# Mink got to the muskrat first



## FREEPOP (Apr 11, 2002)

Ole mister mink got to him before me and ate one leg off, almost pulled him outa the trap. I put the rat in a mailbox tube guarded by a 110. I also set a foot hold near there as well as a 160 in the main run.
This is a spot that I walk by every day with the dogs, so it's easy to check.











The other day the dogs were running a rabbit and I didn't have a gun, so I was scouting the ditch. Thought I'd take a shot of this to share.


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## chris_kreiner (Sep 6, 2006)

Yep happened to me last year...Walking up to check my rat traps and here is a mink enjoying my rat. I never did catch that stupid mink.


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## MapleRiverSalmon (Aug 19, 2007)

Had the same problem with an otter in the u.p. this year. Sure would have liked to catch him but time was not on my side.:sad:


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## Contender (May 18, 2004)

Blue Heron also like to steal/eat rats. (agree that looks like mink work, in your pic, though)

Actually had quite a few rats missing and tore up, during one season. I was blaming mink 100% for these losses. Caught a few mink there, so they were the culprit...so I figured. 

One day, just pulled up in my boat, to check a bank area I had set, with foot holds and 110's. ....and Ole Blue jumps up and flies off. No biggie, we all jump heron, here or there. Except, Blue had a muskrat in his mouth, and my trap was dangling from the rat, chain still hooked to the set stick.

Also, watched one another time, sitting on a rat cabin. Wasn't sure why he was there, other than it looked to be a good place to watch fish??? Turned out, Ole Blue was waiting for a rat to swim out, as figured out later. A rat exited via run-way, and Blue stuck its' head in the water and came up with a live rat.


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## FREEPOP (Apr 11, 2002)

Funny you should mention that Contender as there is one in this ditch. I wondered if they ever ate them. 100% sure of mink, there were tracks and a slide on shore. The meat you see on the culvert is actually what is left of the leg and the bone is still there. 

I can hang here for the long haul, it's 150 yards max from the house. He's a marked man and has to get hungry sometime :evil:

BTW, that pipe is a drain (hooked to tile) for a field to the drainage ditch and it usually gets me 6-10 rats a year and a mink or three.


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## 9 (Jan 17, 2000)

Here's a pic of a "true" rat double with both rats in a #11/2 coil. The rat closest to the surface was munched on by a mink. If you look across the stream you'll see the "muncher" (female) swinging in the current of a drowning rod.


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## FREEPOP (Apr 11, 2002)

Two rats in a 1 1/2, they were fighting to get caught by you. Nice pic and good job on being prepaired for more critters. Definately a profitable stop.

BTW, were your ears ringing around lunch time today? Had lunch with Joe and he mentioned you. 
Thanks for getting me out of the house Joe.


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## Beaverhunter2 (Jan 22, 2005)

FREEPOP said:


> Two rats in a 1 1/2, they were fighting to get caught by you....


[Muskrats] many as the stars in the sky! You don't even have to trap 'em- you just club them on the bank! They fight to get into your traps saying, "Take me, [Seldom]! Take me!" 

:lol::lol::lol::lol: Remember the movie? It's a Deer Camp Classic in our family.

Wow! I've caught a bunch of 'rats- but never two in one foothold!! And a mink, too! I bow before the Master!

Congrats!

John


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## Iceman_101 (Jan 11, 2009)

Heck yeah Mountain Men is a great Movie one of my favorites. Right up there with Jerimiah Johnson!!!!!


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## Mister ED (Apr 3, 2006)

FREEPOP said:


> Thanks for getting me out of the house Joe.


 'Bout time you got out of that 'Arm Chair'.


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## FREEPOP (Apr 11, 2002)

Yeah, no sense in setting traps to yank them to go north for Christmas, though. When I get back, I'll get to try and trap in the wonderfull Michigan rain/freeze/thaw/snow.

Maybe with this cooler weather, that mink will get hungry and return sooner.


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## 9 (Jan 17, 2000)

FREEPOP said:


> Two rats in a 1 1/2, they were fighting to get caught by you. Nice pic and good job on being prepaired for more critters. Definately a profitable stop.
> 
> BTW, were your ears ringing around lunch time today? Had lunch with Joe and he mentioned you.
> Thanks for getting me out of the house Joe.


Nope, no ringing of the ears at noon, I was too busy taking a grey out of a trap about that time! I will say, even though I've never met Joe in person, we have great phone conversations and something I always look forward to and always learn something. 
My wife says we're like two old ladies when we get on the phone.:lol::SHOCKED:


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## 9 (Jan 17, 2000)

Beaverhunter2 said:


> [Muskrats] many as the stars in the sky! You don't even have to trap 'em- you just club them on the bank! They fight to get into your traps saying, "Take me, [Seldom]! Take me!"
> 
> :lol::lol::lol::lol: Remember the movie? It's a Deer Camp Classic in our family.
> 
> ...


It's been nice switching a larger percentage of my focus this year from canines to rats and mink, though the ditch banks are hard on my knees. I will say that of all the canine trapping I do or have done, my 1st love is always chasing mink. I mentioned to Joe that when I get in a ditch or creek my first thoughts don't point me where to set for rats but my mind just naturally goes into "mink gear". So, the majority of my rat sets wind up being bottom edge sets. Sure, I get a kick out of seeing a coyote or fox doing the "bounce" but a bushy tail swinging in the current absolutely makes my day.


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## FREEPOP (Apr 11, 2002)

Seldom, I'm glad you're enjoying making you're own adjenda, but I bet there is a few critters that are taking a hurt for it. Be sure and share some pics/stories when you have the time, as I always enjoy them.


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## Paul Thompson (Jul 16, 2007)

I had a rat with the back end eaten off of it, the Mink was in my very next set with a big fat rock hard belly.


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## FREEPOP (Apr 11, 2002)

Yep, took a couple days but he came back (or it was another). Finally got one in the mialbox tube, the other run sets were empty. He got twisted around 180 degrees in that 110, got him in the sink thawing out (gotta love a woman that's understanding). Love that smell.


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## Brian S (Apr 5, 2002)

Congrats!

Nice looking mailbox set.


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## FREEPOP (Apr 11, 2002)

Well I took the dogs out back after checking my canine sets this morning and I saw tracks all over. This mink was hunting hard.










I was getting excited and hoping he made it 100 yards down and found my traps. Then I walked up and saw this.











Here he is next to a set of tracks


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## MapleRiverSalmon (Aug 19, 2007)

Nice work on the mink. Isn't it great when the tracks stop at the trap


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## ottertrapper (Jan 6, 2006)

Nice job on the mink FREEPOP!!


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## FREEPOP (Apr 11, 2002)

Thanks!

OT, I'm gonna use the mink carcass with the fresh glands to hopefully bring an otter to my sets, near Clare for the Holiday. Anything I can do to increase my odds. I need to add a new species to my collection.


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## ottertrapper (Jan 6, 2006)

FREEPOP said:


> Thanks!
> 
> OT, I'm gonna use the mink carcass with the fresh glands to hopefully bring an otter to my sets, near Clare for the Holiday. Anything I can do to increase my odds. I need to add a new species to my collection.


Never know it might work afterall I had one pull up a mink this year and chew it up good, but now she is in my freezer! Probably not the culprit, but it was taken off the same property anyway. Didn't catch if off bait though, 100% blind sets is what I use for them. Bait can and does work, but blind sets are more efficient. Good luck!

OT


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