each other. Exploitation and extinction The sea mink was pursued by fur traders due to its large size; this made it more desirable than other mink species further inland. The unregulated fur trade eventually led to its extinction, which is thought to have occurred between 1860 and 1920. The sea mink was seldom sighted after 1860. The last two recorded kills of a sea mink were made in Maine in 1880 near Jonesport, Maine, and Campobello Island, New Brunswick, in 1894, although the 1894 kill is speculated to be of large American minks. Fur traders made traps to catch sea minks and also pursued them with dogs, although they were rarely trapped. If a sea mink escaped into a small hole on the rocky ledges, it was dug out by hunters using shovels and crowbars. If it was out of reach of the hunters, it was shot and then retrieved using an iron rod with a screw on the far end. If it was hiding, it was smoked out and suffocated. The minks' nocturnal behavior may have been caused from pressure by fur traders who hunted them in daylight. Since the remains of brain cases found in shell middens are broken and many of the bones found exhibit cut marks, it is assumed that the sea mink was hunted by Native Americans for food, and possibly for exchange and ceremonial purposes. One study looking at the remains in shell middens in Penobscot Bay reported that sea mink craniums were intact, more so than that of other animals found, implying that they were specifically placed there. Males were more often collected than females. References External links Arkive.org Mammals described in 1903 Extinct animals of the United States Extinct animals of Canada Extinct mammals of North America Mammal extinctions since 1500 Marine mammals Mustelinae Species made extinct by human activities Species endangered by use in wearables Semiaquatic mammals Taxobox binomials not recognized by IUCN