This video clip recently popped up on my Facebook feed. It was posted by Jordan Froese, who was in Alberta, Canada, with my friend Chad Onek, owner of C and S Whitetails in El Dorado, Kansas.
Chad was hunting moose in Alberta, and Jordan was quick enough to grab his phone and film the two video clips below.
Jordan wrote: “This is one of the coolest things I have ever seen in nature, and I got to share this experience with Chad Onek while out hunting moose. That snowshoe hare didn’t stand a chance against the marten!”
FYI: In my home state of Minnesota, the American marten is often called a pine marten. (There’s also a Eurasian pine marten, which is a different species.) The American marten is found in some northern states, including Alaska, as well as Canada. I’ve had the pleasure of watching martens for hours during long sits on black bear hunting trips. Martens are frequent visitors to bait sites, especially in areas where bear hunters and guides can use beaver carcasses for bait. I’ve seen first hand how viscous a marten can be when ripping apart a beaver carcass, so I wasn’t surprised the one in the videos below made quick work of the hare.
P.S. Be sure to click "enter full screen" and turn up the volume of the left video below for best viewing. (The right video doesn’t have sound.) Predator hunters will recognize the hair-raising sound the hare makes when being attacked by the marten.
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