# Mink trapping



## 574mag (Dec 29, 2017)

FREEPOP said:


> I don't trap many mink but I only use the natural holes that are there. Even 20 or more yards from the bank. Those mink will find or know where they all are.


I've got a couple of spots already in mind that I remember seeing in the bank and a woodchuck hole I saw, I'll set that too


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## furandhides (Jul 3, 2008)

At one time in N. Mi., if you were a trapper, it was mink. known a number of 100+ mink men. 200-300 mile loops with that many traps out. Ken Smythes line ran from Midland North to Mio, then west to Cadillac and back home. Bottom edge sets, of course. 150 mink


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## 574mag (Dec 29, 2017)

I can't even imagine the time and effort that would take. Some days I struggle with my own small lines. Wow. It would be fun for a while! Lol


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## furandhides (Jul 3, 2008)

Most guys know their personal traplines quite intimately. Personal knowledge of what's around the next bend. long line mink trapping begins with the best maps one can obtain. You're marking a route where every trickle of water is dotted along the way. Always looking for culvert markers. It's in and out all day, in locations that you may have little or no knowledge of. I remember sitting with Ken at the kitchen table here, and going over his maps of the route. I don't believe that there is anyone left in Mi. that longlines mink. Lots of fuel and vehicle miles.


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## FREEPOP (Apr 11, 2002)

furandhides said:


> Most guys know their personal traplines quite intimately. Personal knowledge of what's around the next bend. long line mink trapping begins with the best maps one can obtain. You're marking a route where every trickle of water is dotted along the way. Always looking for culvert markers. It's in and out all day, in locations that you may have little or no knowledge of. I remember sitting with Ken at the kitchen table here, and going over his maps of the route. I don't believe that there is anyone left in Mi. that longlines mink. Lots of fuel and vehicle miles.


If you paid better for them, I might consider it


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## 574mag (Dec 29, 2017)

Tough to make it pay these days! But I'd like to do it just to try and get it right. 2-300 sets would be an incredibly long day not to mention putting up the furs. My hats off to anyone that does that for sure. Don't know the current market value, but it would be interesting what you would have to average per day to break even. Im still chasing one! I'd go broke in a hurry!


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## 574mag (Dec 29, 2017)

Im in North Central Indiana. Surrounded by farm drainage ditches. Always have water except in the dryest times. That's what im working. If I had more time. I'd set part of the saint Joe river


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## FREEPOP (Apr 11, 2002)

Farm drainage ditches are what I mostly trapped before moving to my new house.

Every place a tile sticks into the ditch above or below water, put a trap of some kind in front of it. Mink and muskrats can't keep their noses out of them.


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## 574mag (Dec 29, 2017)

FREEPOP said:


> Farm drainage ditches are what I mostly trapped before moving to my new house.
> 
> Every place a tile sticks into the ditch above or below water, put a trap of some kind in front of it. Mink and muskrats can't keep their noses out of them.


Will do!


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## 9 (Jan 17, 2000)




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## FREEPOP (Apr 11, 2002)

I wondered where you were Seldom.


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## 9 (Jan 17, 2000)

FREEPOP said:


> I wondered where you were Seldom.


Busy-busy with the coyotes.


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## FREEPOP (Apr 11, 2002)

I bet those Jakes really sting when it's this cold out.


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## 9 (Jan 17, 2000)

From experience, I have as much fear(maybe not fear but unusually heightened awareness eh) of them on fingers when they are cold as I had when I used 330’s. The rubber pads are hell and NOTHING gets out without help!!


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## Fool'em (Sep 29, 2016)

Patience is important 
Last winter I had set a couple bottom edge sets in a small creek. Day 14 I had a double about 20ft apart. For an experiment I ran them 2 more weeks in the same location and never caught another mink. 
Two weeks seems long for a mink to come thru but the creek gets trapped early in the season by other trappers so I imagine the mink population is not too high.


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## 574mag (Dec 29, 2017)

I don't have any drain tiles that I have found, but there are so many holes in the banks, im gonna set as many of them as I can. in, and out of the water. It's been snowing here almost everyday, so it's been a challenge to read any of the tracks ive been finding. Hoping we get a break in the weather before the end of the month. But if not I'll make the best of it.


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## 574mag (Dec 29, 2017)

Sundays supposed to hit 30, so I'll take advantage of that and move some stuff around


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## FREEPOP (Apr 11, 2002)

I was going to tell you about how I trapped. In Michigan we don't have to check kill traps every 24 hrs. So I would set up 3 different properties and check one each night. As long as the temps stayed cool-cold, no animals would rot and i surprisingly didn't lose many animals to other predators. This way I could cover 3 different drains/swamps/creeks. I'd rotate in another property as I pulled one, usually on a weekend.


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## 574mag (Dec 29, 2017)

FREEPOP said:


> I was going to tell you about how I trapped. In Michigan we don't have to check kill traps every 24 hrs. So I would set up 3 different properties and check one each night. As long as the temps stayed cool-cold, no animals would rot and i surprisingly didn't lose many animals to other predators. This way I could cover 3 different drains/swamps/creeks. I'd rotate in another property as I pulled one, usually on a weekend.


That would be great if we didn't have to check every 24hrs. I only have the one creek/ditch set because of the time frame. Farm and full time job keep me hopping.just not enough hours in the day


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## 574mag (Dec 29, 2017)

That's on top of the canine sets at my farm


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## FREEPOP (Apr 11, 2002)

You'll have plenty of time to sleep after you're dead


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## 574mag (Dec 29, 2017)

I hear that! And if I spend too much time out playing in the fields my wife says that could be sooner than latter! Lol. I tell her im trying to catch her a nice coat, or at least a mitten!


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## piscatorial warrior (Sep 14, 2011)

574mag said:


> Sundays supposed to hit 30, so I'll take advantage of that and move some stuff around


The warm-up will get the critters moving around too. I can imagine they're getting a bit of cabin fever also because of these bitter cold temps. Good luck in your mink quest. I envy you.


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## 574mag (Dec 29, 2017)

piscatorial warrior said:


> The warm-up will get the critters moving around too. I can imagine they're getting a bit of cabin fever also because of these bitter cold temps. Good luck in your mink quest. I envy you.


Thank you, I think it's a lot of fun to get it figured out! On trap check today I saw deer tracks, that's it. So I hope they come out and about!


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## furandhides (Jul 3, 2008)

The minks routine is little affected by weather. When I was running a mink line, many times best catches during blizzard, or maybe immediately after. a good mink set is left in all season. If it's a working trap, might be a month, but it will connect. another way in which large catches of these animals are made.


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## 9 (Jan 17, 2000)

furandhides said:


> The minks routine is little affected by weather. When I was running a mink line, many times best catches during blizzard, or maybe immediately after. a good mink set is left in all season. If it's a working trap, might be a month, but it will connect. another way in which large catches of these animals are made.


I agree totally. It has been my experience as well that good weather/bad weather, stable weather/unstable weather makes little difference to mink. Understanding the inherent tendencies of a mink is FAR more important to a good catch. If you don't KNOW mink, the trapper will continually flounder and depend more on luck of the catch.


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## 9 (Jan 17, 2000)

In the 1st photo there are 3 proven foothold mink set locations(notice flat-faced rock at left arrow was best of the 3) but the real killer set was directly behind me as I just turned 180 degrees and took 2nd photo(notice BE stake)! I could gamble on no misses at the 3 sets and increase my odds of a double BUT there was no gambling on the lone BE set in the 2nd photo. All of the mink traveling and hunting this creek would come to that projection.


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## 574mag (Dec 29, 2017)

Tomorrow, I plan to dig everything out of the ice and rebait or reposition at a bank hole. Look for active sign of movement, put out a few more sets, im still hopeful I'll connect!


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## 9 (Jan 17, 2000)

574mag said:


> Tomorrow, I plan to dig everything out of the ice and rebait or reposition at a bank hole. Look for active sign of movement, put out a few more sets, im still hopeful I'll connect!


I’d like to offer you and others trying for their 1st mink so of my observations. When thinking of setting holes above the waterline at this time of year, your odds of a catch will be significantly improved if there is an underwater entrance. Of course, the mink need to be using it for it to be an effective set location. What I’ve described is called a natural Elbow Set.

Also, along the same line of observation, think about what prey the mink are focusing on at this time of year. Your odds of a catch will improve tremedously if you take advantage of that knowledge. Resist the temptation to set “where a mink should or could be”, set where you KNOW they’ll be! Many trappers will see where mink have entered or exited the water and immediately set that location. That is a very chancy method. Take a moment before reacting to the sign and ask yourself why it was in the water and not poking around in a lot of dead, dry bank holes? Know your stream well enough so that you know what and where the prey structure/habitat is in any particular stretch of water. Set prey structure and you are setting mink structure!! Once the mink is in the water it has narrowed-down and condensed for you it’s area of activity.

I also suggest to you that about a year ago we had a very detailed mink discussion on here, a search would be of help to locate,


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## 9 (Jan 17, 2000)

Did I ever mention that I loved mink trapping, but not an addiction that coyote trapping is ?? LOL-LOL


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## 574mag (Dec 29, 2017)

And I thank you,seldom, for your observations. I asume, in my creek anyway, the mink are gonna be targeting mice and maybe rabbits along the stream bank. I have a firm Sandy bottom, so not sure they will be trying to dig up frogs and/or crayfish. And of course going in the muskrat borrows. Im going concentrate there and rebait my boxes with fish. Thanks again for that insight, I'll research the forums.


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## 574mag (Dec 29, 2017)

Seldom said:


> Did I ever mention that I loved mink trapping?? LOL-LOL


Nope, I missed that, but I did pick up on the implication!


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## 574mag (Dec 29, 2017)

I found three good locations to set on today. One was a small point the that they were crossing over, another was around a log obstruction that had a lot of tracks around. I set both in the water with footholds. The third was what, I believe, is an elbow hole. I also put out a section of 4" pipe with a foothold at each end baited with mice and a touch of lenon gland lure. Looking forward to tomorrow!


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## 574mag (Dec 29, 2017)

Well, can't do a high number then. Would need more than a few more sets to reach that. Second check today after putting out the last few traps that I have left. No mink but a large boar **** on a pocket set. Better than nothing I suppose. I'll keep at it. Trying to follow all the good advice I get here! Thanks


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## 574mag (Dec 29, 2017)




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## 574mag (Dec 29, 2017)

Got this little guy in a cubby set this morning. Saw that black tail tip sticking out and thought hot damn! Aaaannnnnddddd, no. Lol. Getting closer! First weasel though!


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## 574mag (Dec 29, 2017)




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## 574mag (Dec 29, 2017)

Here's a few pics of the ditch I'm trapping.


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## 9 (Jan 17, 2000)

Photos 1 & 2 depict great mink prey habitat and structure both in the water and out for a distance from the ditch top. Photos 3 & 4 show no reason for the mink to be there except travel through BUT because of the lack of overhead cover for protection, the mink very well may not even travel it!! Remember me mentioning inherent mink tendencies, they of course fear wing predators and will avoid areas with no overhead cover, forget the hard sand bottom, think about a mink trying to travel on the ditch bank without becoming a meal!!

My goodness, the indents that are visable inwhich prey is buried and I’m sure there are bank projections with undercuts aplenty to provide bottom edge sets for a mink hunting the undercuts. You mentioned There being rats, so look for inbank rat feeder cavities as well as dens and set them as bottom edge sets.(mink hugging a corner goiung into the cavity)

That stretch of WATER in the two photos WILL allow you to catch mink flat out if you set the structures. There is absolutely no reason to screw with that part of the ditch shown in photos 3 &4. Set where the mink WILL BE not where you THINK they should be.

I have not understood your insistance that your mink are primarily hunting mammalian prey which has been scientificly proven NOT to be true. At this time of year the mink’s primary prey is aquatic by a long shot! Certainly mink hunt and eat mice and rats BUT neither is a mink primary prey regardless of all the blah-blah read on forums! Three years of lab analysis from a variety of MI waterways of mink I’ve caught is my proof!


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## 9 (Jan 17, 2000)

Get a pair of waders on instead of hips and get down on your knee and look under the overhanging grasses, a whole new mink world will become visible to you.


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