Got a vestal wood stove heating the house as I type. Thing works great!

I have a local bigfoot that hangs around my cabin here on the creek bottom where I live. You can see him plain as day off the road when you go by in a car. Me and my buddy caught him fishing one day. He posed for a picture. And with all the liberals hollering and trying to destroy our democracy he told me he's ready for some action. I'm 6 foot tall... he's pretty tall too !! I nick named him OLE SASHQUATCH MILITIAMAN !!

I believe I heard the term Rabbitat on here years ago. I still stack pallets, cut cedars, and topple dying trees yearly for them.. rabbits live it and so do their predators!!

Yep.

Ohio Wolverine....Cloves...as in Cloves

Beav's got the right idea. I don't have any of these out this year but if mink prices continue to climb it might be time to get these back out. My 4" drainpipes are all about 3' long. In the middle there's a small hole (maybe 3/8") drilled then a sharp knife makes a slit away from the hole for maybe a half inch. This accepts a couple of Q-tips that can be placed into the pipe, head down, then pushed into the slit to hold 'em tight. I dip these in different lures prior to inserting. Sometimes mink lure, sometimes weasel lure, and also muskrat all call. The pipe also has a 1/2" hole drilled top to bottom less than a foot from both ends. This allows a 3/8" or 1/2" rerod stake to be plunged through to hold the pipe in place. Now, at both ends you'll need to cut the plastic away to allow your trap to set inside the pipe just a little bit. I use #1 Bridger coilsprings. Strong small trap. And I modify it with a Duke #1 1/2 pan. The Duke #1 1/2s now have the Wild River pan. Each #1 coilspring trap is hooked up to a drowner cable that terminates in deep enough water to drown a 'coon, just in case. This same terminal end has another drowner cable running to a trap aways from the pipe. Usually this is another foothold in a blind set. This way you'll have 4 working traps with two terminal ends.

Pipe has a wad of grass stuffed into it, about half way down. Pipe is set along the water's edge, but fully in shallow water. Snugged to a vertical bank works very well. Stake in place with both rerods, dip your Q-tips and insert 'em into the slit, then prep the substrate at each end to accept the #1 coilspring. You can cover the pipe with marsh grass, weeds, bark . . what have you along the shoreline. Get your drowning system in place, set trap and snug into place, and get your side sets made up.

You'll get muskrats and mink. An occasional 'coon but if your trap is set inside the pipe your chances become less. No bait. Nothing to rot and stink up later. Until it gets cold and stays cold. Then a muskrat haunch stuffed down into the pipe works very well. That grass wad shouldn't be so thick it blocks air flow, yet doesn't allow the mink to see through the pipe. As the Beav says . . if the mink thinks the hole goes somewhere and has an exit you'll have a better chance of having that mink enter the pipe.

Stock Bridger #1 and then with the Duke #1 1/2 pan.



Ready to go, though that copper tag will be blackened up just a bit.



And the Duke #1 1/2 with the Wild River pan.



The small coilspring trap is easily taken to deeper water by most mink and 'rats. It's a good set, takes some tinker time, but unless you have water up and down issues, should work well for you in those open creeks and rivulets that tend to remain open in winter when it doesn't get too cold out. Keep the pipe in flowing water. This will help prevent freeze up.

Guys, I know several of you have sent me private messages and I can’t seem to get to them… my internet provider has pushed me to the limit… I had no internet service last week for 3-4 days.. my wife contacted them and they said they would fix it today… ( I don’t know why it took 3-4 days to fix something on their end) … today,,, the service is minimal and keeps cutting out… can’t contact ANYONE as it’s all automated on the weekends.
I’m calling on Monday and I’m demanding they FIX this problem IMMEDIATELY,, and I should be prorated on my bill. If this issue isn’t resolved… I will contact my state representative to see what can be done.
The area I live has some kind of zoning crap or something that prevents me from getting another internet service.
( don’t know how it’s legal, but I’m not an attorney).
Again my apologies and if I have to,, I’ll go to Walmart and get the free WiFi and try to get back with everyone.

Locust thorns are a pain in tires and extremities!

Thanks Sask, Cathryn. Good info.

Sorry to hear this. Must suck to be you! Hope the therapy sessions are money well spend bringing you back to joy and happiness.
If not,,,, run over protestors,,,,,it can’t hunt.

I have a pair of bolt cutters with a rod bender on them. Works smooth and easy. No heat needed,,,,, but I think cutting the rods to length and welding them is easier and faster, at least it is for me.

Red Foxx was a talented entertainer. His stand up was top-notch.