# Lets talk mink



## Tryin2 (Oct 4, 2012)

Well last year was my third year trapping and my first attempt at mink . It took some time but I finally connected with my first. I had a great time in the pursuit of this critter and learned a lot that will prove helpful in years to come. I really enjoyed the mink threads we had going in the fall and the knowledge shared no doubt contributed to me successfully catching my first mink. I am now hooked on mink trapping  and have been spending time reading old books and articles in an attempt to become a better trapper. So I say let's talk mink behavior, habitat,sets anything about mink that could be useful to a new trapper let's hear it .


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## 9 (Jan 17, 2000)

You bet, let's talk mink, I'm always up for that!!
Since it's summer, there's a lot of time yet to do a little reading. I would strongly recommend and suggest two books that explain and discuss indepth mink behavior, habits, habitat, and sets. They certainly helped me since I'm self-taught. "The Mink Trapper's Guide" by Rich Faler and "The Mink Manual" by Jim Spencer.


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## BigJoe. (Jul 6, 2015)

I love to catch mink. I have to be honest, I don't target them as much as I used to. I think most folks assume mink are always near water. Then they surprise you. I caught one a few years ago at a dairy farm in a set made for **** near the end of a silage bail. Water was quite a ways away. 
Seldom is correct about "The Mink Manual ". If you don't have a copy I do and will have it at convention on Friday. 
Watching mink tracks in the snow really let's you see how they move and if you look, see why they going here or there.


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## Tryin2 (Oct 4, 2012)

I have been lucky enough to get to watch mink on a few occasions this spring while fishing right where I trap I learned a great deal from the 3 or 4 times I watched as the mink worked it's way along the river bank going into the tree roots and working up the bank to check out holes and spots with overhanging grass . I did make note of a fee spots that the mink checked out or walked every time I seen it and I will be putting sets in those spots when the time comes. What are some of the spots y'all see when on the line and know right away that a set needs to be in that exact spot


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## 9 (Jan 17, 2000)

Vertical River bank that the mink can run on if you notice the mink tracks in center of photo. The reason this is such a great set locations is look to the left and notice the bank sluff and roots. A simple and quick cutting of the bank back a few inches at that exact spot will force the mink to enter the water to get around the obstruction, that is where your foothold will be waiting. Killer blind set but then again, I was strictly a blind-setting mink trapper. It is VERY easy to guide a mink.

Bear with me because I have a lot of set location photos but with no more Photobucket I'm having to learn the MS way.


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## Tryin2 (Oct 4, 2012)

I got the one I caught last year in a baited box but I had blinds sets and pocket sets out as well I think this year with what I have learned I will have allot more success with the blind sets I hope so as I'm not a huge fan of using baited boxes


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## 9 (Jan 17, 2000)

Here's a classic bank taper to a blind set in the undercut under the overhanging grass. Notice the root coming down from the bank and sticking in the water. Perfect set location right against the root. If you wanted to make two sets, back underfurther would be very good. Make sure you use a "stumble stick" and a small vertical stick guarding the loose(outside jaw).


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## 9 (Jan 17, 2000)

Two more similar set locations using bank tapers.


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## 9 (Jan 17, 2000)

And yet another. All are mink killers for the blind setter!


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## 9 (Jan 17, 2000)

Every abandoned bank beaver den entrance has two bottom edge sets waiting to catch you a double as you see in the photo.


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## Tryin2 (Oct 4, 2012)

Seldom thank you the pictures along with a description help allot. There are lots of places along the river and creek I trap that are tapered just like the ones in the photos. I do have a question for you what is a stumble stick can you please explain


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## 9 (Jan 17, 2000)

A stumble stick is a guide using a small diameter stick that is placed horizontally in front of a foothold trap that makes a traveling amimal change it's stride/gait so that it steps on the pan not short or beyond the pan. When I say in front of I mean within 1" of a jaw or if the trap is place in-line with the direction of travel, over the lever. Some folks use a stick on each side of the trap but I've found that just one place about 1" above the water line is enough regardless of the mink's direction of travel, they see it and adjust accordingly.


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## 9 (Jan 17, 2000)

With tapered banks you want to find those that are naturally quite vertical and that taper down to the point that the mink has to/is forced to get in the water. If the end of the taper isn't tight enough to do that, shave the bank, give them no choice but to step in the water and that's exactly where your trap should be located! Mink are easy to force that way.


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## Fool'em (Sep 29, 2016)

Couple bottom edge spots that produced for me last year


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## Fool'em (Sep 29, 2016)

Question for the mink experts

In my trapping area I have several lakes that I can trap as well as several muskrat marshes. I know there are mink there but how to catch them. 
I have fenced down a pinch point with success but there is not always a funneling feature available. 
Another question would be how to catch them once things freeze up? will the mink still hunt the edge or would they move toward an inlet or outlet where there is open water? I usually stick to moving water in the winter but I'm curious what everyone else's thoughts are about the lakeshore mink


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## 9 (Jan 17, 2000)

Fool'em said:


> Question for the mink experts
> 
> In my trapping area I have several lakes that I can trap as well as several muskrat marshes. I know there are mink there but how to catch them.
> I have fenced down a pinch point with success but there is not always a funneling feature available.
> Another question would be how to catch them once things freeze up? will the mink still hunt the edge or would they move toward an inlet or outlet where there is open water? I usually stick to moving water in the winter but I'm curious what everyone else's thoughts are about the lakeshore mink


I have never trapped mink along a lakeshore BUT before hard water I'd be setting every indentation in the bank that has some vertical elevation, water, and overhanging grass.

I'd also think that I'd bait-up any dry rat hole as well.

You ask about after hard water time, find set locations where the mink's prey is!!!

Indentations-


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## 9 (Jan 17, 2000)

Some of the best advice I can give a newbie mink trapper right now is get out there on your waterways and scout! Whether your water is normal or low, walk/wade every mile of ditch, creek, or river that you intend to set traps on next fall. Don't do it once, do it enough times so you feel you have an intimate knowledge of all mink activity on all of your waterways. On ditches I would scout 1/2 mile up and 1/2 mile downstream from a road crossing several times a summer. Let the lazy guys set the bridges and culverts, I killed the mink they were setting for long before the mink got to the road crossing and their sets!!

By doing this you'll eliminate 2nd rate sections of the waterways and discover all of the key set locations. Get down on your knees and lift all of the areas of long, overhanging grass. If the water is low while you're scouting, that's ok, you'll be able to easily see the BE structure that will be submerged in the fall/winter. A very good minker once told me that he could spot a good minker just by whether the person wore waders or hip boots. Meaning those that wore hips never got down on the level of the mink and really looked!

Yup, it's hot, nasty, and lots of skeeters but if you really want to learn to kill mink, your success will be in direct relation to the effort you put in NOW!!!! It always was for me and was a key to my success.


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## 9 (Jan 17, 2000)

Why is this such a killer mink set location? How would you set it up?


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## 9 (Jan 17, 2000)

And this location, why and how?


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## Tryin2 (Oct 4, 2012)

I would think they r both good locations because of the overhanging grass and the undercut bank and that's right where I would put my sets in both locations but hen again I'm no expert at all.


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