quick for me to photograph. I was unsure exactly what they were as one was completely white but the darker was definitely a polecat so maybe the other was an albino? I will keep looking for them this year.
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About 2 years ago a Polecat trotted across my lawn one spring afternoon as my wife and were in the garden,it then vanished under my neigbours shed.
Living in Llanfair-ym-Muallt (Builth) on the banks of the river Wye the wild life never ceases to amaze me. Kites overhead are now an everyday sight. A lot more Sand Martins this year.
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A couple of weeks ago I was driving off the ring road in Oxford and went passed a ran over, what looked like pole cat it had quite a distinctive pattern on it's head which made me think it was a pole cat and not a domestic ferret. I mentioned it to my dad and brother and they just said oh yes we've seen loads of them especially on the way to my other brothers house who up until a short time ago lived in mid Wales, always went via A40 to Lampeter and they only saw road kill. So definately plenty Wales way but I was very surprised to see it as I've only ever seen Weasles around here!! Orchidtracy, Oxford
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Polecats are quite common on the Isle-Of-Man,farmers and chicken farmers,always have to make sure the coups are polecat proof,otherwise they will take the hens/chicks et.You very often see dead ones at side of the roads,ran over by traffic.last year we had to pull up behind a couple of cars on the road,it was for a polecat& it was carrying kitts,which had been left a the side of the road,the cars did`t move until she had carted 5 or 6 kitts across the road,one at a time,twoing & frowing across the road. I am in my 60`s and as far as Im aware we`ve always had plenty of Polecats here on the Island.
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I live in Thurlaston, Warwickshire and saw a polecat late one evening last summer, crossing the road into the woodland opposite our house.
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3 years ago I picked up a dead polecat on the road at Nanty-bai a mile west of the village of Rhandirmwyn in Carmarthenshire. At the time the Wild Life Trust were wanting sightings of pine martins that were thought to exist in the area but they confirmed that it was a polecat
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In August 2006 approaching the b&b we were to stay at near Milburn Cumbria between Penrith and Appleby we saw, running down the side of the lane towards us, a Polecat.
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A friend of mine who lives in Ponterwyd, ceredigion had a pole cat living in their shed about 2 years ago.
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I spotted a polecat when I was driving north from Callander on A85 two years ago around 7am on a beautiful clear summer morning. The road was really quiet and as I came around a corner the polecat was jumping around playfully in the road in front of me. As I slowed, it turned and stared then bounced off into the woodland.
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I unfortunately saw my one and only wild polecat that was a victim of the road on the B6105 near Glossop in Derbyshire, hopefully there will be the chance to see a live one
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My wife and I were walking our young dog last May when, only 10 yards away, we saw two polecats chasing each other at the edge of nearby woods. But for the dog joining the chase, we think they may have ignored us and given us a wonderful sight of them playing. Perhaps that's just optimism with hindsight!
L & F
Wilts/Somerset border
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Hello, i have spotted several polecats in south Shropshire, 5 miles east of Bridgnorth. By the way i must add that these are regular sightings and are actual polecats not ferrets.
From Derek Saunders, Dudley
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I saw a polecat in Carrington, Cheshire too - a couple of months ago. Also a few years ago I saw one near Knutsford.
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Polecats were never extinct over here Simon. You must come over one day.
Mainly seen as roadkills but it is the Islands largest land predator and reasonably common.
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The footage of the goshawk was interesting and beautiful but in the upper Tywi valley they are a pest and have devastated free range poultry holdings.
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We live in the outskirts of Lichfield on a Farm.(Armitage with Handsacre). There is a large pond as you arrive down our drive. We often see a pair of Polecats here.
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I saw a polecat 3 days ago mid afternoon. It was on the roadside between Andreas and Jurby in the Isle of Man. I also watched a couple of kits playing on the roadside very early one morning last year. They weren't bothered by my stopping the car to watch them. It was a magical moment.
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I live on the outskirts of Bromsgrove, Worcestershire and found a dead Polecat in late January. I took a few photographs for identification purposes.
This was the second dead Polecat found in the area over the last 2 years,
The first carcase was sent to the Vincent Trust and was identified as a true Polecat. Other suspected dead Polecats have been seen on local major roads.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/38856203@N08/3567226869/in/photostream/
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I watched a dark polecat hug the hedge for five minutes inside my garden in West Wales, (near Llandeilo) one late spring evening , but it was several years ago, maybe 2004. I had a very good view, but no camera. At the same time, within a couple of days, my neighbour's hens were all killed.
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On my way home in the early hours after seatrout fishing in dolgellau a polecat ran out into the middle of the road, i stopped and so did he . He had a quick look then dissapeared into the undergrowth on the other side of the road.This was last year.
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My husband had spotted about 4 polecat's in the area of Chipping Norton, Oxfordshire. Over the last 4 years.
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We have found 3 dead Polecats in South-East Anglesey in the last few yrs, & one by Penmaenmawr on the mainland, nr Conwy, last yr. The last live one I saw was dancing in the road, near Aberdaron, also in Gwynedd - 40 yrs ago!
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I saw a polecat near Port Eynon on the Gower Peninsula in South Wales in spring 2008. It was quickly crossing a small road between fields mid morning. Unfortunately, I haven't seen one this year.
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a polecat ran across a track on maes gwenn mountain about 8 years ago. unfortunately i did not have a camera with me and it was on the run.what a beautiful little animal.
i have often seen weasels run across the roads between where i live and neath , and once when i was fishing a canal in neath a mink run by on the far bank , i have also spotted quail,buzzards,red kites,rare moths and salamanders locally , to see salamanders i put down a piece of white board in the long grass in the rear lane and wait for some sun as they will nest underneat it and come out and lay on it to sunbathe.
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I regularly had polecats coming to my chicken shed when I lived in Cheshire (CW6 9ES).My young chickens would disappear over summer on a regular basis and I was confused by this until I witnessed one approaching the hen house on a cold winters day at dusk.There is a population living in the woodland surrounding my old address and I can definitely confirm that they are there as my dogs sadly caught one and killed it.Every so often they are to be seen as roadkills around this area.
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November 07 we saw a polecat running across the Rhuddlan road in Rhyl. Only a few months before we saw a dead one in road in nearly the same place.
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I saw a polecat at SY10 0DE last Sept at about 3pm on a footpath in valley opposite B4500 2 miles from Llan Rhaeder y Monchant.
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Polecats are relatively common between Newbury and Hungerford in Berks. I have seen at least 6 dead on the road and driving late at night I have seen two crossing the road. I saw one in daylight on a track pulling a dead rabbit.
They can be confused with mink along the River Kennet, though I have never seen a dead mink on the road.
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The only polecat I've seen was roadkill sadly. A year or two ago on the A3102 close to the Sally Pussey's Inn, between Swindon and Wootton Bassett. I didn't recognise it at all at first. It obviously wasn't a cat so I thought it might be a mink as they are a pest around here. However, the white muzzle and dark face were very distinctive and when I looked it up it could only be a polecat.
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I live in Hednesford near Cannock and we have had a polecat visiting our garden for the last 3 months. We put food out every night and sometimes we see him in the evening before it goes dark and sometimes we see him early morning just as its getting light and sometimes we don't see him at all but in the morning all the food is gone. The other day we found 2 dead frogs on the lawn, so for some reason the polecat didn't eat them. Perhaps it was too full from the food we left. We have nicknamed him Percy! I have put a video of him on the 'your movies' section, showing him collecting a little snack.
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Just to let you know that I caught a polecat in squirrel trap in my garden at 4 Fawns Keep, Wilmslow SK9 2BQ on 24 October 2005.
The animal was photographed and released and reported to The Vincent Wildlife Trust/The Mammal Society Polecat Survey 2004-2006.
I have not seen another polecat since.
I still have a photograph that I could email to you if interested.
Regards
Jim Crockatt
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I used to keep my horse at a small yard in Guildford, Surrey. In the early Spring of 2004 I walked into the hay barn just after sunset and met a large Polecat just standing there, about 5 or 6 feet away, sideways on, looking at me. After about a minute the Polecat calmly walked away. It was an amazing moment that I will remember forever.
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I live near Machynlleth, Mid Wales. In 2007 I found a newly dead young polecat on my driveway; no idea how it got ther; could resident Red Kites/buzzard/raven have killed then dropped it? I weighed, measured & photographed it for reference & have never gien up hope of seeing another.. Two years before this (August 2005) IDID see a Pinemarten, the most exciting British wild animal I've ever been priviledged to see.
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We had a family of polecats in the garden, July 2005. One adult and three juveniles. They looked about four weeks old, small and black. We think they were being moved by the adult, spending the evening running around in the long grass and scrub : fantastic! We live one mile outside Rhayader Mid Wales - towards Elan Valley.
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In September 2008 I found a very small sick polecat in my kitchen steeling cat biscuits. Herefordshire.
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A polecat paid a visit to my Dad's house in Suffolk (near Stowmarket). He/she boldly sauntered in to the kitchen through the open front door, grabbed a trainer in his teeth and made for the exit. After a bout of tug-of-war we managed to keep hold of the shoe... the Polecat wandered off for a look around the garden.
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We were at shell island near Harlech yesterday monday 25th may ,in the, afternoon at 1500,and a polecat appeared from behind some rocks and sat there for about 30 seconds watching us, it ran off when I moved to pick up my camera.
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I am a taxi driver and while I was travelling on the A303 near Amesbury, wiltshire in the autumn of 2008 I saw a polecat which crossed the road in front of me.
This was around midnight.
Three nights ago, which was the 23rd of May 09 in the same area. I had to take avisage action not to run over an adult polecat which was trying to cross the A303 outside Amesbury. I Hope this helps with your survey simon.
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In Brian D Plummer's book "Ferrets" he says "...Dr Sleeman believes ...there is a construction in the front of the cranium between the eyes of a ferret that is absent in a true wild polecat.." and says that only by examination of the skull can anyone be certain. Dr Sleeman also seems to say that diet / health can affect the size of this construction and also cross-breeding of polecat/ferret can affect the size so it's by no means clear-cut or easy!
We regularly find polecats/polecat coloured ferrets as road kill and do see them alive! Whereas most men would like to take flowers to Kate, my husband is quite happy to collect a dead polecat /ferret for examination. We also see a good deal of poo if Chris is interested. We live in North Shopshire.
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We were walkeking in scotland just outside of Glasgow on a bridge and we saw a polecat running acorss the riverbank with a dead rabbit in it's mouth it then looked at us as if to say "your not having this" and then ran off.
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I was at College Lake,which belongs to BBONT, in the woodland bird hide with a U3A wildlife group last Friday, 22nd May, and we were watching two young polecats for a considerable time routing about around a pond. One of our members went and spoke to a volunteer on the site and he told her that they had had a family of polecats reared there and the young were just beginning to explore on their own. They were delightful little creatures.
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I live in the rural outskirts of Port Talbot in South Wales.Last autumn I was on my mobile phone standing on the decking in the back garden at dusk which backs onto farmland, when I saw what appeared to be a cat creeping up the decking steps.I then was able to see that it was a polecat due to the distinctive banding around it's face.As I continued quietly with my call I watched it sniff around the plant pots then run down onto the garden where it hopped around in a arching type of playful manner before it disappeared along the stream which runs through the garden.
Although I've not seen it since, I was interested to see the droppings you showed in the barn as they looked similar [from the view that was given] to droppings I regularly find in my garden which are bigger than cat faeces but definately not dog pooh.
As the evidence of animals is sometimes only clues, would it be possible to show what these droppings look like and maybe how to identify their footprints.
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My friend found 3 dead polecats within about a half mile from Broadmayne (postcode DT2 8**) on the A352 to Dorchester, back in March 09 and all appeared to be adults, and then a further one about 3 weeks ago that was probably a youngster. As he had never seen one before we took a couple of photos to check and I will try and forward them to you. As few of us had not seen one before it is very sad to think such numbers had been killed
Rodger williamson
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I saw 2 polecats June 2008 playing in a field during the day on Exmoor in a village called Selworthy near Minehead. I have also spotted one running along a dry stone wall on Valley of the Rocks near Lynmouth also on Exmoor the same year.
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I live near Newport, Shropshire and two polecats have been seen in our grounds. The 1st was caught and unfortunately killed by our alsatian. The 2nd was caught in a cage in an attempt to trap a mink which had been observed. We photographed and released the polecat.
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Saw a polecat whilst riding my horse on Sychnant Pass above Conwy, North Wales mid February 2009, unfortunately it had been hit by a car and was dead. Have also seen an Ermine on the mountain 3 years ago in the middle of winter and have twice watched stoats chase and kill large rabbits just by the farmhouse where my horse is kept. They were so busy chasing the rabbits they didn't seem to notice me,also the wind was blowing on to me so i presume they couldn't smell me either.
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I have often seen pole cats on muckle roe shetland. There is a place in the interior of the island where they live. Also have had a dead polecat in my garden brought by my cat. I think it was a road kill he brought. Bunchy
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I have seen 4 polecats dead on the road on A49 just above ross-on-wye. I have kept ferrets and one captive bred polecat. I am certain that they were polecats as they were very dark with a darker undercoat and distintive polecat (not ferret) markings.
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I was gamekeeper on Hoar Cross in Staffordshire for 5 yrs in which time I was having problems with Mink on a brook course.I set some live traps to catch the mink and after a couple of weeks and catching 3 Mink... was gobsmacked to find a hob polecat in the trap.
After releasing him I kept an eye out in the area..in the evening and into the dark with a lamp.During the next 12 months I was to see him twice more alone and once with a female,playing and rolling about on the Brookside.I did,nt see anything in that area again.
About a year later while out on my quad bike during the late evening I saw another what I believe to be a Gill Polecat rolling in the set a side about 3 miles away from the original sightings,this time at the edge of a wood .This would be 2005/6
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Two years ago (about this time of year) my rowing partner and I were out for a paddle up the river Tawe in Swansea. we stopped at the top to turn opposite an old wall. to our suprise looking at us from a gap where a brick was missing was a pole cat. he just sat there and watch us watching him for a couple of minutes until we got bored and paddled back down stream.
we are not able to get to that section of river now due to an unsafe bridge so I am sure they have probably flurished.
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I, my husband and two friends saw what we believe to have been a polecat late in the eveningon 10/04/09 at OS ref: SU000986. (We were driving back to Coates from Ewen - two Gloucestershire villages). The animal appeared in the headlights and ran briefly along the side of the road before entering a hedge. It appeared dark brown, relatively heavily furred and had typical polecat
facial markings and was the size of a small cat (with very short legs!.
Interestingly it was within a half mile of a previous sighting of a
similarly marked animal which I reported to the Vincent Trust around, I suppose, 10 years ago.
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On 14th Feburary 09 we were driving up the hill from Leckford towards Crawley Down in Hampshire when a polecat ran across the road and stopped in the hedge, we stopped the car to see what he would do next and the cheeky polecat just stared back at us for a few seconds then he turned and ran off into the hedge. We were so excited to have seen this beautiful animal. JB & Kath
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Last November we had a polecat in our farmyard, and think he/she was after tha cat food in the garage. It hid behind the flowerpots by our front door when the cat cornered it. It was too dark and it was too quick for us to get a photo. We haven't seen it since. We are in Llaniestyn, on the Lleyn Peninsula in North Wales.
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last August a polecat came to join us at the boatyard where I work in Thornton near Fleetwood Lancs. It raided the cats food and when full started storing it under one of the benches. It was quite unafraid of both the cats and me, walking over my foot to reach the food. The RSPCA were of no help at all and I eventually passed him on to a friend who kept ferrets who discovered that he was totally hand tame, a fact I had not wanted to put to the test. This was probably a domesticated example but had escaped and lived in the wild for a while as local people had seen it in various gardens and the local pub! Latest reports are that 'gizmo' is very happy in his new home with a selection of ferret girlfriends.
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I live in Maidenhead in Berkshire where there are some woods opposite us. I was home on the morning of 8th Nov 2008 and opened the front door to let the cat in. She shot through the door with her tail all bushed up and was casually followed by a young female polecat (8 weeks old). The polecat walked into the kitchen started feasting on my cats biscuits, wandered round the lounge, then went to sleep under a blanket. She was clearly under weight and looking for some food and warmth. I looked after her until my neighbour came home, as they have two ferrets. They have now adopted her, named her Mia and is leading a very happy life.
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About 3 years ago, my wife and I were walking along a busy road leading in to Chippenham, Wiltshire and we saw a polecat trying to retrieve something from the road. Everytime a car drove past it would dive back off the road on to the pavement. When we got to what the polecat was trying to retrieve we found that it was a dead baby rabbit. This happend in broad daylight.
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Dear simon I live in calderdale west yorkshire and have had 2 ferrets from the wild in past years, the first I know was a ferret as it was an albino, the second Im not as sure about as she has 'Fitch' markings and was very agressive when I picked her up biting me bone deep on both hands, she also did not get on with my other ferret which I had at the time attacking him in a serious manner, She has calmed down since (had her 4years) although she does have a go once a flood. could this be a polecat or just an agressive girl?
We have lots of wildlife in the area foxes, badger, roe deer, patridge, pheasant, heron, Dipper etc. lots of bugs which I am attempting to identify, some of the butterfly's we have are in decline according to some nature reports, and we have the rare bee orchid, but we are having to battle to stop the council from giving the land up for building.
Alf
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In Newport Shropshire we have seen polecats on 3 separate occasions. The 1st time on our front lawn at 5am July 23rd 2005.The second time on our back lawn on 16th July 2006 and the last time on 23rd July 2006 when our neighbour showed us a live polecat caught in a trap meant for rats, he set it free.
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Two years ago a naturalist friend and I saw a polecat just north of the village of Moddershall in Staffordshire. The polecat emerged from the undergrowth outside the entrance to the Moddershall Oaks spa. It was approximately 11PM. This is the furthest east we've witnessed the polecat but have seen several examples of roadkill in the Welsh Marches and four other brief sightings of live polecats in the Marches area.
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march 21 this year i saw 1 playing in the lane beside a field behind my home in north cornelly porthcawl my kids said look a ferret i said no its a polecat because of it dark colouring ferrets are whitish they wanted me to catch it i said if it was a ferret i would as i had a couple years ago but polecats need to stay wild. nick
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Admitadly it was a couple of years ago but myself and a couple of mates witnessed a pole cat chasing a rat across the grass when we were at our local target shooting club. The rat ran down the sand butt stop and zig zagged across the grass area with the polecat about 30 feet behind it. The polecat wasnt following the rat using sight, it was following the scent. Although the rat was visible it just followed the path the rat had taken untill it caught up with it at our feet. The fight that followed was really visious but incredible to watch. The polecat won and dragged its kill across the firing line hut floor and down the steps to the door where it couldnt get any further. One of the guys reached over to open the door and it went on its way across the car park.
We sat for a while talking about what we had seen and it came back into the hut. Gave one of the guys a right scare when it scurried past him just as he said he didnt like animals with teeth that bite for a living.
Have never seen it since, or any rats either come to think of it.
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I was lucky enough to see a polecat in the quarry were i work in pontyclun,south wales about two months ago.I was driving my machine and it came running out onto the road and stayed in my sight for a good five mins before disappearing into some rocks and i havent seen it again since.I now realize how lucky i was to have seen one after watching your programe.
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Sorry, just realized i didnt put my location on post number 161. Was at Ancaster, near Grantham, Lincs.
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Hi i live in a small village in west oxfordshire and it is opperset a large forest. and we have polecats in the fields around my house in the winter you can see there tracks in the snow. and i also got two in a trap which i use to catch rabbits to feed my ferrets. i deflead and detick them and let them back out into the wild after two days and nearly lost my fingers trying to do this.please dont try to catch polecats thay are dangerus wild animals.
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We had a Polecat visit our garden regularly for 18 months. It was living under the shed in next doors garden whilst they were living abroad so it was undisturbed. Unfortunately when they returned it disappeared. We saw it many times in broad daylight and it would eat the food and scraps we had put out for the birds. In the spring we found a 'graveyard' behind a bush in the corner of the garden of the carcasses of many birds. We think that they were mostly wood pigeons are there were one or two wings left. It was a very macabre sight. We presume that this was the polecats 'larder'. We live in Middlewich, Cheshire on the edge of the town close to canal and rivers.
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Back in late 2001 and early 2002, I was in the habit of taking our recently born son for a long walk at the crack of dawn (I walked, he hitched) to give my wife a break. On one of these dawn walks, I saw a polecat in the grounds of Blenheim Palace (Combe Gate entrance), near Woodstock, Oxfordshire. It was a fleeting glimpse, but unmistakeable. My first ever sighting and I've never seen one since, but I must admit I haven't been on many dawn walks in Blenheim for a while either!
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I saw a polecat at Dolgoch Falls - near Tal-y-Llyn in Snowdonia. It was mid morning, but in a dark area near the top of the valley. It disappeared into a hole in the rocks beside the path when it saw me - before I could get to my camera, of course. I'm pleased to see how many sightings there have been in Mid Wales, where I live.
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We had a polecat living in our garage last winter and have uploaded two pics of him on flickr. He used to run around the garden at night and would hide when anyone went into the garage. A few weeks ago our friend who lives a couple of miles away had one living in his shed it seemed quite tame as it would come out in the day to feed from a bowl while we watched it (added a pic also).
Dean, Blackwood.
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Whilst out ferreting rabbits for my hawk two seasons ago,a large polecat could be seen down one of the rabbit holes squabbling with my ferret.At first I thought it was a ferral ferret,that night I set a rabbit cage trap,baited with a rabbit leg.
Early the following morning I went to check the trap,inside was a large incredibly cross polecat.
The saying 'stinks like a polecat' is very true! As combined with hissing & baring of teeth this animal gave off its foul smell from its scent glands,to try and scare me off.It was released forthwith unharmed.However I noticed this animal bore a large scar on its back although this was fully healed.
During the last six years or so I have found three other road killed polecats locally,furthermore local keepers I have spoken to all seem convinced that these animals are now common. I live in a village in south Northamptonshire,unfortunately the mobile phone containing the picture of the trapped polecat was stolen whilst abroad.
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I saw a polecat at about 1.00 am on 02 May 2009. He ran across the road in front of my car when I was driving along a lane near Painscastle, Builth Wells.
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Seen Polecats on a couple of occasions when driving on the main road past Dinas Mawddwy late at night.
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Over the last few years my husband & I have seen a few polecats here in Jersey. One evening in particular stays with us, as we came upon two of them in a quiet country road in the northwest of the island. We followed them at walking speed for about a quarter of a mile, (luckily no other cars were about)and even though they passed a number of field entrances, they were happy to run and tumble in front of the car, looking back at us. We have also seen one at the side of the road in the same part of the island on a few other occasions. We have twice had them as pets, and they were lovely.
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We live near Clun in Shropshire and accidently caught a polecat in a cage trap in August 2008. We have some 25 acres of woods which are relatively undisturbed and are home to a wide variety of wildlife. We released the polecat but not before it had posed for a photo (sent to Flickr).
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Hi
I live in welwyn garden city in herts and have recently seen two dead polecats on a road side within a couple of days of each other and about a half a mile apart.
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Hi Simon, March 2009, Reeth to Richmond road, B6270 near Grinton, North Yorkshire, photographed a dead polecat by the road. 2007 photographed a dead polecat on the A428 between Bretford and Church Lawford, Warwickshire. Late 1990's live polecat ran in front of me in early hours on B4455 Brinklow, Fosseway road. Could send photos if needed?
Remember our chats at Pebble Mill on the terrace? Please say "hello" to Royston and Marco for me too. LOVE the show....Helen
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I recovered a polecat after it had been killed on the road outside my house near Braintree in Essex. I have a couple of photographs of it and have been able to confirmed its authenticity.
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We have lost chickens on several occasions to wild polecats. So far this Spring I have collected three newly run-over polecats and given them to Govt Vets who are carrying out research to establish whether there is any evidence of TB in the polecats (Using polecats for this research as they are at the top of the food chain). Polecats found near Tholt-Y-Will, Sulby Glen, Mountain Road near Guthries and Signpost Corner, Onchan and one near Ramsey all on the Isle of Man.
Have seen at least three on the Smeale Road, Andreas in the last month in the day time Alfie Leach
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Thankfully it wasn't me who ran the 2 over and I'm glad to say missed the live one. It was frozen by my car lights but braked in time!!! Helen again...
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Dear Simon
POLECATS
I live in Jersey where we have polecats. They catch our chickens and we see them about once every 20 years.
In the mid 1980's I bought my first video camera. Next day I took it down the garden (which is quite wild) and incredibly bumped into a clutch of very young polecats just out of the nest. They were completely fearless and naive, and played at my feet while I filmed them for about five minutes. If you are interested I am sure I can find the video which I recall as being of good quality.
Since then I have never seen anoteher polecat but statistically it is about due to happen.
Let me know if you would like to see the video
Kind regards
Will Simpson
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Several years ago I saw a live juvenile polecat in my car headlights in a quiet country lane close to Llangedwyn, Powys. Two years ago I found a very young roadkilled polecat just outside Llanrhaeadr-ym-Mochnant and a year earlier a roadkilled adult about 4 miles from Bala on the B4391 to Llangynog. Both roadkills were freshly dead and I stopped to remove them from the road and admire them.
Please ensure your viewers are aware of the presence of American mink, especially in the riverine environment!
Al.
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Two years ago, in March, around 10pm, while driving between King's Meaburn and the Appleby to Orton road in the Eden Valley, Cumbria, my friend and I were amazed to see a little 'bandit' face caught in the headlights as it peered at us from a ditch at the side of the road. It was unmistakeable, a polecat! Neither of us had ever seen one in the wild before, but there was no doubt what it was, the white-tipped ears and masked face were just like illustrations in identification books. I've looked for it every time I've driven past the spot since then, but so far it hasn't reappeared. I'll keep looking!
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A polecat and I spent 10 minutes sizing each other up, 2 feet away from each other a few years ago. It was the middle of a sunny afternoon and it was running towards me along a single track minor road just outside of Stroud, Glos, with a dead baby rabbit in its mouth. It didn't see me until it was 2 feet away and then it stopped dead, and we looked at each other for a few minutes. Then it dropped its rabbit and ran into a well worn hole in the hedge just to the right of me. It kept putting its head out of the hole to stare at me, and this carried on for a few minutes until a car drove along the road, and unfortunately squashed its rabbit! I wonder if it got some serious ear-ache from Mrs (or Mr) polecat for returning to the den without any supper....
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Large male Polecat seen in Essex. Unfortunately dead by the roadside near Tiptree Heath, late March this year.
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We had both a male and female at our house on the shropshire staffordshire border earlier this year, they were living near our chickens in the garden. They are very sweet to look at but I have to say they are not nice animals. They killed 18 of our chickens. They bit off and ate the heads but left the rest. We know this as we have cctv, but it is not linked to a recorder so I am unable to upload the video. As you can imagine we were very sad having raised them from chicks and given many of them names. lucky for us they have now moved on, we think due to our lack of chickens.
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A work colleague of mine had to rescue her pet rabbit from a sustained polecat attack about 6 weeks ago. She was woken in the night by the noise of two determined polecats trying to rip the wire off the front of the rabbit hutch. The hutch had to be moved into the garage to thwart the attack in the end. She lives in Upton-on-Severn, Worcestershire.
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I saw a Polecat two years ago near Caer Caradock, Church Stretton, Shropshire. It ran across the path in front of me disappearing behind a large Oak- its head then re-appered at the junction of the first limb peering belligerently at me before disappearing altogether.
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Old News any use to you, Simon?
July 2008. Mid-afternoon sighting, and what I believe to be a female hunting for her young. No mistake about identifying the species, as I used to keep ferrets! Location: Eccleshill near Blackburn, Lancashire.
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When on holiday in Perranporth, Cornwall in 2007 I saw three polecats on two seperate occasions playing near our caravan. Unfortunately I haven't seen any since.
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About a year ago, a polecat ran across the Dunstable Road, in front of me, towards Ivinghoe Beacon.
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I live at The Wergs,Tettenhall, just inside the Wolverhampton boundary and about 50 yards from the A41. February 2008 a polecat visited our garden,staying for 5 minutes or more. My son Philip spotted and identified it and my husband and I also had a good view of it. It came across the bottom of the garden,via the compost heap, searched arounds the rockery, and visited our small pond. We contacted our local newspaper, the Express & Star, which reported it quite prominently. Philip reports having seen another polecat in the garden in the autumn of 2007.
Although we are close to the countryside, we are in a suburban area.
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I have seen a polecat running across the road that i was travelling on between llandovery and builth wells, on the straight stretch opposite the viaduct, somewhere near a place called Cynhordy, however that was a good two years ago. More recently within the past month though i have sadly seen another polecat but as a road casualty, along side the main road before the 'sugar loaf' hill bends. i hope it was'nt the same polecat!
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Hello, last month we found a dead polecat at the side of the road just outside my home town of Olney which is in the very tip of North Buckinghamshire.
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Hello, I regularly see polecats in Oxfordshire.
The Lower Windrush Valley has plenty of water and ditches for these to travel and find lots to eat.
I see them killed on the road too much, but recently have seen about 8 over the last couple of weeks alive and very well, I guess they are busy feeding their young.
When I see them on the road I often move them as I hate to see majestic animals flattened by humans cars, its just tragic.
I am amazed at how they are often covered in tics, and how pungent their aroma is!
They are superbly playfull animals and hugely underestimated, I think they are a treat to see.
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Hello Springwatch,
First saw polecats in my local area approx. 15 years ago while badger watching. They were using an older sett entrance in close proximity to the active ones. Was fortunate to see the adults on a regular basis
plus three young ones that would play as a group. Since then I have had quite a few sightings of road deaths in a similar area which indicates they are still resident. I live in Winsford, mid-cheshire.
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I have seen 2 pole cats in recent months, unfortunitly both of them were dead by the side of the road. The first was on the a458 just halfway house on the part of the road called the seven sisters, about 1/2 mile before Middeltown, on the way to Wales. Seen in early december.
The second just as enter Middletown, ont the way to Wales, seen in January.
My wife has also seen a dead pole cat on the a483, at harley bank near Much Wenlook.
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My partner and I live nine miles north of Cardigan at Sarnau, on the West coast of Wales, about a mile inland, surrounded by fields and some woodland. In July 2006 I saw something odd in my neighbour's field, at some distance, I thought it might be one of our cats but the movement was different. Then about two days later,on the 22nd July, my partner looked out of our kitchen window at 7.45 a.m. and a polecat was strolling up our back garden path. It came up the path towards the house and then disappeared from view. I was a little alarmed in case our cats spotted it, but we never saw it again.I realised this must have been what I saw in the field.
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We live on a farm in Herefordshire, a few miles north west of Hereford. We set a couple of squirrel traps, baited with walnuts, during the winter as we have a walnut grove which is being decimated by squirrels. One day I checked the traps and found a very angry polecat in one, so I carried back to the farm at arm's length, for my husband to release. It had already caught my terrier by the lip, then bitten my finger (which meant I had to go to my doctor's surgery for a tetanus jab)! We released it and after a brief spell under a pallet, it bounded back to the wood. I have NEVER smelt anything so awful in my life - the odour hung in my nostrils for days afterwards!
I understand that they attack the nests of ground nesting birds, stealing eggs and chicks, which is a pity......
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We live in Llanwddyn, Lake Vyrnwy where Simon is filming and we had a polecat in our garden wall a year or so ago. Uploaded a video for you to have a look at.
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We saw a polecat at about 11.30 pm in March 09. It was standing on its back legs looking into a hedge at the side of a country lane in Whixall, North Shropshire as we were driving home. It turned to towards us and we saw its distinctive black and white face and it disappeared into the bottom of the hedge. It was about 25 yards from the nearest house.
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My wife and I saw a polecat eating something by the side of the B6160 Skipton to Buckden road in Wharfedale at approximately 9-00pm on 8th August 2006. The sighting was close to the village of Starbottom.
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Hi Simon, i first watched a polecat back in the summer of 2002 on a friends farm in a place called Rhydlewis, Cardiganshire whilst on holiday. My friend and i both went to a field behind the farm to observe badgers at a set. Whilst standing their just before dark a polecat walked straight past our feet under a fence wandered about for a while then, disapeared up into the field. We settled down to watch the badgers who, didn't appear, but, later on the polecat came back yet again under the fence past our feet...it was better than any badger watching...My second sighting was sadly of a dead polecat, on the side of the A48 at Stroat, Gloucestershire. I stopped and examined the animal closely. I then took the dead polecat home for a closer inspection using a text book to confirm it's identity. Later that day i buried it's body.
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I live in Ullapool NW Scotland. Four weeks ago at 10.30pm my Partner and I drove out of the village up the North Road to the top of the hill to let our dog have a run. A quarter of a mile up the road a Pole Cat ran across the road from our right and ran down the bank. The following morning at about 6am I was driving down the hill after taking the dog out for his morning run and a Pole Cat came from down the bank across the road up towards houses. It is now much lighter mornings and evenings, we have not seen it since. The man that lives in the house says that all his chickens have gone.
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Wooops sorry. My earlier posting of a sighting of a Polecat in Ross-shire was a Senior moment. It was a Pine Martin. Sorry
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We feed bagers every night at our lounge window, so we have a security floodlight to indicate when they turn up and to illuminate them. One evening, about five years ago, the light came on but it wasn't a badger, as I looked out of the window there was a polecat looking up at me. We found that for a couple of weeks it lived in our barn, I fed it each night and videoed some rather poor footage using a security camera. We live at Oxenfell near the foot of Little Langdale, Cumbria. Twenty years ago we picked up a polecat road kill in Tilberthwate.
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I have seen several in my time on quiet country roads and fields in Pembrokeshire.
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As a member of the Herts and Middx Badger Group I regularly get called to attend to badgers killed on the A120. In March whilst responding to a call about a dead badger I picked up a dead Polecat on this road at Standon, Herts. A few weeks later a second was picked up at Little Hadham, Herts on this same road. Both were large males, the skull of one was measured and verified as being definite Polecat i.e. greater than 17 mms between cranium and orbit, rather than Polecat Ferret.
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One dead polecat seen in 2005 at Woodhill near Oswestry Shropshire, one at Aston near Oswestry and one dead polecat by a tiny lane near Westhope, Wenlock Edge 2007.
Two days ago I saw a dead polecat on the A483 next to Oswestry.
Best wishes for the live polecat spotting!
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Hi, we had a polecat in our garden a few weeks ago, we hadnt seen him for a while but the food we put out has been going, and then lo and behold on Sunday evening he made an appearance on our lawn and pinched the spongecake we had left for the birds. We think he may have made his home under the decking at the back of our garden. We live in Trentham in Staffordshire.
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There are polecats in the Audlem area of Cheshire. I have seen one dead on the road and one dead in a field. But sadly I have not seen a live one.
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We live in Stevenage, Hertfordshire & saw a polecat late one night last October in a country lane just on the outskirts of the town. We were in the car & although the headlights initially startled him, he was soon back munching so we were able to take some pictures and video him. Have put video in the movies part of the Springwatch website.
Mitch x
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I saw a polecat on my way to work one morning last spring on the outskirts of Trellech, Monmouthshire at approx. 7.30 a.m. It stopped at the grass verge and turned to look at my car giving me a clear view of it's masked face. It then disappeared into the undergrowth towards the pine woods.
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Has Simon tried to tempt polecats with yoghurt! My ferret, Rosie, cant resist it. Strawberry or raspberry fruit flavours seem to be irresistable to her!
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Hi team. We were driving home from friends one evening about 2 weeks ago at 11 30pm and saw a pole cat run across the road in front of us. We were on the road from Lymington to Beaulieu just by the Bucklers Hard turning in the New Forest. Chris probably knows the road
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I spotted a polecat on my parents patio in June of last year at around 1830 in the evening. This was in Handforth, Cheshire. JV
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Hi Simon, We are loving the footage coming from Lake Vyrnwy as we live nearby in Penybontfawr and have walked over the hills where you are being filmed. Last October we saw a POLECAT in our headlights crossing the road in Penybontfawr.
Keep up the good work,
Sue
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I saw a polecat in the summer of 2005 near Llanwrda in Carmarthenshire. I was sitting on the wall of a derelict house in the hills and it popped out its little head to see mefrom the opposite wall. Very beautiful
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I live in rural Herefordshire and saw a polecat last Saturday just after midnight when I was returning home from a wedding. Very clear view in the headlights. I also have seen evidence of badgers taking a fox cub and a greater spotted woodpecker taking the young out of a house martin nest. I am presently watching a pair of hobby. They nest very near my house and hunt swifts and bats as well as other things. Last year I got incredible views of them catching bats, chasing martins and passing food and I am hoping for a repeat this year. If Gordon wants to come and film them, he is very welcome!
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I saw a polecat last month it ran across the path about 12 foot in front of me and down the path into Gyffin stream which runs into the river Conwy
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I live on the outskirts of High Wycombe in Buckinghamshire, and last summer I saw a Polecat taking a dust bath at the edge of the road. We adjoin a woodland, so I presume that is where it came from. Also the neighbour keeps chickens - that might have something to do with it!
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I live in Congleton, Cheshire. on 17/12/2007 we found a dead Polecat, of which I have a photo, on the outskirts of the town. The polecat was victim of a road kill.
Since then I have received comments on two other road kills, in the local area (which I have not been able to verify) and my immediate neighbour says that they had one on their back lawn.
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Saw a polecat crossing the road between Ludlow and Pipe Aston around midnight, on the way back from a wedding reception. Hadn't had that much to drink!
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A polecat was caught on a surveillance camera several times over the Christmas period in 2006. The location was a garden on the outskirts of Llandrindod Wells.
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I saw a polecat family - presumably mother and 4 or 5 young in broad daylight on a road near Winchcombe, Glos several years ago. The parent was obviously moving the whole family - it was a marvellous sight.
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A pair of polecats were seen in April 2007 running in and out of the walls of the fields next to the Dounereay power station in Caithness. This was mid-morning and my first sighting of the animal in the wild. Both had the charicteristic mask.
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My husband and I saw a polecat approx 5 years ago on Dinas Lane, Weston Rhyn, Oswestry. It was dragging a young rabbit up a bank and through a hedge. Definitely a polecat.
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About 6 years ago saw a polecat in the middle of the day at Eskmeals Gunnery Range near Ravenglass in Cumbria - rang Carlisle and was told nearest at that time was on the other side of the Lakes. They seem more common than expected but extremely elusive.
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Hi Simon,
A polecat, and 3 babies crossed the road infront of my car in Nethybridge in the scottish highlands a few years ago. We were most surprised to see them, and only just managed to stop in time! Bit to quick to take a picture. Have also seen 3 goshawks playing above the campsite we were staying at in the Brecons a few years ago. Think it was 2 juviniles, and an adult female. Think they were learning their hunting skills! Got pickies, but too small to make them out. Better cameras now.
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Unfortunately this was a Dead Polecat (Roadkill),
Typical black mask.... etc
2008, October... On county lane near Kimpton HERTS
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In 1985 when staying at our flat in Porthmadog, North Wales, our eldest son kept going on about the "mongooses" he had seen on Ballast Island in Porthmadog Harbour. Whilst watching Springwatch last night, it suddenly became obvious what he had seen... polecats !
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Polecat sighting.... Guess where?.....On the Lake Vyrnwy Dam!
OK - it was a couple of years ago, evening, my wife was sitting on the bench at the end of the dam when a polecat suddenly appeared and went trotting (do Polecats trot?) across the dam to the other side.
Was it a Polecat? Well, she is very good at identifying wild animals and the Polecat face mask is very distinctive.
So, are there Polecats in Wales? Yes.
But the really important question is - "Why did the Polecat cross the dam?"
Answers on the back of a £20 note to me please.
PS - I live 300m from the dam.
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I saw a Polecat in my back garden on the 2nd Sept 2008 at around 7pm. At first I didn't know what it was until 2 days later there was an article in the local paper saying that polecats had been spotted in the region. The picture in the paper was of what I had seen. I've not seen it again, I did let the paper know that I had seen one.
I live in High Lane, near Stockport, Cheshire.
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I live in the Isle of Mull in Scotland and have seen Pole Cats 3 or 4 times in the last few years, usually at night, a banded pair of eyes looking up from the grass verge or crossing the road in front of us in the woodland.
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Simon and Springwatch,
I have seen a Pole cat here in Ludlow, Shropshire not to far from your site of filming. It was 2008, near woodland, crossing the road and going into the field on the other side.
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I am sending this report in for Richard Stapleton of 26 Summerhill Grds, Market Drayton.
Last year, about this time, I caught a male polecat in a live grey squirrel trap in my garden.
Two nights after the female was also caught. Both polecats were released on a bridal path near Hawkestone Park in Shropshire.
Tell Kate, they were true wild polecats as the saying goes "Stink like a polecat."
The smell was in the garden before they were caught.
Terrific show by you all.
Richard Stapleton
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Went to College Lakes Near Tring, Hertfordshire on Monday 25th May 2009. Th hide was full to bursting with people. When we went inside they were all watching a baby polecat playing. Lots of people took photo's, but we didn't have a camera with us. It was the most amazing and beautiful sight I have sen for a long while.
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My sighting of a polecat was the autumn 1983 . We were driving home on the road between Hexham in Northumberland and Alston in Cumbria . It was dark and about 7.00 pm . At a lonely spot called Carts Bog a largish animal came out of the fields causing me to stop . It came round to the drivers window and looked in at me for several seconds . I even had time to open the window and look at it a few feet away . There were 4 of us in the car and all identified it as a polecat There was absolutely no doubt about this sighting . The area is on the edge of the moors and mixed woodland along the river Allen
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I have two sightings to report of Polecat on Anglesey where I live, a place I have been seeing them regularly. One a roadkill on the A55(T) road just south of Anglesey behind a village called Gaerwen on the carriageway. The other a live animal along a river, the Afon (River) Braint when i was conducting an otter survey (as part of my ocassional otter work here) close to a village called Brynsiencyn.
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I've got a photo of a roadkill polecat i Saw last month, just outside Stoke Mandeville in Bucks. Where can I post it?
I also saw another roadkill one last week but couldn't get a photo.
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I lived in a village called Great Offley which is in between Hitchin and Luton until last april. Over the time I lived there I was surprised and saddened to start seeing dead polecats while driving on the roads between Hitchin and Offley. I thought it couldn't be possible as I didn't think their reclaimed territory went any further east than the Midlands, so I walked back from my house for a closer look. It turned out to definitely be a polecat, which made me quite excited and over the months I saw about 7 or 8 dead polecats. About a month before I left Great Offley I had the great fortune of seeing a polecat (very much alive) run across the road in front of my car, which was a huge pleasure as I have been obsessed with the weasel family since I was 5.
Good luck with getting the footage Simon and crew!
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I thought polecats were mythical, never having seen one other than in pictures. Until,leaving home for an early morning black grouse count at Llandegla in 2006 one ran across the road in front of my car.
Location:- B5121 between Holywell and the A548 Greenfield,Flintshire.
I've never seen one since but the little beasties are unmistakeable.
Badgers we have regularly, and at close quarters.
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I have seen 3 polecats in West Wales, two dead, one on the B4337 by Trichrug (254570,259980)maybe displaced by the complete felling of a band of forestry beside the road. One just outside Aberystwyth (262880,279760) not long dead and probably hit by a car while stalking a pigeon squab caught in the hedge, which I freed. The live one was two years ago in warm damp weather on the road just NW of Llandovery (275510,236860)It was jumping and pouncing on something in the road that I couldn't see but I've since discovered they eat frogs so I think this was probably what it was trying to catch.
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I caught a polecat in a trap in Coedpeth near Wrexham after it had killed 5 water fowl over a period of weeks in December 2008. It was released in Llandegla forrest. I have a picture but I am having difficulty sending it to you.
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We found a young Polecat last summer in my daughters garden at Wickhamford near Evesham Worcstershire,it was in a poor state so we took it to the Vale Wildlife Rescue at Beckford.In March this year a Polecat was seen here again early in the morning this time running along a ditch.
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Saturday May 23 2009, four live and one dead kits seen at College Lake Nature Reserve, Upper Icknield Way, Bulbourne, Tring HP23 5QG.
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A pair of polecats took up residence in a disused rabbit warren in our garden two years ago,they stayed for two weeks.We live in Oswestry,Shropshire which is fairly close to Lake Vyrmwy.Hope you better luck with polecat hunt.
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I caught a polecat in a squirrel trap in August 2008 in Dolwyddelan, near Betws y Coed. It was rather angry and the smell left a lot to be desired! When released it ran away quickly without trace. They seem to be quite rare in this village as no-one had seen one here before.
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On 25th March 2009 whilst walking St Illtyd's way In South Wales we saw a Pole cat on Pen-y Begwyn os map 165 Grid Ref 806035.This was a truly suprising and memorable experience. the pole cat appeared in front of us,stopped and had a good look at us for about a minute before retreating to the cover of the pine woodlands.
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My wife and I saw a polecat in the headlights very clearly about 2 years ago as we were returning from the Watermill Theatre at the village of Bagnor deep in the Berkshire countryside. The mask was clearly visible and it was quite a thrill for us as I'd no idea Polecats were likely in this area.
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I was sure the other day that i saw a dead Polecat on the A36 between Southampton and Salisbury. At the time i thought surely not but who knows could it have been ?.
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our home backs on to a wood one sunny afternoon last year a polecat game out of the wood ran up and down our lawn for a few minutes then disappeaed back into the woods we have not seen it since.but badgers foxes, pheasants, owls,woodpecker,and garden birds, bats,and toads are all frequent visitors.so put a pin on your map for saundersfoot in pembrokeshire
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Whilst walking in the Pentlands just before easter, my wife and I saw what turned out to be a pole cat kitten on a path between Threipmuir reservoir and Black Hill. It was being very aggressive and making a lot of noise and followed us along the path for a few metres. We had to look it up at home to find out what we had seen as neither of us recognised it at the time.
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It's nice to see polecats being featured on Springwatch. I'm from Llanafan, not far from Cwmystwyth where Chris Pachkam saw his polecat. I've never been fortunate enough to have seen a live one, but have seen many road casualties, which in a way is a good thing I guess, and proves they're fairly abundant in Mid/West Wales.
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We live in Stokenchurch in the Chiltern Hills and recently saw a polecat crossing the road between Turville and Ibstone. at approximately 11 p.m.
Recently, after seeing two boisterous mink near Bledlow Ridge, we were told by an animal rescue team that they saw polecats from time to time in that area too. (We assume the mink were escapees, as were the wallabies we saw near Fawley and Henley on Thames last summer.
Alan Purslow
59 Littlewood
STOKENCHURCH
01494 483937
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Polecat road kill again I'm afraid, back in 2007. In the Colbatch area just north of Clun in South Shropshire. I took it home to photograph - so can send if required (not pretty though). No live sightings I'm afraid yet. Great programme
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Interested to see the comment below about a polecat at Shell Island near Harlech. We first saw one here between the dunes and the RAF base in August 2000 in the middle of the day. We had an excellent sighting of it for about a minute before it decided to run away.
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Polecat seen at Piddinghoe Pond, near Newhaven in East Sussex in May 2008, living near the Sailing Club buildings.
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Polecat sighting: August 2008. Grid Reference/OS Landranger 165/ GR 605 064. Polecat took small rabbit on south side of perimeter wall of the church.
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hello spring watch, loving the show so far. a couple of weeks ago, i'm on my way home from work at about 12.30 am, driving through the industrial estate in sudbury suffolk in the middle of the road, there were what appeared to be 2 racoons. when i saw simons picture of a polcat, i realised that was what i saw. i wished i had taken a picture to prove this.
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saw the briefest glimps of what i took for a ferret at the time but seeing the pictures of polecats with it's distinctive eyemask it could have been a polecat. I saw it (very briefly) on a quiet pathway East of Mountain Ash in south wales, i seem to have the talent of seeing the back end of mammals as they seemingly vanish with the speed of light.
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My parents and I saw and photographed a polecat whilst on holdiay in the Cairngorms in Aug 2005. We spotted it by the footbridge over the Allt Mor on the Allt Mor trail to the Coire Cas car park. We took the pictures to show the ranger who said there were no polecats in the national park, he was quite suprised.
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Hi Spring Watch
Sunday May 24th 2009 around 2pm We spotted a Polecat running through the undergrowth in the woods joining Hasty bank above Bilsdale, North York Moors, NZ 5654 0250 an area where game birds are reared The polecat moved quickly we had no time to take a piture
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Polecats
When we were camping in Barmouth in Wales a few years ago with our female ferret which was in season we had a nocturnal visit from an interested polecat.
Might this be a way of attracting your polecat without interference from the farm cat?
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I saw a Polecat last year, at dusk, in early May - in Arkesden Essex. It was sniffing along a grass verge and hedge at the side of the road. It stood on its hind legs and stared at me for a good 5 seconds before dashing off. It had the characteristic banded eye mask and dark fur on its back. I looked it up in my Fauna Britannica when i got home, thinking was it a ferret? was it a polecat? and it was defninelty a Polecat! Perhaps other locals have sen some? Can we have a pin in the map please Simon?
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I live in north wales on the clwyd / wrexham border. We have a good population of polecats in the area if the road death toll is anything to go by. In the last year i have counted 9 dead polecats on the roads. Roads where the bodies where found are B5068 Ellesemere & dudleston, A483 Wrexham & Oswestry, A528 Ellesmere, A528 Colemere, A458 Welshpool. A live one seen at Ellesmere.
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I saw a Polecat last year, at dusk, in early May - in Arkesden Essex. It was sniffing along a grass verge and hedge at the side of the road. It stood on its hind legs and stared at me for a good 5 seconds before dashing off. It had the characteristic banded eye mask and dark fur on its back. I looked it up in my Fauna Britannica when i got home, thinking was it a ferret? was it a polecat? and it was defninelty a Polecat! Perhaps other locals have sen some? Can we have a pin in the map please Simon? From Sophie in Cambridge.
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In the late summer of 2008 we were watching our regular group of hedgehogs feeding when we were amazed to see a polecat appear right outside our window.It was only there for about 20 seconds,then it wandered off down the path.We live quite near a stream in the centre of Ringwood,Hampshire.
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I saw a dead polecat on the bridge at Holt Fleet, worcestershire about 3 months ago - it was about 6.50am and had not been dead long as the body was still in good condition. I was not aware of wild pole cats and thought it was an escaped pole cat ferret.
Can you please explain the difference between a polecat ferret and a wild polecat in the programme please? Thank you
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POLECAT
We had a polecat running round the garden for about 10 minutes in October last year. I managed to take a photograph through the window.
It is somewhat blurred but recogniseable.I will post it on Flickr.
Bunnyexpress
RUABON North Wales
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I have seen a polecat in pembroke dock pembrokeshire ,last year walking my dog in the evening i spotted a black shape walkin towards me on the path i thought it was a rat at first an stoped so it could scamper away from my dog into the trees, but instead of running away it came rite up to me, it was very small and curious and wasnt bothered about my dog in anyway , i even bent down and put my arm out to it , it sniffed me an climbed about my arm for abit then it just carried on down the path happy as larry like it had been around ppl befor ,im 100% sure it was polecat i had a really closeup view of the masked features, i dont want to give out the full details as to where it can be found but if someone wants to contact me about it ill be more than happy to reveal its location , ive tryed to film it over the last year but with zero sucess i dont have the rite kit to film in low light .
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In the last five days I have had two clear sightings of a polecat crossing the road in front of my car in broad daylight, both times with something in its mouth. The sightings were about half a mile apart and were near Pewsey, Wilts.
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We caught a polecat in a tunnel trap late last year, poor thing was covered in ticks which we removed and then set the polecat free in countryside a few miles away(didn't want it coming back for my hens!)We have a pet ferret which is really soppy, be assured that polecats are definitely not soppy and given the chance, really bite.
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10 years ago my husband removed a dead animal at night from the A500 near Bartholmey to check its identification. He was sure it was a pole cat, which he did not expect to see in Cheshire. It stank out our car for weeks! Chester Zoo identified it for us as a polecat and were delighted to keep it, as its coat was in such good condition. Some two weeks ago in May, I saw another dead one on the A51 Chester side of the Tarvin roundabout.
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Back last year oct/nov time, we thought we had a rat in the compost as there was a route through the vegetation, so my husband set a humane trap in the compost area. He was amazed the next day to see a very pretty polecat. I have posted the photos on the flickr thing!
We live near Porthkerry Park and after taking the photo's Phil and his friend Graham took the creature ( who by the way was not very pleased and was hissing and spitting ) and released him into the park. He did not run straight out but took stock of his whereabouts before making off into the bushes.
Phil N Jo
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Me and my boyfriend Scott were in Hadnall, Shropshire this morning when a Polecat ran straight out in front of my car. I slammed the brakes on and managed to avoid hitting it. It was carrying a small animal in its mouth.
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I was driving out of Fownhope, Herefordshire towards Ross on Wye near my home of Woolhope when a family of polecats tried to cross the road in front of me , a mother and four babies so i stopped my car and stopped the traffic until they were safely over the road. I didnt know what they were till i got home and looked in my wildlife book but WOW they were absolutely wonderful, i feel very lucky to have seen them.
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Polecat sighting: In April (this year) while driving one afternoon from the village where I live on the Marlborough Downs in Wiltshire, I saw a creature loping down the lane towards me. It was going quite fast and about 12 inches into the road from the steep verge/hedge. My first reaction was that it would have a short life. I slowed down and gave it a wide berth and watched it in the rear view mirror. My second thought, that it was a young badger (there are many round here), was confounded by its tail and its undulating gait, it was too small to be an otter and rather far from the river.
Sadly on my return a short while later there it was a short distance further down the road from where I had last seen it, very dead, curled up in a pool of blood. I had a closer look and was puzzled as to what it was, its facial marking not being distinct enough to be a badger and also it was too small. A few days later I was chatting to a local retired vet who asked me if I had seen what he thought was a dead polecat, as he knew I lived nearby. My description of what I had seen while it was alive confirmed his opinion that it was a polecat. Your programme last night showing what pole cats look like has further consolidated this view.
My neighbour has also said that he thought he had found signs that a polecat had been into his garden.
I have a question - do polecats attack domestic cats? Somewhile ago our cat suffered a very nasty bite, which the vet thought must have come from a feral cat, she was concerned as there had been other similar injuries in our area? This was a few years ago, he does not travel very far now!
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I recorded what I understand were the first and second records of polecat for cambridgeshire both road kils and confirmed as genuine polecats in thriplow and on A10 south of melbourne in march 2007.in, march of this year I found my 3rd polecat roadkill,again with gnuine features on the A10 between foxton and shepreth outside the cambridge motel. Conversations with johhny birks of VWT have suggested that we are right on the threshod of polecat expansion. There are many recordes in :erts and they just seem to be entering south Cambridgeshire
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Don't wish to brag but...I saw a pair of polecats as I made my way to my nightshift about a month ago. This was in Bletsoe, a village 6 miles north of Bedford, Bedfordshire. I caught them in my headlights which stopped them. It looked like one, the male perhaps, was chasing the other up the lane. They both stopped to look at me before the female continued up the lane and the male went off into a field next to my car.
Found and brought home a dead one 4 or more years ago. Its fur had the distinctive stink about it which is part of their defence mechanism I understand. Could send you a picture of that if you like but not as nice as a live one!
Best wishes, Simon, and get well soon Bill.
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I saw a polecat a few years ago near Ashbourne in Derbyshire. I was driving down a well-used country lane in daylight (probably about half past four in the afternoon) and it ran across the road in front of me. Where it came from there is a brook running alongside the road, and it crossed over towards a hayshed on the other side. It was quick, but unmistakeably a polecat. My Dad has also seen a polecat at around the same time of day but on the Staffordshire / Derbyshire borders.
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Pole cat sighting posted to the Mammal Society on 7/03/2008. Seen in Hertfordshire/Buckinghamshire border betweem Hawridge Common and Northchurch, Nr Berkamstead. 11pm at night while driving home, down lane, I had to stop my car to allow the Polecat to trot along the lane beside the car. It was seemed quite unpeturbed about traffic.
regards
Sue R
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We live in rural Northern Herefordshire/Shropshire, Nr Ludlow. Last summer in the early evening we saw what we thought was a mink outside the kitchen window, its front paws up on the window sill which is approx 30cm off the ground. Having seen the footage on polecats we think it looked very like a polecat. It had all the right markings, bright blue eyes which made us think it was a "kitten", and was about the size of a small ferret. We would like to know what is the difference between a mink and a polecat and which do you think we saw?
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I'm going back to the early eighties when I had my only sighting of a polecat. It was in our tiny back garden eight miles east of Southampton. It was walking around the garden, even going inside the garage oblivious to every thing. We had a pet rabbit in a hutch in the garage at the time so perhaps it was interested in that. It even came up to me sniffing the air! By this time I thought it better that I retreat to the safety of the kitchen! This animal, being a predator, really did have no fear and only eventually wandered off when it was good and ready. Don't worry - the rabbit was fine!
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We saw a polecat on holiday in Ceredigion last September in the garden of the NT cottage where we were staying, which was:
Abermydyr Llanerchaeron. This at the confluence of the Mydyr and Aeron rivers.It was just after a buzzard landed in the garden and caught a rabbit .
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For Simon and his polecats.
Just to let you know there are two breeding polecats each year down at the river below the mandalayoga ashram SA19 8NR AND A PAIR OF GOSHAWKS have nested in the area up to last year when the conifer wood was clear-felled.
As for the polecats at night, I have used crushed sardines and the pulp painted on posts and trees which worked well and still does.
Do not let anyone setting up the gear wash their hands with soap as this leaves a trace or aftershave on the wind.
See you tonight on TV
Ronnie
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We saw a polecat running up the white line in the middle of the road at battlefield, shrewsbury. it soon dissapeared into the hedge when it saw us coming.
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Back in 2000 after doing some nightime research on singing robins I was driving back along the A470 near Merthyr Tydfil, South Wales at 3am and watched a polecat walk across the road in front of me! Awesome!!
Ed
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We had young polecats in our garden in Llanio, Mid Wales 3 or 4 years ago. At the time, there was a large heap of garden waste which had been sitting around for a while. One afternoon I noticed some commotion and there were several young polecats chasing each other around the heap. Rita
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I sore a polecat in Newborough near Burton-on-Trent Staffordshire.
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In March 2009 I saw a polecat running along the side of a road that runs through Trawscoed woods, Llanafan near Aberystwyth
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A couple of years ago, driving to work in Shropshire I saw a dark sinuous mass at the side of the road ahead of me. As I got closer, I noticed that it was several 'bodies' and they quickly scarpered into the woods by the side of the road. There were 4 or 5 kits and I guess it was 'mum' that stayed until last. She looked directly at me giving me a superb view of her masked face! I'll never forget it! A real privilege to see!!
This was along a small country road close to Attingham Park. Haven't seen any sign since but always keep my eyes open!!
Maria - Shropshire
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I live in Snailbeach 10miles south west of Shrewsbury in the Stiperstones Hills. Two years ago I found a Polecat dead by the side of the road. I identified it as such and this was confirmed by the Warden managing the Stiperstones for English Nature. He knew there were some polecats in the area but it was the first time he had seen one. geniusdavidyoung
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I was driving from Hay on Wye to Hereford last Friday at about 11pm and a small furry animal ran in front of my car, must admit I didn't know what it was until I saw the programme. It was definitely a polecat!! So excited that I've seen one!!
Stef Richards
Paddock Wood
Kent
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I had a brief sighting of a polecat last summer along the A415 near Culham in Oxfordshire. I was driving home late one night and caught sight of it emerging from the bushes verging the roadside. I can clearly remember seeing the distinctive face markings, and thinking how lucky I had been to see such a rare and elusive animal!
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at the end of last summer i saw a polecat at about 1am on the country raod leading out of caddington, bedfordshire.
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Must admit that I'm slightly peeved about being told that Wales is the only stronghold for polecats in the British Isles. They also have a stronghold here on the Isle of Man. We don't have foxes and thanks to this resulting lack of competition for rabbits, they are thriving. Indeed I've seen at least 6 polecats sadly dead on the road in the last month! Please, please put the record straight!
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Hi Simon and the gang
Over the last year i have seen polecats (bandit markings and all) in various places across mid wales and the marcher border
1. a few miles east of Aberystwyth on a bridge at the edge of the A44 in a small hamlet near Capel Bangor
2. in south Shropshire near the village of Bedstone
3. on the B4357 (radnorshire) between Knighton and Walton (A44) about 5 miles from Knighton
4. 1mile out of Knighton on what is known as Gwernaffel pitch A488
The last was a few weeks ago and the only one i saw in the dark. All the others were in daylight making it even easier to see the markings.
i, sadly, have also seen one that was a victim of the road in the village of Brampton Bryan (herefordshire) which is about 5 miles east of Knighton on the A4113.
I may've seen others but accused them of being mink as i didn't see their faces just a dark body and just knew they weren't weasels or stoats.
hope this helps.
Loving the programme.
Tea and biscuits available in east Radnorshire if you need ;0)
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I live in Higher Kinnerton on the North Wales Border near Chester. A couple of years ago I arrived home from work at dusk, hearing an unusual animal noise in the garden I took a touch to investigate to see 2 Polecats playing/fighting, then they ran post me and into the shrubs.
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I filmed a family of polecats (I think that they must have been a polecat and ferret cross as one of the young was albino like a ferret I used to have) in an old quarry between Greystoke and Johnby in Cumbria, about ten years ago.
Two years ago a pair of polecats came walking past my mother and I when we were out walking on a country lane between Watermillock and Dacre in Cumbria, one summer evening at dusk. As I say, I used to have ferrets in the past, so identification was easy in both cases. The mask easily gives them away!
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Spotted my first pole cat 2 yrs. ago when one evening calling my cats in, they were followed by a pole cat. This promptly disappeared into the darkness, when it spotted me. My most recent sighting was adjacent to my home, which is S/wold, Glos. GL54 1EG. unfortunately this was dead on the roadside. 2 wks ago, I went along to my henhouse, as I do every morning.I keep small breeds. 9 of these birds had disappeared, the hen house, is fox proof. But unfortunately not polecat proof. There was a small opening in the top of h.house, which was sufficient for p.cats to do what they like doing most.
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A few years ago, I was standing in a very quiet backstreet off the Cheltenham Road in Bristol waiting for my garage mechanic to open-up and I couldn't believe my eyes - a polecat was running up and down the road taking not the slightest notice of me. When my mechanic arrived, he said he had seen it many times. As soon as I got home, I looked in my book of UK animals and I was right. My 'little bandit' was indeed a polecat.
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Simon you did not say if there was any smell to the track of the polecat as at this time of year there should be deffinate smell(pong) from a male, also you could be scarring it as these are highly intelgent critters like their cousins (woozles) and will notice changes like cameras and other objects in their teritory, give the poor thing a chance to get use to these things. I have not seen a Polecat yet but smelt one at the Beamish museum, but have seen all other mustalids, even a Mink in Burghead. Also the second picture at the top of this page is a polecat marked Ferret (pink nose) pure polecats should have a purly black/brown nose. Sorry to be moaning, but I am passionate about all mustalids. In fact I am over the moon that at last someone is doing something on Polecats as the Badger and Otter always get first pick. Please keep up the brilliant work, and when can we have a full series on all Mustalids.
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About 10 years ago my husband and I saw a Polecat late at night on the Isle of Anglesey near Plas Coch. It's eyes caught in our headlights. We could see it's "mask" - definite sighting.
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On a lovely sunny day last July, we were travelling toward the coast road from Llandysul, taking the cut off at the Ffostrasol Arms Pub. It was about midday. We were about a mile or so up this road having passed the forestry on either side of the road. We rounded a bend and running down the road in front of us was a family of Polecats! There was one adult and four youngsters, about half-grown. We stopped the car (it's a very quiet country lane) and watched as they trotted down for about 20 yards and then went up the bank to our right and into the fields. We rushed to see but they'd already disappeared. Was so annoyed at not having a camera with us that day. Grid reference is SN3751.
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I live in Wombourne, South Staffs and saw a polecat in the daytime last year. I was uncertain whether that was what it was and phoned the ranger at a local nature reserve who confirmed from my description that it was a polecat and also told me that there had been several other sightings in this area.
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Polecats are fairly common on the South Shropshire, North Herefordshire border. Saw one dead on the road this morning in Brampton Bryan village.
Live ones recently seen include Bedstone in Shropshire, Burwarton in Shropshire, Hampton Court in Herefordshire plus road casualties at Bucknell in Shropshire, Wigmore in Herefordshire, Ford Bridge in Herefordshire, Moreton-on-Lugg in Herefordshire, Canon Pyon in Herefordshire and another in Brampton Bryan. Hope its all of use in your plotting.
Keep up the good work with the show and hope we can see some Black Grouse while you are in North Wales Simon.
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A friend and I were birdwatching at Greenham Common in West Berkshire in July last year. during the late afternoon we had a good look at a pair of polecats. They had very distinct "bandit" masks although may have been a little light in colour and therefore possibly some sort of pole-ferret hybrid. It may be useful to demonstrate the differences between polecats and ferrets (and possibly mink) for some viewers. I've seen quite a lot of ferret roadkill around my home in Oxfordshire.
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Hi, I have CCTV camera set up in my garden to watch wildlife and have footage of a polecat from December 31st last year. I live near Leominster, Herefordshire.
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There is a polecat that's been run over on a road in Peterston Super Ely near Cardiff in South Wales. I hadn't seen one before and assumed someone had lost a ferret. However it was a lot darker than any ferret I've seen before. When I saw the show I realised what it was, and makes sense as it's quite rural where it is and next to a conservation site. I'd get a pic but it's a bit gruesome!!
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Hi Everyone,
About three years ago we spotted an unusual animal skulking about the garden, just a quick glimpse the first day. Then we had a close up view the next evening when it was on our deck in full view, searching round all the pots of plants, perhaps looking for a snack - we have quite a few mice living under the deck. It was a real treat. Interesting to see they have been up to Oxford as well. We live on the edge of the countryside near Cleeve Hill, Prestbury, Cheltenham.
Love Spring Watch, welcome to new-comers Chris and Martin but miss Bill!
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One live sighting, Colwyn Bay C1990; one road kill Llanfairfechan in 2005, one road kill kit, Tal y Bont,Dyffryn Conwy 2008 2 live sightings Tal y Bont 2008.
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I found a dead polecat in the road near Helsby, Cheshire on the 5th April 2009. OS Grid Ref: SJ504752. I could smell the musk before I saw the body.
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All these polecats. Wow! Thing to keep in mind though is that sometimes ferrets get lost or are turned loose and I have in the past mistaken a polecat ferret for a wild polecat. Easy to do if it has the markings on the face of a wild polecat. Now at least no one has spotted a big cat, photographed it well and so the myth of big cats goes on and on and on. Bit like the fairy folk in the glen but less real. 'Up the airy mountain, down the fairy glen,Simon won't go hunting for fear of little men'
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We live in Great Strickland, Cumbria. We have a female polecat ferret and last spring when she was in season we kept on getting a polecat visiting her hutch, we first spotted the polecat early one evening when our ferret was tethered up on the grass! We saw it trying to drag our ferret away! We spent 3 nights watching this animal! But had to catch it for its own safety as the ducks and chickens who belonged to someone we know had been killed and the polecat was getting the blame! It turned out the goose was the culprit! But before anyone knew this they were adament to blame the polecat! So we decided to save it! We caught it in a cat box as our first attempt using the hutch failed as the polecat escaped by tearing the wire mesh from the cage! When we finally caught it we brought it in for the night along with our ferret for company and to make it feel safe! We fed and watered it and released it in a wood a little further away the next day! This creature was fascinating to watch! A very intelligent creature. I must add the smell wasn't to pleasant and never thought I'd ever share my home with one! I feel priveledged!!
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My girlfriend and I saw two Polecats together last October at night crossing the road we travel home on near Kings Somebourne in Hampshire.
I saw one Polecat last August at Thruxton in Hampshire
when I was out shooting.
My girlfriend and I also saw one Polecat two weeks ago three miels from the first sighting in Kings Somebourne and we unfortunatly saw a recently deceased Polecat in the same place last Thursday.
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I was on holiday last June in a small village called LLanbedr just outside Crickhowell. We were staying in a lovely cottage, the access was across a hayfield. I woke very early one morning looked out of the bedroom window and there was a polecat right outside the garden gate, I believe she may have been raiding a mouse nest because she crossed to and fro about 5-6 times and each time with a small creature in her mouth (mouse I think. I got up early the following few mornings even put cat food out but never saw her again during our stay. And because we had never seen one before that same day as the sighting we rushed to the nearest bookshop of find a wildlife book and looked it up as we could'nt believe our luck.
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I worked as a ranger with Wrexham Countryside Service in the late 80's. I was very sad once to find a dead polecat in the River Dee near the Pontcysyllte Aqueduct after a flood. Unfortunately I have never seen a live polecat though.
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I Live in Daventry, Northants. I have two Polecats to the north of where I live along the same stretch of road, but unfortunately both had killed by traffic. :o(
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In 2006 I had four baby polecats living under my garden shed, no sign of an adult with them. I managed to catch two of them and took them to the Greenmeadow Country Farm to look after. They did have dreadful ticks on their ears. The other two disappeared and I have not seen any since. At the time I had rabbits living in the shed. Guess that must have attracted them and possibly the mother was transferring them as a new housing estate was being built on waste ground behind my estate in Caerphilly.
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Myself and my daughter Georgia saw two polecats crossing a road one mile north of Glamis castle, Angus on sept 08 in broad daylight.Had never seen one or two before and having seen pinemartens and mink knew they had to be polecats.
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Two sightings of polecat in the Ceredigion area of West Wales in recent years. One: at Nant yr Arian FC visitor and kite feeding centre near Aberystwyth. Two: at RSPB Ynyshir where the polecat was doing its best to kill a young rabbit and drag it off into nearby scrub.
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I live in Glasgow, and i saw a Polecat at the river across from my house. While i was walking along the path, i heard a rush in the water and turned and seen the polecat. It stared at me, i moved to get my phone to get a pic of it, but it disappeared by the time i went to the get the picture.
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In early March whilst visiting an Iron age fort called Twm Barlam, near Risca in Gwent I spotted a polecat in long grass near the edge of a small woods. I know it was a polecat as many years ago I used to keep one.
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i have seen a pair of polecats on porton down near salisbury wilts. this was about august/september last year. they were fully masked.i
was able to handle one as it had been hit by a car, but was not dead, a while later it ran off. it was darker in the face than the pictures shown above.
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I saw a Polecat in the woodland behind our house in Abertridwr, Caerphilly. We have also seen pawprints in the sand by the stream below which could be linked??
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Last year I was driving on the M1 northbound not far from the junction with the M25 when I saw a dead polecat in the roadworks near Luton. I identified it by the black mask across the eyes.
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I regularly walk the Ridgeway Path near Bishopstone, Wiltshire and a polecat ran across in front of me last Autumn in broad daylight. Either side of the chalk path is rough grass/hedging so perhaps it had been asleep and got disturbed.
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I have posted 3 pictures on flickr of a possible polecat which I found dead in the road near Coleford, Somerset. Can anyone tell me if it is a pure polecat?
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About 4 years ago a mother polecat and 4/5 kits made their way across our garden to a nearby woods. Have posted some photos. We live in Mordiford, Herefordshire.
Also this year, about 2 weeks ago we observed a Wood Duck (I know it is a North American species)leave her nest in a hole in a cider apple tree opposite our house and 6 ducklings hopped out after her. I understand this is quite rare.
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Hi, live at Gorse Farm, Llandrindod Wells, Powys and a beautiful polecat has come into our garden several times. Best time of sighting 8pm ish.
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I saw two polecats from a hide at a nature reserve near Tring Herts today Wed 27/5/09. They have been regular visitors to the pond in front of the hide most days for at least the last week.
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Tueday 27th May 2009. Saw a dead polecat on the Delamere way footpath about a kilometer north of Acton Bridge village,near Weaverham, Cheshire.
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October 2008 a polecat managed to get caught in my rabbit trap in the Garden at Kemerton Nr Tewkesbury Glos. I took some photos before I let him go which I will try to send (when I figure out how). They certainly give off a nasty smell when angry.
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I saw a polecat on 12 May this year a few miles north of Llandegla in Denbighshire. I was walking Offa's Dyke Path with my brother and the polecat was right there on the path in front of us at about 10.00 in bright morning sunshine. We saw it first and froze as it came towards us with its loping stride. It spotted us and stood up on its hindquarters to look at us. It didn't scarper, but did change direction and made off towards a nearby wood. Just before it disappeared into the wood it stood up again to look at us. We had a great view for about 30 seconds, I guess. Definitely a polecat, not a ferret or hybrid. This happened right by the telecoms mast where the path skirts to the west of Llyn Gweryd. Magical - get over there Simon!
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observed polecat during the day, two weeks ago, by the bog on our farm at SN912848. also observed one moving its kits but this was a few years ago.
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I live in Jersey. My husband and I were cycling home from drinks one night and nearly cycled over 3 baby polecats all rolling around together in a ball. We managed to get 2 fuzzy photo's with the phone, which I am trying to upload at the moment (bit of a novice).
They hung around for about 3 minutes, squeaking at and trying to bite our bike tyres, before we left them in peace. Unfortunately we saw one had succumbed to a car wheel two days later :(, but we felt very luck to have even seen one.
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I have seen two or three road kill polecats on the A4169 near Shifnal in Shropshire in the last six months. I have never seen a live one but guess there must be quite a healthy population if they are getting killed on the roads. I found a dead one about ten or eleven years ago near a place called Brewood in Staffordshire. Didn't know what it was and took it to my father to identify, it was very obvious where the saying "stinks like a polecat" arose as it smelt awful.
Noggintheblog
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Several sightings, alive and dead.
One ran along the middle of the A494 on the hairpin bends on the hills to the east of Ruthin, in front of our coach, about midnight, in August 2000.
My eldest son, James, has seen a live one about 2 years ago on the A483 at the top of the Royal Welsh Showground hill, just north of Builth Wells in the early hours of the morning; OS Explorer 188, grid ref 043527.
I saw a live one cross the road in front of me on the A470 between Llyswen and Llandefalle, in broad daylight about 6.45pm one Tuesday last autumn at the entrance to Home Farm at Felin-newydd [OS Outdoor Leisure 13 Eastern Brecon Beacons map, grid ref 118361.
Dead one on the side of the A470 north of Builth, between Cwmbach Llechrhyd and Newbridge at Little Smithfield [OS Explorer 200, grid ref 023548]a couple of years ago.
James - who's always been very keen on wildlife and knows what's what, also says he's pretty sure he saw a pine marten late at night ALSO at the top of the Showground hill a year or so ago; having seen a polecat there, he could easily see the difference - and it's the only other mammal it could have been. Miles bigger than a stoat.
And postmanmike, an earlier respondent, lives next door but two to me and I never knew he'd seen one in his garden! Gosh!
Susie, Builth Wells, Powys
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POLECAT SEEN AT SOUTHAMPTON DOCKS TODAY
OK, I'm cheating a bit because this was a tame female, 5 years old, and on a long leash.
She was brought to the docks today to meet some passengers off the Cunard Queen Victoria.
This lovely animal caused quite a stir - I did ask the owner if he would contact Springwatch, but I don't think he will!
Great programme, I love it to bits.
Lorraine Barker
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What is the difference between a Polecat Ferret (looks like a Polecat and kept as a pet, and a Polcat. If there is no difference then I have seen lots!!!
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My parents put out a squirrel trap last autumn in their garden in Dyserth, North Wales. The squirrels which had nested under the eaves of a neighbour's house had produced three young, and then abandoned them, so my parents caught them all individually and relocated them to a local woodland. However, one morning they went out to the trap to find it contained a very miffed polecat!! However, I'm not quite sure how to upload the photos........?
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Hello again! Dad reports that he saw another dead polecat today in Peckforton, Cheshire, on the A49.
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Me again! I've just been to join the Flickr group to upload the photos and the instructions say to only upload photos taken from March to June :-( However, should Simon want to see them anyway, email me and I'll forward them on............
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In February this year I saw a polecat cross the road in front of me at Druce, near Puddletown in Dorset.
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hi i saw a polecat in milton,cambridgeshire (near milton country park!) in 2001/2.
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Today I saw a dead polecat on the road near Knighton, Powys
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I have seen a polecat on several occasions, whilst traveling along the roads of west mainland Shetland.
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Hi Simon
I live in the Isle of Man and wondered whether you would please put a pin in your Map for our island as we have lots of polecats here which are seen all the time, sadly alot are killed on the roads but you do see them wondering around often too, just the other day I was driving through my local village and I seen a polecat ambling along the pavement.
Thanks
Carol Bevan
Isle of Man
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On 28 August 2008 I found a dead polecat at the end of the M5 slip road just as it enters Avonmouth (grid ref ST526780). It was in almost perfect condition and is currently in the freezer at work!!
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There are loads on the Isle of Man! They killed our 3 chickens!
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I saw a polecat in Pontardawe in the Swansea valley last winter, it was crossing the lane after a rabbit.
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I was studying at aberystwyth university, and lived in south wales, just on the brecon beacons, when i went on walks around aberystwyth, i use to see polecats running around the edge of the woods on the hills near the university, as if your heading to borth, penglais hill/ B4572, but also when i walked along the western hills of the brecon beacons, Glanaman/ garnant, they would dive out of the hedgerows to the fields, ones saw one with my father carrying a young rabbit, it was amazing to see, just running along, somehow carrying this rabbit in its mouth, amazing, lots of stoats as well, hope that helps, naomi, now in bedfordshire, x
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Last year travelling from Pont Llogel to Llangadfan - just over the hill from Lake Vyrnwy - in broad daylight we saw a polecat running across the road towards Belan Bach. We know it wasn't a ferret as we keep ferrets and the difference is noticeable!
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I noticed a dead polecat at the side of the road in Llandovery this Bank Holiday, it wasn't far from the river.
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A polecat ran in front of my path whilst out for a summer walk. It was a very hot day in August 2006. My Brother-in-law breeds ferrets so I knew that it was a polecat because it was brown and bigger than a ferret. I live in Upper Cwmtwrch in the Swansea valley, the farm I live on is on the verge of the Black Mountains. I hope this helps with your survey.
Also in the early nineties my mothers black labrador killed a polecat in her garden in Baglan near Port Talbot. The polecat made an awfull noise and the smell it gave off was so offensive that we couldnt go outside all day. Again it was brown and bigger than a ferret.
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We live in Bridgnorth Shropshire backing onto fields and have seen a polecat, badgers and foxes for the 20 years we have lived here. We put stale eggs out for the polecats but have never got a photo as they move too quickly
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My daughter saw a polecat under one of our garden sheds about 4-5 years ago. We've not seen it since. Marple, Cheshire.
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About 2 years ago as I was coming home from my in-laws' house apprroximately 10pm I saw a Polecat cross the road in front of me. This was on the Lleyn Peninsula in North Wales near the village of Rhydyclafdy, Pwllheli. The road goes through the middle of a small forest. It was very beautifull and it looked straight at me in the car headlights.
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Approximately 2 weeks ago a Pole cat or at least that is what i suspect it was ran across the road in front of me at around 3.45am in the Felin Pulston area of Wrexham which is very close to Erddig a large area of National trust land
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hello, I live on the banks of Loch Ness in the Highlands of scotland and we are very lucky to have a wide variety of wildlife on our door step. We have pole cats which are quite illusive but we have managed to see them from time to time dotting about under the gorse bushes and beavering away around our garden in the late evening/ night. We also have a regular eveing and early morning visit from a pine martin who likes to eat the fat balls I put out for the birds! The list is endless for the amount of wildlife we have and I think we are very lucky but also take it for granted. We have some great photos of a stoat who likes to hunt in daylight! He responds to squeaking quite well and will sneak up behind you for a closer look!
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In 1980 I collected x7 polecat corpses from a game keepers gibbet from an estate near Shawbury (Shropshire) plus a further x5 in 1985. I retrieved the the skeletons of each. In 1985 I undertook biometric studies of the x7 skulls and compared the skull dimensions, proportions and shapes with those from the British Museum of Natural History and also from a collection of x40+ from Wales. True polecats have distinctly different skulls to polecat ferrets. The post orbital constriction is the key difference. Pelage is not a distinct differentiator.
I have also collected the skulls from polecats / polecat ferrets killed on the road in Staffordshire and Hertfordshire and all were polecat ferrets even though they look distinctly like polecats. Some of the Hertfordshire polecat ferrets were very large and robust. I have grave doubts about visual observations of polecats in England beyond the boarder counties of Wales.
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Sunny Ross on Wye, trying to catch rats in live capture traps in my compost bins last year, I managed to capture a polecat instead. It seemed a bit put out, but was happy enough when I released it down a rabbit hole. My next door neighbour has caught 2 in rabbit traps. They have been around here for as long as I can remember. I have uploaded a picture of the polecat before I released it.
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I saw a polecat when it ran in front of my car and into the verge when i was driving between Embsay and Barden on Black Park on the edge of the Yorkshire Dales. I fact I stopped the car and looked out of the window and it was stood there looking at me. Fantastic!!!
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Hi, I am so glad I seen the show! I work for Severn Trent Water and I had just left a service reservoir at Flecknoe in Warwickshire and I seen this creature I had never seen before! Now after seeing your show, I now know that creature to be 100% a Polecat! Has anybody else seen one in this area of Warwickshire?
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I live in Wyre Forest area in Worcestershire and have seen several polecats in the last few years. Usualy its a quick glimps as one runs across the road infront of my car and sadly several dead in the side of the road from being hit by a car.
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Polecats spotted in the Wootton Rivers area, nr Marlborough, Wiltshire.
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hi i love the wildlife and im glad springwatch is on tv
it was only the other night i was out down adisham kent and spoted some thing i thought was a rabbit so me and a friend waited 15 minutes and then we saw it was a polecat coming out of its hole at the edge of a field under some dead grass and my friend has ferrits and was sure this was a polecat plus watching your show made us 100% hope i helped
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We live in Naseby, Northamptonshire, and I am sad to say weve seen 3 dead Polecats in the early part of the year - road kill :( All 3 were on the bridge that goes over the A14 from Naseby towards Clipston. I was unsure what they were, so had to look it up when I got home and sure enough they were Polecats. The colouring, markings and face shape were so distinctive. My Husband went back to try and take some pics but they were sadly too squished by then!
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Hello from your Irish fans,
We saw a polecat near our home in West Cork Ireland. A small place called Inchigeelagh.
Love the show.
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In the 1990s on holiday near Aberdaron on the Lleyn peninsula we I saw a polecat in the back garden of our holiday cottage
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We saw a polecat around 18 months ago in Longleat forest nr Warminster, we wouldnt of seen it had it not been for my border terrier widget who hunted it along the length of a stream, we initially thought it was an escaped mink but i got home and checked my book and ws suprised to learn it was a polecat and i have never seen one since.
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I live 6 miles outside Hereford going towards Hay-on-Wye in a very secluded spot, 3/4 of a mile from any road and down a long private track. Coming home one night in early spring this year, near the bottom of the track and our house, we saw a polecat run across the track from out of a cattle barn and into the field.
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In 2003 I saw a polecat leaving the cemetry on Grange Fell Road, Grange-over-Sands. The animal crossed the road in front of me and paused on the verge to look back at me before continuing into Wartbarrow Lane. I am familiar with ferrets and it was certainly not a polecat ferret.
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Whilst sitting in the garden in the middle of Swansea in the summer of 2007, there was a huge rustling sound coming up the side in the undergrowth. It was difficult to identify the creature but it was obviously pretty large. The bottom of the garden falls away to a stream & semi woodland and foxes had been seen previously. Suddenly, by the pond out popped a face, not sure who was more surprised! I thought at first it was a weasel or a stoat but it had a dark band across it's face & white snout, which after researching I identified it as a Polecat, who was probably after the frogs in the pond. We spent a few minutes just sizing each other up & then it quietly returned from whence it came. Sadly, I never saw it again, but it was such a privilege to witness.
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I have posted a picture of Percy the Polecat but we found him round our stables in Hertfordshire. We had previoulsy seen stoats and ferrets but this rare little chap is the most beautiful and so photogenic. Have a look at his picture.
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My wife and I were driving home one evening 2 months ago when a mammal crossed the road in front of the car. Immediate thought was a young fox cub but the jizz was wrong. On getting home a look in the books suggested a Polecat, or less likely a Polecat-ferret. The most striking thing was the face mask like a cartoon burglar and the bushy tail.
We live on the borders of Hertfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Bedfordshire.
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When I was younger (around 1998) we were out for a walk at home (on the Isle of Mull) and we came across a large pole cat which seemed to be fairly unwell and totally unphased by us, didn't see another for a long time. More recently, summer 2007, I was driving home from work early evening in July/August and on a rural road had to stop for a group of 3 fairly juvenile polecats playing on the roadside, watched them for a minute or so before they scrambled off.
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grymalkyn009 You must live near me. I'm in Herefordshire, about 8 miles outside Hereford going towards Hay-on-Wye. Have seen one(dead) polecat near Stretton Sugwas/Swainshill and another that stopped in the middle of the road for about 5 minutes near Madley, Herefordshire.
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I haven't seen a live polecat round here (area between Stratford upon Avon & Chipping Campden) but I have seen two polecat corpses on the roads in the last nine months. This is something new & as this area is full of rabbits, pheasants, rodent wildlife & also many people keeping hens I suspect they are finding plenty of food. Hope this is helpful.
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Hi.
I was out one evening, just sitting amongst the trees on our river bank, it was just coming up to dusk, well.I was sitting on a stone with my feet dangling over the edge,out of the blue I felt as if someone had poked me with a stick twice, so quietly I turned around, there sitting right behind me was a polecat, I thought he would run off, but no, he came around and stood in front of me, and we looked at each other for ages,it was maybe 10/12 minutes, he then moved off so I couldn't see him, but I could still hear him for a while after.
I was totally stunned to be so close, I could almost touch him, I remember it vividly, he just stood watching me, no more than foot away from my wellie.
Trev.
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I saw a dead polecat on the side of Gospel End Road in Sedgley (near Dudley West Mids) about this time last year.
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i live in sulby in the isle of man,a polecat came out of a rabbit hole in our garden,we often see polecats which have been ran over on the roads,there must be a large number living here,no shortage of rabbits to eat!
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My mother in law used to live on the outskirts of Delamere Forest at Manley in Cheshire. She caught a polecat in a humane trap (trying to get the rabbits in her garden) about 4 or 5 years ago. On identifying it and reading it ate rabbits she released it. My wife and I also saw one crossing the road near the old post office in Manley a couple of years before that.
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I live in the Test Valley, in Hampshire. About a year ago, early evening, I saw a creature I didn't recognise run across the road in front of my car. I stopped, because it had. It had turned to look at me. I got a full frontal before it rushed off into the hedge. Trying hard to keep the image in my mind, when I got home I looked it up. By coincidence a friend had left a copy of a booklet on British Mammals behind. Looking out of the page at me from a photograph was a polecat. Unmistakably! The image was so fresh in my mind. And I had no-one to share my excitement with! So here I am a year later....
Sadly, a month later I saw the body of a polecat in almost the same place I'd first seen it. I imagine it had been hit by a car. NO sitings this year, yet.
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My daughter lives above Ebbw Vale (s. Wales) at 450m. 5 years ago she lost a number of chickens over night from an apparently secure chicken house. This happened on several successive nights and in desperation she borrowd a trap and baited it with a dead chicken. Result 1 very angry polecat. My son in law kept ferrets from childhood and definitely excluded the polecat ferret. The captive was released some miles away from her home and has never returned
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Found a dead [road kill] old female Pole Cat in 2004 ? looking for a photo I took of it before burrying it, all I can remember about it was the Smell!! Place found Dyffryn Ardudwy. Gwynedd LL44 2DA
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we saw a polecat run across the road in front of our in daylight, in North Yorkshire, near Burnt Yates. It was a clear but brief sighting, as it disappeared into the hedgerow.
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TWO POLECATS HAVE BEEN FOUND DEAD ON THE ROAD LESS THAN A MILE APART FROM EACH OTHER ON THE A6 IN NORTH BEDFORDSHIRE, AS A FERRET KEEPER AND BREEDER I CAN CONFIRM THAT BOTH WERE EUROPEAN POLECATS. I HAVE PRESERVED THE SKIN AND SKULL FROM ONE OF THESE.
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In recent weeks, I have seen two Polecat road kills in the Andover/Goodworth Clatford area of Hampshire. Both kills appear to be adult polecats when referenced to a standard mammal guide. In 50 years of living in Hampshire, I have never seen Polecats until this year - sadly, I have still to see a live example.
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I just wanted to give Simon King a tip about trying to capture the polecat on film, as a ferret owner who has poleys (half ferret, half polecat) they absolutely love the vitamin supplement Ferrotone. I'm sure if Simon spreads it in the area of cameras he will have a polecat sniffing around in no time, all mine could never resist it and I'm sure a wild polecat will be no different. Lets hope he gives it a go!
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I saw a Polecat, one evening, driving back from Clipston in Northants to my home just inside the Leicestershire border.
I saw what looked like a dead rabbit (run over, poor thing), dragging itself into the hedgerow, off the road. I slowed and saw the trail of blood, thinking the rabbit to be severely injured. But no - I saw the Polecat's unmistakeable face peering out of the grass at me, determined not to let go of its new found quarry.
Amazing.
It carried on and completely retrieved the rabbit, disappearing into the bushes.
That would have been somewhere around October 2008.
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I saw a dead polecat by the side of the road near Abergavenny about two years ago.
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Hi,
I live in a rural small town called Maesteg mid. Glam, on the road out of town there is a burger van parked up in a laybye which has atracted some rats living in a bank adjacent to the van, last summer I drove past the laybye & found a dead polecat in the gutter, 3 days later on the opposite side of the road I found another one again it was dead in the gutter, I feel they must have been trying to feed on the rats nearby, having once kept ferrets & polecats I saw that these were much darker with a larger set of mrkings on their faces.
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On holiday in Newport, Pembrokeshire two years ago a polecat came into my ground floor bedroom mid-evening. I saw it through the doorway investigating my cat's food bowl just about the same time my cat saw it too. It fled under the bed when we went to investigate, very concerned because our other cat was nursing five tiny kittens - easy prey for what we read in our wildlife book thoughfully provided by the house owners was definitely a bandit-masked polecat. It popped out from under the bed and gave me a long hard stare displaying it's extraordinary facial markings.
We rang the RSPCA and the local vet, but no one could help or tell us how to get rid of the creature which had now moved into the ensuite bathroom and was hiding behind the handbasin.
Obviously the polecat was more scared even than we were, and before a resourceful member of our party grabbed it wearing a pair of thick oven gloves and ejected it via the window, it had sprayed it's vile smelling panic liquid throughout the bathroom. The oven gloves were similarly awful and had to be thrown out.
I was amazed a polecat would be confident enough to come into the house, and the story has gone down in family history as an extraordinary holiday experience in West Wales.
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We live in the Ceiriog Valley only a few miles from the Lake Vyrnwy area. About three weeks ago I was walking our dogs at about 7.30 a.m up the lane that runs up to the moors from the back of our cottage. One of the dogs stopped for the usual and as I looked across the stream that runs into the Ceiriog river a little face appeared in a hole in the slate bank. Unmistakeably a polecat!! I have looked regularly since but no luck. Probably a once in a lifetime sighting!
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In 2007 I was working as a ranger in the Hart District of Hampshire and I found a polecat which had been run over on a road on the outskirts of Fleet.
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i can recal seeing a pole cat as a child whilst walking the famly dog with my father near Nelson South wales
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We caught a wild polecat in our shed,in North Pembrokeshire. She was eating a rabbit.She stayed with us for 2 weeks but disappeared as suddenly as she appeared. This was in January 2008, and there has been no further sighting.
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Hi There
I saw a polecat walk across our driveway in daylight 2 years ago. We live near Devauden, Chepstow, Wales. No further sightings since then.
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We found a dead polecat on the M4 just outside Bridgend, about a mile from Junction 36 heading West. This was then handed to the Swansea University for study. The date of this was 27th October 2006.
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I ALMOST RAN A POLECAT OVER AT ABOUT 0230 AM AS I DRIVE A TRUCK AT NIGHT, IT WAS ABOUT 4 YEARS AGO NEAR ABERGAVENY. IT IS THE ONLY ONE I HAVE EVER SEEN IN 14 YEARS OF NIGHT DRIVING.
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i own a small free range chicken farm in bitton near bristol
about two weeks ago i described to my family somthing that i had never
seen befor it was about 8.30 pm in my car a few hundred yards from my farm it was walking doun the side of the road.
i described perfectly your wild polcat,i own captive polcats but this
was not yellow but dark all over with a bandit face.
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i have family on the isle of man, when i visit i alway see polecats on the A5 near mount murry golf club and the horse retirement centre there always in the same place near a dip in the road.
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Two weeks ago my husband was attempting to control the numbers of rabbits munching our sheep pasture, he set a rabbit trap and the following morning came face to face with a very angry male pole cat -he described it as "enormous".... (I think he was justifying the fact we still have hundreds of rabbits munching our sheep pasture !!!)
We live in Edge, Nr Stroud, Gloucestershire
Jo
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I saw a dead pole cat on the side of the road about 2 weeks ago in Altami near Mold, Gutted!!
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I was out rabbiting in north yorkshire, malham.i found a nest of polecats and later that day saw the mother, she was a true wild polecat. i have had ferrets all my life and can tell the differance.;
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A number of years ago now I briefly spotted one close to the grounds of the Mamore lodge hotel near to Kinlochleven in the Scottish Highlands. I'd been relaxing next to a small stream and suddenly a pole-cat popped its head out of the vegetation on the bank. We stared at each other for a brief moment, both equally suprised I think, before it vanished again. An unforgetable moment.
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I had a close encounter with a polecat in East Grinstead, South East England at big hedgecourt lake whist i was fishing. it ran under the elavated wooden path and was one meter away until it swam away in the marshland in to a bamboo hedge...
Tom Bracey
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hi tom again, forgot 2 say that i spotted the polcat last winter around the end of november
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A single siting about two years ago late at night on the patio.
My house is alongside an oak wood near to Cenarth, south Ceredigion.
I would have expected to see more of them around here.
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spotted polecat last night on farm land on hill above my house in Newbrigde Gwent, South Wales
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I saw a polecat on my way home one evening, it just bounced through the grass at the side of the road and looked straight at me,it was fab! This was just outside of Radwinter in North Essex
love the programme Luv Bx
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I saw a polecat on a countryside road between Cwmbran and Llangybi this time last year. I first thought it was a stoke or weasel but after desrcibing the white ring on the face to my father he confirmed it would have been a polecat.
Louise in Torfaen.
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On 26.08.2008 we saw a polecat in our garden in Llwyn Onn, 5 miles north of Merthyr. It was still for a moment then shot off into the forest which backs onto our garden. We heard squealing a minute later and thought that it may have caught a rabbit.
Two of our neighbours had seen a polecat in their gardens a few days earlier. However, there have been no sightings since then.
It is noticeable that there has been an approx. 80% reduction in the number of rabbits in our garden this year compared to previous years (which we don't mind as they are so destructive). This could be due to polecats or possibly other predators. We have seen two rabbit burrows with their entrances opened up and a lot of rabbit fur strewn around and wondered whether a predator had raided a 'stop'.
Can you tell us how we could confirm whether or not polecats are still in the area? Are there any tell-tale signs?
By the way, the revised team is great, particularly when Kate & Co unwind after the main programme. Keep up the good work!
Best wishes,
Joy & Geoff
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I certainly saw a polecat whilst out riding on the edge of Damflask resevoir at Low Bradfield nr Sheffield a couple of months ago. However I did wonder if it was a pet that had 'broken free' as it was daylight hours and it didn't dart off immediately but since it stood it's ground I was able to have a good look at it. What a lovely creature and so beautifully marked. Good Luck Simon - hope you have the pleasure of seeing a wild one very soon.
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Late one summers' evening last year, I was travelling home along a country lane and in front of me I saw a polecat running along .I would not have seen it if it had gone into the hedge but it travelled quite a way before turning through a farm yard. I was thrilled as it gave me plenty of time to watch it...My first Polecat !!!!This was between Carmarthen and Llansteffan,West Wales. Love the prog. Keep up the good work.
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Last summer i found a dead polecat on the lane just a bit from our house and 2 years ago coming back late at night i saw a polecat coming down the whiteline on the road as if he owned it. Herefordshire
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I nearly ran over (disaster!) a pair of 'lolloping' Polecats on the A30 about 3 miles East of Stockbridge going towards Sutton Scotney (I was they weren't)at about 9pm last Monday week (18 May 09). At first I thought that they were young badgers - too small, Ferrets - too stocky so I had to admit that they were polecats when one of them looked at me through 'Spectacled eyes'. I turned around to see if I could spot them again but very little chance of that. I might never see any agian but maybe there are more of them than we think.
We have not seen any in the National Forest (home) yet but we can but hope, maybe in another 100 years orso when the trees are properly grown.
Fizzycyst,
Coton in the Elms,
Derbyshire
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My parents saw a polecat close to the coastal path near Aberaron in th e Lynn Penninsular, North Wales in May 2008.
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I have seen a dead polecat on the road between Henley-on-Thames and Nettlebed and also heard a reliable report of a polecat killing some chickens last year in Wellplace near Ipsden, Wallingford.
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A polecat crossed the road slowly in front of our car on Sunday night at about 2am (24th May 09) - we live on the Carmarthenshire/Pembrokeshire border south of Crymych.
Over the past 16 years we have seen a polecat almost every year in various places - sometimes in our garden although thankfully they have never yet taken any of our chickens or guineapigs. Our best sighting was in the Gwaun valley about 10 years ago in the middle of the day, when a polecat ran along a wall at eye level right next to our car as we drove along slowly. This is a brilliant area for wildlife.
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i was on my bike down the farms in tewkesbury and one shot out of the trees.
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I saw a polecat in Scotland near Grantown on Spey in 1975 in a stand of Scots pine.
In 2005 my niece heard a scrabbling noise at her window and saw a large polecat on the gutter below. She did close the window as the thing about stinking like a polecat seems to be true --very strong! She lives in the Spey valley at Knockando.
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Me and my boyfriend saw a polecat peeping through the hedge at us whilst we were driving through Whitegate in Cheshire one evening last year.
How do you tell the difference between a polecat and a polecat-ferret?
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In early July 2006 my husband and I saw a polecat kitten on the Machair at the southern tip of the Isle of Mull. It ran into a burrow in the sandy soil but continued to peek out at us as we passed.
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I was delighted to see a polecat on two occasions early this year on the edge of the woods at Gayhurst North Bucks.
The first occasion in Feb was a brief siting at 2230 hrs when driving past the wood.It appeared at the roadside and faced the car showing the distinctive face mask.
A few weeks later I saw it again when cycling in the early morning, 1/4 mile away from the first siting running along the road. It was in view for about 30 seconds.
I later spoke to the ranger from Salsey Forest who confirmed that polecats were thought to be in the area.
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I have seen 2 Polecats recently, 1 at Hopesay in Shropshire and 1 at Lientwardine ,Herefordshire.
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My wife and I found a dead female polecat at the side of the main road
from Halesowen to Stourbridge in the Clent Hills in the West Midlands.
This was in September 2007. Definitely not a ferret / polecat-ferret.
We have kept ferrets and are very familiar with their morphology and colouring. Not a mink either! We have seen a polecat whilst working on a voluntary basis at Lake Vyrnwy.
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we live on the border of worcester and hereford a fair distance from busy roads. whilst walking our dog i returned home and the dog reacted to a creature within feet of our home. with a stern call he came away but the creature had dropped its baby (picture to add) we realised it was a polecat because of the ears. without touching it by hand we moved it closer to the fence hoping mum would return we thought mum had but baby must of crawled under the fence and it has died. how many babies in a litter or are they singular births. do mums and dads stay together. and we have 3 chickens in an enclosure but do let them roam in our field with some herdwick sheep are they safe ?
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About 2 years ago my partner and I saw a polecat crossing a road from a wooded area. This was at Penkridge in Staffordshire.
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Blairgowrie,Perthshire,Scotland.
28/2/09 Found a polecat caught in a rabbit trap, this refused to leave the trap and gave me some grief with it's high pitched yapping bark. I covered the trap and left it overnight, next morning it had gone.
This the second one to get caught, the first one one was a couple of years ago. This was a ferret cross breed and took off at high speed when I opened the trap.
Environment:- Large garden in mixed woodland adjacent to open farmland.
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I've never seen a live polecat but often see dead one's on the A34 between Congleton and Alderley Edge in rural Cheshire.
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My boyfriend and I were on holiday in Penbontrhydyfothau, New Quay,
Wales ,{just to be precise about it!} ,in early July last year. We were sat in the garden and a polecat appeared from a hedge and trotted along the fenceline and off into the meadow. I'd never seen one before and certainly wouldn't have expected to see one a few inches away from where I was sat!
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I saw a polecat 2 years ago on a bank above the river Avon. It sat up as I rode past on a horse. No one believed me! But it was very obviously a polecat very clear face markings.
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As i was driving to the next village (Tonna, neath, west glam), last september i slowed down for the roundabout and there it was larger than life looking at me a little polecat. Do hope i see him again....??
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About 2 years ago my friend and I saw a pole cat (or a polecat ferret?) passing through a quiet caravan site overlooking the Beauleigh Firth on the Black Isle just west of North Kessock. The first time it came from under a nearby caravan from the direction of the shore, under our caravan and then the next one and into the nearby hay field. We saw it again the next day following the same route with a young one in its mouth, presumably moving its nest (or whatever its called). My friend has some wonderful video footage of this second sighting but unfortunately she is currently in New Zealand so I cannot send it too you.
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Polecat spotted crossing the A827 approx. 2.5 miles west of Aberfeldy on the evening of Thursday 21st May at 8.00pm
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Saw a Polecat on Tuesday this week in the Tingwall valley ,near Asta golf course, in Shetland about 5pm whilst on on my bike.
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I saw a polecat a couple of weeks ago running along the side of the road when driving between Llanon and Llanrhystud on the A487 at around 8pm.
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hi seen both goshawk and polecat in the forrestry postcode sa10 9bh somewhat worried and a great deal of shooting in this area and also commercial trees due for felling soon any advice? sorry no photos but definite sightings polecat in daylight but just before heavy thunderstorm 5pm last july clear sighting about thirty feet before into trees and gone goshawk ween twice 2007 winter and autumn 2008 not seen this year as yet
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Hi team, I live near Crewe in Cheshire. ( CW2 ). Saw a road kill polecat last spring, and about 6 weeks later a polecat crossed the road in front of me. Both sitings in a rural area approx 1 mile from each other.
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I live just outside Beulah in Ceredigion and have seen a polecat many times in my lane, especially this time of the year. Unfortunately we also see road-kills quite often on the coast road between Cardigan and Aberaeron.
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hello i live in plymouth devon,i caught a polecat last summer 2008,i went in to my shed at back of the garden opened the door and found my shed had been recked the smell was really bad,i lifted a blanket from the floor out popped this thing i thought it was a ferret so i tryed to catch it but it ran out of shed.cut a long story out i managed to catch this animal put it in a box phoned the rspca they picked it up,about 30mins lata rspca phoned me up to tell me it was a polecat that i had caught.its taken a long time to kleer my shed up and to get rid of the smell
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I live in mid-Wales and saw a wild polecat in March on the outskirts of Garth, near Builth Wells. No surprises, given the location, but great to see anyway.
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I have been very lucky to have seen several Polecats. Once in Baschurch, North Shropshire and a few times in Church Stretton, Shropshire. in each occasion they have run in front of my vehicle
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Hello Simon and the usual suspects. I picked up on your comment Simon about the first Polecat you saw was in Cwmystwyth - my parents have a small holding up there and its one of my favourite spots in the UK. Its magical for wildlife and scenery (especially at Hafod) is truely stunning. Their house and land are the last ones before the mines on the right by the cattlegrid - and I genuinely didn't know Polecats were rare. They've repeatedly had their chickens raided by polecats to the extent where they've had to use a much finer wire net than you would normally need to dissuade foxes etc. So they're certainly very commong up there ! They've seen them on a number of occasions - coming down from the oak forest above the house.
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Our blackbirds who come every day to feed in our garden love sultanas. One blackbird we call Rocky because he has a few feathers missing around his throat, hops on the garden fence in front of the kitchen window and sings a lovely tune to catch our attention. We then put some sultanas out on the garden wall and off he hops, sorts them out in his beak then flies off. Its his 4th year with us. From Silverfoxmike from Darwen. Lancashie.
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I have sighted a Polecat by the sand dunes on the walking path to the FFrith beach area of Prestatyn Denbighshire North Wales. May 2009
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I live in Overton-On-Dee Nr.Wrexham and last year I spotted a Polecat from my window crossing the garden. Two days later one was dead on the roadside but I saw another one in the garden. Most of the rabbits in the garden were missing, also all the Koi Carp in the pond disappeared . Could the Polecat be responsible for this?
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We live in a small rural town in the Stafforshire Moorlands,north of Stoke-on-Trent near to the Cheshire border. Approx. 4-5 yrs ago we had a pole cat make it's home under the greenhouse, it was there for several months. Eventually we had to cath it in a humane trap due to the mess it was creating in the greenhouse. A neighbour took it to his place of work in Cheshire and released it into some woods where there were lots of rabbits.
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We live in a small rural town in the Stafforshire Moorlands,north of Stoke-on-Trent near to the Cheshire border. Approx. 4-5 yrs ago we had a pole cat make it's home under the greenhouse, it was there for several months. Eventually we had to catch it in a humane trap due to the mess it was creating in the greenhouse. A neighbour took it to his place of work in Cheshire and released it into some woods where there were lots of rabbits.
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I cannot remember the year to be exact,( late 1980's maybe ) but I used to own a polecat. We named him Sid, and he was a real joy to have as a pet. At the time we also had our pet ferret called Sam. They may give off an awful smell from their sweat glands, but I can honestly say they make an ideal pet.
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me and my dad were driving to the shops when sadley on the road we saw a dead polecat i thought i would say because there could be some more around the area of buckinghamshire
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In Summer of 2008 late one morning heard a tapping sound in our rural Hertfordshire garden, I stood still, something moved to my left on a pile of logs about ten feet away. It had brown fur, a tail, cute face with ears, a very definite 'bandit mask' and a creamy yellow front. It was about ten inches long & quite beautiful. We stared at each other for a few seconds and then it jumped back into the hedgerow. Was this a true polecat? Do polecat ferrets have 'bandit masks'?
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I have seen a polecat in scotland while climbing ben nevis in fort william as soon as it seen me it run in to a hollow tree
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While travelling to Whitehaven to do the C2C bike ride at about 3am on a June morning about 2 years ago i saw a polecat near Cockermouth
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We live in Barrow a small village near Chester, Cheshire. We had a polecat living in the outhouse, over the fridge motor in 2007. We did not have time to take a picture or video as when disturbed by the dogs it shot out accross the back garden into the fields. We also saw one today that was dead by the side of the road at Spurstow.
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I saw a polecat running across the road late one night near the village of Broadmayne, Dorset in February of this year. Sadly I saw a dead polecat in roughly the same area last week.
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Hi Simon we have seen a total of 39 polecats which include a family of six all the sightings have been in the early hours of the morning traveling from hitchin to preston in hertfordshire we would be more than happy to show you where the sightings have been if you should wish to try and film them from mark & adie
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Fairly recently there was a dead polecat at the side of the main road through the town of Chirk, Wrexham. LL14
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25th March at about 11:45pm, an adult pole cate and four kits were bounding (well a strange bouncing gait, don know what to call it) nose to tail along Whitmore Lane, roughly SJ381, 340 in Staffordshire. I hate to be a pedant, but records must be right (ask your camera teams how important good records are). Your film which accompanied the poem the other evening showed Viola tricolour, Wild Pansy, when violets were mentioned, right genus but a bit of a duff selection of species, not a violet!
I have dabbled with Spring-Watch since it began and in later seasons, did not even bother to record it, now with the new energy the show has, I do not miss a minute. Chris and and Kate have an interesting wry chemistry which does not detract from the message, which was not true with Bill and Kate. Well done both. Great show.
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hi! i've always believed my daughter and i sighted a polecat on our way home from work/school 2 years ago but now i'm not so sure and was wondering if someone could either confirm or deny it for me please?
we live on the west of scotland in the countryside 15 miles south of glasgow and were driving home around 4pm-ish at approximately this time of year when something ran across the road in front of the car and was narrowly missed by the rear wheels of the vehicle in front of us.
it was about 2 and a half/3ft long from nose to tail but about half of it was tail. it had a long narrow body, short legs and its tail was relatively bushy....not exactly squirrel or fox-like but not sleek like a stoat or cat. it was also almost black all over and its underbelly was creamy coloured. its face looked kind of otter like in the way its snout was more blunt and rounded and not pointed. i've looked at all the pictures of the polecats on the programme and on the website but to be honest they really dont look very much like the animal we saw.....can anyone help please?
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Hiya, I live near Porthcawl on the south Wales coast and I'm sure I saw a polecat on a walk several years ago. Unfortunately, it was dead on the roadside, but still very beautiful. I didn't know what it was at the time, but since watching the programme I'm sure it was a polecat. I'm glad not to have seen another one since, as it possibly means they're keeping well clear of the cars!
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i live in south West Wales close to the Towy Valley we had aPole cat in one of our barns which houses some poultry about two months ago.we also saw one on our farm track last summer.Its not unusual to see road kills on the A40 close to the llandovery area.Clive
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Saw a polecat in Beccles, Suffolk, about 3 years ago. Walking beside river, saw it on an old dilapidated motor boat. It scurried along the deck and disappeared under a canvas awning over stern. I looked under awning but couldn't see it, guess it had a secure hiding place there. I wasn't sure what it was but guessed it was a polecat, which I later confirmed on internet. Not bad that, only 12 miles from the most easterly point of UK
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We saw a polecat on the Isle of Mull, near Gruline, Can't remember when - say 5-10 years ago.
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I saw a polecat in Ludlow town centre yesterday. It was stuffed and in a glass case in the museum. Does this count??
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No but my ex neighbour said he had seen one a long time ago in his garden in Welling, Kent and very recently in Danson Park, Kent where unfortunately his dog killed it I am sorry to say.
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We saw a polecat on the beach below Craig Youth Hostel near Kinlochewe in West Scotland.I couldn't believe my eyes I never thought I would be lucky enough to see one.It heard the shutter of the camera & we only got a picture of its back & tail.This was in 2001.
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i live in crewe, cheshire, i live on the outside of the town and whilst travelling to nearby winsford i seen a polecat.. unfortunatley it was a roadkill so it had been hit by a car..
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Saw a polecat on Langley Hill near Winchcombe, Glos. last weekend.
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Last year we had a call from a local wildlife hospital asking if we could take in 3 baby polecats (we keep ferrets and polecat-ferrets) that had been found on a road next to their dead mother (somewhere in Surrey/Hampshire border). We kept them until they were big enough (and had bitten us enough) then we got them onto a release programme somewhere near Aylesbury. Hopefully they are doing well. They are beautiful animals.
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Well it was a long time ago (1992) nr Clashmore, Sutherland, I had to use a broom to try and push it (v gently) away from my rabbit cages that it insisted on having a really serious 'go' at ! I moved from their later that yr. (Hope this helps you !) It was quite bigish too and local rangers seemed pretty nonplussed ! :) Seen a Wildcat too (was on the road when it was very snowy - 2006 one winter morning as I came over a humped back bridge !) :) About 1/4 mile from home too !
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About 2 years ago we had a mother and 5 cubs under our fireplace - we could hear them under the floor. They stayed for about a week or so then left - we managed to video them all , will find the video and mail it to you.
Near Rye East Sussex
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I'M A RURAL POSTWOMAN AND WAS ON DELIVERY ON A FARM TRACK IN MY LITTLE VAN IN HAZELWOOD, BELPER, DERBYSHIRE , WHERE THERE ARE NORMALLY LOTS OF RABBITS AND HARE'S TO BE SEEN DAILY. TO MY SURPRISE THIS MORNING AT 09.45AM I COULD FROM A DISTANCE SEE SOMETHING BLACK IN THE MIDDLE OF THE TRACK, AS I GOT APPROX 6FT AWAY IT REARED IT SELF UP ON TO ITS HIND LEGS AND GAVE A LITTLE SNIFF AND A LOOK IN MY DIRECTION AND IT WAS CLEARLY AN ELUSIVE POLECAT!!! I AM A BIG NATURE LOVER BUT THIS IS THE FIRST TIME I'VE SEEN A WILD POLECAT!!! AMAZING!!
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most sundays we go for a walk around manchester airport and while we were walking we saw a polecat in the hedge.
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For a number of years in the base of an old ash tree a pole cat has been regularly seen especially during mid summer. Most evenings when I was bringing the cows in I would see the polecat come from the same direction come a short distance up the lane and disappear into a hole in the tree. I am in rural Worcestershire near Redditch.
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At about 10.30 one night in late March/early April 2009 while driving on the road from Aberthaw to Llancadle in the Vale of Glamorgan, South Wales, I saw quite clearly a polecat in the road. It was not a mink, being a little larger, darker and having an unmistakeable "bandit" face.
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My most recent sighting of a polecat was last week - bounding down a field near Dolforwyn Castle, Abermule, mid-Wales.
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Polecas sighted on May 10th 2008 in the grounds of the Hilton hotel in Dunkeld Scotland, and again on May 8th this year on the old A9 (Dunkeld to Pitlochry) about half a mile away from the 2008 sighting
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i am sure i saw a polecat last year while staying at st fillans in perthshire.if not a polecat could it have been a mink???? or more likely the cross breed as mentioned on the programme.
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Polecat sighting - Corbiere Point Jersey August 2008 - late afternoon heathland
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I saw a dead polecat on the side of the road on the Llandilo Graban road near Erwood, Powys on 2 May 09. This is the first I have ever seen either alive or dead
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Whilst walking the Cheshire Sandstone Trail two days ago my sister spotted a polecat ahead on the path, it had a baby rabbit in it's mouth. It was on the south side of Rawhead.
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Over the last couple of years I've found 3 Polecats dead along the A49 near Weaverham, Cheshire (road kill). On contacting Cheshire Wildlife, they said they believed them to be quite common in this area.
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I think I saw a Polecat about 5 or 6 months ago. It was certainly the right sort of size and colour and I have not been sure what it was, but now I see all of the photos I am reasonably sure. We live in a rural area outside Fillongley near Coventry and I saw it running along a hedgerow.
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ive not seen a live polecat but ive noticed over the last 6 years an increasing amount of dead ones on the m56 inthe helsby and frodsham areas also 3 which i have picked up on the a56 near daresbury so they are definetly spreading into cheshire
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I saw a dark brown roadkill last October (3rd) and stopped the car thinking it might have been an otter. It turned out to be a polecat. It was on the main A483 road just north of Llanwrtyd Wells.
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I saw polecats about 2 years ago at Farley Mount, Hampshire
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i saw a polecat just between the villages of leigh on mendip and stoke st. michael in somerset about a year ago. i was driving to work and it crossed the road in front of me, it was the only time i've seen ever one but it was definitly a polecat :)
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We live in mid Wales, in the Brecon Beacons National Park, and a very young polecat was spotted in our garden last autumn. Unfortunately we found four dead water shrews around the same time. Could they have been killed by the polecats? We have many other wild animals such as owls in our garden, which is great, but could one of them have been responsible? It could have been the domestic cat who lives in a neighbouring house who we saw with a dead vole one day. Is there anything we can do to help save these rare animals or is it nature's way?
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I think I saw a Polecat in Beddgelert, North Wales back in August last year... but it wasn't masked, it was all black! It was very curious and didn't seem to mind people at all.
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My dad evrey year he has told me he has seen a polecat in denham where he works.I love it when he come home from work and tell use what it had been doing hope this well help you denham is in bucks soory.
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Early 1980's true bred polecats released south of Oban Argyll.
25 May 2007 at Kirkton, Lochalsh, NG830272. one seen at close quarters. Good description and no rabbits in the area, also no polecat ferets known of in the area.
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My mum (who lives in mid Wales) had a polecat nesting in her outhouse a year or two ago. Not sure if it returns each year as its pretty overgrown (ideal for the polecat!)
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We live in the Ystwyth valley in Mid Wales, (Pontrhydygroes)postcode. SY256DR, and have had three sightings of polecats in 2002/3. One adult was drinking from the pond in the garden. One juvenile was cornered by a cat and ran away when we distracted the cat, and one adult was in the lane by our front gate. We have since seen one as roadkill about a mile from here. This is a wooded area with plenty of cover and a very healthy population of birds and other wildlife.
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I was told that the animals I saw about 5 years ago in Scotland were polecats. This was at the Scout Outdoor Centre at Lochgoilhead. They appeared from under rocks at the side of a mountain burn some distance below where I was standing. They did not go into the water.
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Last year (end of May) I saw a polecat in the grounds around Llwyn-y-Celyn youth hostel, near Brecon
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Had a polecat under my garden shed one night when I lived in Trecastle, near Brecon in Wales about 3 years ago.
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About two summers ago I was out with my mother on a bike ride and we were on a lane by Goytre Wharf, Llanover, Monmouthshire and I saw a pole cat playing in the middle of the road. He was bouncing around and chasing his tail, I watched him for a good thirty seconds and then turned to tell my Mam to slow down as she was behind me and she stopped and as she did the pole cat turned to look at us and stayed still for a few second and then went off into the hedge. We felt ever so lucky to see it and I can still remember his cheeky little face! :D It looked just like the photos above!
Emma and my Mam Heather X :D
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Saw a pole cat in late Autumn last year at about 4.00 pm in Ley Hill Chesham, Buckinghamshire; no photo but was only about 10 feet away. The area is swarming with rabbits. I haven't seen it since but there is still a worn track in the grass along the base of the wall where I saw it. I bagged what I thought was some pole cat poo, I'm not quite sure why but it seemed a good idea at the time!
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