My wife and kids went to a cooking class last night so I took the opportunity to go to a new gopher paradise.

I was there on Saturday with a friend and we saw 4 weasels. One was in range but I blew the shot. Weasels are not a protected animal in Montana, by the way.

Last night I went and sat down at a place overlooking the spot where we saw the weasels. No weasels, only gophers, the shooting was great. After a few minutes I turned around and there was a weasel not 10 yards away looking at me. Of course I missed the first shot. A few seconds later he pops up (grass is getting LONG) even closer and I whacked him. Funny thing, it didn't make the hollow sound like when you hit a gopher at close range...

About an hour later I was cresting another hill and saw a second weasel, bigger than the first (which was tiny) and nailed him too. Same thing, no nice hollow "whop" sound but a dead weasel.

In my small cadre of shooting friends the sound of a solid hit on a gopher is called "the sound of truth", now we need a new name for the sound of hitting a weasel.

Years ago, having not seen a weasel in the wild before, I saw what looked like a skinny, red gopher and yelled to my friend "Hey! A red gopher, kill him!!" He took a peek at it, smacked me on the head and told me that it was a weasel. We both missed that one.

In keeping with your current theme, and to quote Simon and Garfunkel, how 'bout...

The sound of silence...

way to help keep the weasle population under control. You are a true friend to gophers/rats/mice everywhere

Well, if you want gophers, rats and mice, that's the way to do it.

Personally, I'd much rather have the weasels. If I ever did shoot a weasel, it would be in the winter and only if I wanted the fur.

Mt Al: Yes Weasels are classified specifically as Varmints here in Montana and their Hunting or harvesting can be done year around and at night.
Weasels are among natures most fearless (not even occassionally timid!) animals.
I was Hunting a Rabbit I had seen in my back field when I was about 12 years old. I had my trusty Remington bolt action 22 and had seen the Rabbit from my house and went and got my Rifle and then on to the field about 100 yards away where the Rabbit had been!
Once in the area I heard rustling and squeaking and here was the large Cottontail Rabbit being killed by a Weasel! The Weasel had the Rabbit by the throat and the end was happening for the Rabbit! I was amazed! I was standing not 6 feet away from the Rabbit and the Weasel and once the Rabbit stopped kicking the Weasel APPROACHED ME and stood up on his hind haunches and glared at me literally not 3 feet from my shoes!
I immediately retreated confused in that maybe I had seen a rabid Weasel and that could be the only explanation for the Weasel attacking the much larger than it, Rabbit and then having the audacity to approach and stare down me, a large human!
Since that first encounter I have seen many of the busy little Hunters in forests and fields and always marveled at their lack of fear! I also especially like to see them in the winter when their fur turns them into Ermine (all white with black tipped tails). They literally snowplow UNDER the snow chasing mice and whatever else is under the snow? The snow can be seen bulging up as the Ermines speed along apparently able to see, hear or smell their quarry!
I have shot a couple but the shot usually wrecks them and spreads their foul scent all over making them poor candidates for taxidermy. I have seen some Weasels and Ermines beautifully mounted and displayed. I wonder if they were live trapped then dispatched with CO2 or something. As the ones I have seen mounted are free of any bullet holes!
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy