How 'The Scariest, Scariest Creature Alive' Became a YouTube Star Joseph Carter,

known to his online followers as Mink Man, trains carnivores to rid canals and urban riverbanks of medium-sized pests. Joseph Carter, Mink Man, with his mink Bun and his dog Bindi during a hunt at Fitts Park in Salt Lake City, Utah. SALT LAKE CITY — It's too late for muskrats to get out of Mill Creek, or at least the stretch that stretches between a parking lot and a playground near the city's southern border. But there they were, two of them, one big and one small, paddling behind each other like furry ships in the afternoon, seemingly unaware they were being filmed. "They're very quiet, like little beavers," said Maggie Carter, standing by the river. He was holding a small camcorder and looking at its monitor, which displayed a solid shot of the large muskrat. Her husband, Joseph Carter — 37, with short blond hair, black waders over jeans and a T-shirt — walked in with a GoPro camera strapped to his chest and a cage in hand. "They must be messing with each other, or they wouldn't come out like this," he said, setting the cage down gently. Inside, an animal was bobbing its head from side to side, moving around the small space. It was an American mink, named Boone. Mr. Carter, who was now opening the cage door, is one of the country's more unconventional medium-sized pest control experts, known to his 1.3 million YouTube followers as Mink Man. Muskrats burrow into river banks, creating holes that can pose a danger to crowded parks. But the poison will contaminate the water, and traps can be a safety hazard. Plan C: Trained mink. Mr. Carter, who proposed the idea, is one of the few people who have trained Mink. Muskrats, rats, raccoons, beavers, groundhogs — if your problem is big enough and wild enough, Mink Man can take care of it for free. "Let's settle this dispute with form," he said, as Boone, a black torpedo of wool, fell under the water. With just a wave, he moved towards the larger muskrat, which began to scurry desperately. Mr. Carter ran to the riverbank, his face alight with energy. "Baron!" she shouted. "Here here here here here!" The mink immediately changed direction — as if he understood — and closed in on his prey. Mrs. Carter, running after her husband, tried to keep the camcorder in focus. "Are you getting it?" Mr. Carter turned to him and shouted. "Did you get it?" Train your mink Imageboon assisted Mr. Carter with navigation on a hunting trip to West Jordan, Utah. Boone assisted Mr. Carter with navigation on a hunting trip to West Jordan, Utah. At the end of a cul-de-sac on the outskirts of Salt Lake City sits the home of the Mink Man. It's full of life: three daughters, a snake in the basement, a fish tank in the living room, ducklings in the sunroom, a rabbit in the girls' bedroom, and a sheep tied to a shed in the yard. Four dogs roam the premises seeking attention. Out back where the minks are kept, two dozen of them. They live in large cages, lined with side by side, buckets of deep water for swimming and tall tree limbs along the perimeter for climbing. One cage per mink - otherwise they would kill each other, Mr Carter said. For our readers: Stories like these are made possible by our deep commitment to original reporting produced by a global staff of more than 1,700 journalists who dedicate themselves to helping you understand the world. This work is possible because of the support of our customers. I hope you become one today. — Mark Lacy, Managing Editor The American mink is a territorial, aggressive predator. They have razor-sharp teeth, button eyes and a body shape reminiscent of a chunky squirrel. But they are fast and agile, and their prey can include everything from fish and rabbits to birds and muskrats. Mr. Carter builds his cage with two layers of wire to prevent a baby's fingers from slipping, and "mink-proofs" his yard with picket fences and barbed wire around the perimeter when he lets them out. Mr. Carter grew up training animals. When he was 9, he bottled a squirrel; At age 15, he moved out of his parents' home and closer to his grandfather, a famous rodeo cowboy turned show-horse trainer. There he began training the Raptors. Towards the end of high school, he moved to several mink farms, where the fur was harvested from the animals. He became curious.