Author Topic: Calling All Mink Trappers (Read 705 times)

traditionalhunter · « **on:** December 18, 2003, 03:14:42 PM »

Hope evreyone is doing well. Snowed here in southern Ohio today. Made for a fun ride into work. Weather man is calling for more tonight. I don't mind the snow, just all the wind and very cold temps. But, can't do anything about it so I will quit complaining. On to the real important stuff....

I want to set for some mink this weekend, but need some advice. I have read that mink like waterways that they can zig zag across from one bank to the other when hunting. Well for the creek I am trapping, he had better be an excellent swimmer, cause most places are wide and deep. The creek is along good low lying fields of cut corn, and brush. With that said, does the width of the creek make this any less of a productive spot than other smaller creeks? I need some advice on good sets and set locations. I have been using pocket sets at the edge of the water, but have had no luck.

I know of another area I could trap that has lots of ponds and small deep ditches running through overgrown fields. The only problem is it gets a lot of attention from bird and rabbit hunters. I would attempt to set it if this place is much better sounding the the other spot I mentioned.

Also, what is the best size trap to use for mink? I assume a #1 will work well. At least I hope because I was able to buy 70 old Victor Long spring traps off of a friend for $30. A total of 61 were #1's and the rest were 1.5's. Do you drown all mink or set both drowning and non drowning sets?

I know this post is long but I have a lot of questions.

RdFx · « **Reply #1 on:** December 18, 2003, 03:22:27 PM »

First of all the area you described that the bird hunters use and the creek sounds like the spot to trap mink... The bird dogs shouldnt be bothered by yr traps in creek. Use pocket sets, blind sets, and bottom edge sets.... Your nbr ones will work IF they have strong springs if not put helper springs in springs or dont use them.... You can wire some extra weight next to trap to help weight mink down to drown or put on drowning cables... Fish works good for bait or mice , frogs ect in pocket sets... Good Luck.

traditionalhunter · « **Reply #2 on:** December 18, 2003, 03:51:45 PM »

Thanks for the info RdFx.

What about the number of sets. I have read that 4-6 per mile but I don't think this sounds right. I would assume the more sets the higher your chances, but how territorial are mink. Will they overlap each others territory? Is there a chance of catching 4-5 mink in a 1 mile stretch of creek?

(;hunterboy;) · « **Reply #3 on:** December 18, 2003, 04:05:09 PM »

Hey there, try setting two traps at the bottom of a beaver slid of trail going from high top bank to low bank at the base of the water. The trap at water must be a drowner, either a pocket or blind set. Use the trap set at the top of the trail only if there are no no target animal around. Make it a blind set, really nice sets for everything. Also look for high to low bank this makes a really good mink set, i would make either a blind set most of the time but u can make a pocket set work great to. Good luck trapping.
Sly

(;hunterboy;) · « **Reply #4 on:** December 18, 2003, 04:16:09 PM »

An yes there are more than 1 mink in one area. But it depends on how well the habitat is. If u have a nice nice pond with lots of land features and water and good food supplies like muskrat then you have a good place with more than one mink. So i would say if u have lots of muskrat and good habitat and water for them to move, then you will have more than one mink maybe two to three in one area. So it dont hurt at all to gand set a place with 5-15 traps in a imile stretch it will increase odds and with good sets increase ur catch. Good luck
SLY

Bogmaster · « **Reply #5 on:** December 18, 2003, 05:14:33 PM »

Traps set at a beaver slide will cause you nothing but grief. 2 things may happen,you may end up losing your mink trap and educating a beaver.
Tom

Mallard · « **Reply #6 on:** December 19, 2003, 01:06:00 AM »

Just getting started, you may want to make several different sets and see what works and what doesn't for you. Sounds like you have quite a few traps, so there's no sense leaving them hang. After a couple seasons the sets will become easier to recognize, and as well you'll gian "proven" set locations each time you connect. Some set locations pay off year after year. As far as your traps size, the #1 will work but your 1.5s will get them down and holds them down a bit better. Drowner slides with the #1's will help. put a swivel on the chain mid way or so and an open ended swivel on the end to act as a drowner lock.

OldCoon · « **Reply #7 on:** December 19, 2003, 08:22:47 AM »

Quote

Well for the creek I am trapping, he had better be an excellent swimmer, cause most places are wide and deep

I don't know how wide is "wide" and I don't know the velocity of the water's current but sometimes the water, itself, tells you how to trap the mink.

I'm judging this is not an insignificent creek meandering through somebody's back pasture. Are we talking "river" type creek here?

I trap a lot of bigger waters, bigger waters mean better feeding opportunities for the mink plus more cover and it all adds up to more mink.

Now for all that people are going to tell you about a mink, he is not a particularly good swimmer. Just look at a mink's hind feet. He doesn't have those oversized webbed kickers like a muskrat or beaver.

Don't get me wrong, a mink can swim but he is no muskrat in the water.

It has long been my expirence that a creek or small river, say 30 yards or more wide, that mink don't cross from side much..... if at all. Stop your vehicle on one side of a brdige spanning such a creek or river, make your sets then cross the bridge to the other side and make sets on that side of the creek too. You are now trapping two seperate mink populations.

In deep swift water it seldon pays to make too many sets in the water. In this type of a situtation I've always found, and proven to myself beyond any doubt, that any passing mink will mostly likely stay on the high and dry. This is where dry sets can pay off.

The same somewhat holds true for roaring mountian brooks. A mink will take to water in the calm eddys and pools but in the flowing sections the mink will be traveling the banks.

Your number 1 longsprings are just fine for mink. Not perfect but ok. In years past I have taken untold numbers of mink in #1s.

Where you are trapping I would look for crumbling overhang banks, trees growing out of the side of the creek banks with the roots exposed and the ever deadly highwater muskrat den. At all of these locations a dry twig dipped into a bottle of a good mink lure can help attract the mink to your sets. Bait will work too but it will also attract other species such as raccoons and opposums.

traditionalhunter · « **Reply #8 on:** December 19, 2003, 03:19:17 PM »

oldcoon

Thanks for the info. The larger creek I wrote about is 20-40 yards wide with riffles, and some holes of water over 10 ft deep. So I guess this could be called a small river according to where you are in the U.S. This creek feeds a resevior a few miles from my house.

The only problem is I have not found any good mink sign while scouting this creek. I did find one spot in the bank, that unless you get into the water you would never see. It is an undercut bank with long grass on top that folds over and covers the upper portion of the undercut bank. In this spot I have found numerous holes dug into the bank. I assume that these holes were dug by mink?

In my original post I wrote of another location where the bird hunters run there dogs. I would love to set this location but a lot of the sets would be visible from the road. Meaning people could see me setting traps, and I worry about trap thieves. The larger creek requires a lot more walking so this is where I have been setting. At least if they take my traps on the big creek, they are going to have to work for them.

I have read that mink (especially males) have large territories and travel a lot. With that said, how long should you leave traps set in one spot without any mink before you say enough and change locations? I know that sign would play a large part, but what would be a good rule of thumb?

OldCoon · « **Reply #9 on:** December 19, 2003, 03:31:13 PM »

I will not speculate what may have dug those holes under that overhang but I will say that I would get some traps under there ASAP.

As far as how long to leave a mink set in place, I figure once I place a trap out it's there for the entire season or as long as I'm going to trap that season. As you stated male mink run large territories or circuts and many times it can be a week or two till they pass a given point again. Weather and the food supply can affect this time.

All successful mink trappers have patience.

traditionalhunter · « **Reply #10 on:** December 19, 2003, 04:01:47 PM »

With the waether getting cold here the water is starting to freeze up. If you cannot find any warm water seeps or breaks in the ice, how does this effect the mink trapping? I know they still have to eat, but how will the freeze effect them? What about the waether in general? What is your experinece? Cold nights with a snap of a couple of warm nights. Is there any weather that is a must for making sure traps are set?

Thanks

RdFx · « **Reply #11 on:** December 19, 2003, 04:34:02 PM »

As Old Coon mentioned the traps have to be set to catch mink and for the DURATION of the season.... ive had traps set for 30 days before catching a mink in it..... Getting down to the nitty gritty animals move before a weather front comes in or as. Mink like to move in misty, foggy and lite raining weather if that helps you......Learn mink habits, learn to read mink sign set by the sign in form of blind sets, bottom edge sets, pocket sets ect and have PATIENCE. Good luck

jim-NE · « **Reply #12 on:** December 20, 2003, 03:38:49 AM »

After freeze up is one of my favorite times to trap mink on big creeks like the one you are describing. Somewhere along that stretch, there will be open water. Check below beaver dams, behind rocks, brush piles, etc. anything that can catch a little sun and breaks up the flow of the water to create a little faster moving water along its sides and behind it. beaver dams are classic because they are full of holes and little places for mink to go in and out of. Same with a beaver lodge. Mink will find any place to enter/exit the water for a short stretch to hunt under that ice for minnows, etc.
if there is a little snow, all the better. we have soft, muddy bottoms here and it makes it tremendously easy to "track" mink on the ice and snow at these entrance/exit points. you can literally see the trails across the ice and snow from quite a ways up on the bank, too. I use mostly blind sets in these conditions. if a #110 will fit over the opening, then that's what I use. If a #1 foothold will work better, then I use that with a clear plastic sandwich baggie under it to keep it from freezing down to the ice. I wire off to something nearby or a big stick for a drag. I use some baited conibear boxes near these entrance/exit points too and those work great all season long and through a lot of weather conditions.

OldCoon · « **Reply #13 on:** December 20, 2003, 06:01:46 AM »

Jim gave you some good advice there. You might also keep a sharp eye peeled for dry set opportunities. When water is high or or freezing I like to set all the high water muskrat dens and overhangs I can find.

traditionalhunter · « **Reply #14 on:** December 20, 2003, 01:04:34 PM »

Well all, the traps have been set. I decided to scout the place the bird hunters use and boy was I glad I checked it out. I may not catch anything, but the sign is there. I set a total of 15 traps in an area of approx. 2 acres. This may ba a little heavy, but I used the advice from mallard and set ,what I would consider, heavy. I set both blind and pocket sets. I tried to make each set different to see what works the best. The area that I set is actaully a big swamp. It appears that some time ago the beaver have damed up a small ditch and made a big swamp. Most of the water is froze over, but I found numerous warm water run offs coming out of the swamp. I tried to set each one, some places with 2-3 trpas within a few feet of each other. For the experienced guys they would know exactlly where to set, but I set heavy at some spots to get an idea of the "best" spot at a set. I figure the only way to learn is to try it. I am not out anything, except for the time and effort, and it was a great day to be outside so the time and effort were both rewards of being outdoors.

I found some fresh mink sign. He was going around checking the edges of the frozen water and the slides from the rats. I found what was an old beaver den, or at least I think it was a beaver den. I have never saw a muskrat den this big. It was about 4-5 ft high and 10 ft in diameter. I found no beaver sign though.

Beaver trappers help me out here. I would assume if beaver were in this area, I would have found fresh cuttings on trees. I saw nothing that was fresh. Just old stuff. At the den though, I found slides that were fresh. The water was frozen where the animal had come out of the water and shook off. The slides were about 10 incehs wide. I assumed this was rat sign. I would speculate that beaver would have wider slides, and there would have been fresh sign. What do you guys think.

I will kep you all posted on the sets made today.