Those of you that have used conibears a lot for mink, How much have you seen avoidance by mink? And how can you avoid it? I have seen it a few times when there is snow and I'm sure it happens when there is not snow too. In boxes a pan trigger seems to help, but in situations where pans are not feasible I wonder if anybody has tried spreading the trigger wire wide enough to let the mink through and then using a trip wire made of something very fine like 1/64 in. snare cable and does it work any better? I am awaiting some earth shaking revolutionary ideas from the folks on this board.

None at all for me, I do the bottom edge. Mike

I don't know how well it will work on mink, but I used the trigger wire for marten and ermine this winter and was not impressed. To much trouble to put it on with to little results.
Just my $.02

I spread mine very wide anyways in a U shape, almost like upside down field goal posts with the cross bar part at about a 45 degree angle. Bend them out with a pair of needle nose pliers. I think the wide opening encourages them to try and go through, and they brush the trigger wire with there head or back and get suitcased.

I trap all in snow and I have noticed where I get some refusals sometimes with a black 110/120, so I have a couple dozen painted white and I just change it out and it seems to work great.

The downside to that wide open spread is that I will miss Ermine that can go through without touching it.

-TJ

Top Jimmy. That can be avoided by cocking the trap back toward the spring on a 45 angle and sliding the trigger wire close together toward the spring. The mink sees a big opening and well not hesitate to enter, The weasel,( or I guess ermine in your case), will jump in or climb over and hit the wires as well, resulting in a catch of either one. Wish I had a digital camara to show you. The trap only sits on the bottom corner jaws and the spring is what stabilizes it.

I use infrared lasers.

Thanks for that tip LT Grey, though I don't have ermine and haven't trapped mink in years id never thought of that idea and I like reading new things I didn't know before, soooo.

ive seen mink (from readin sign) get to a coni and stop before passing thru and turn around and head back the other way .... i dont think this is because of the trigger ..... but an exposed trap .... mink are slidin in and out of reeds, grass, etc. their whole lives and i dont see why it would make one stop and not pass thru .... but like i said i have seen an occasional trap-wise mink .... which sounds silly ... they are dumb critters .... but i have seen it !!! .... the thing is tho .... get ya traps how ya feel confident in usin em ... if ya feel that ya need to spread ya triggers wide and fix em up with fishin line, wire, cable, etc .... do it .... confidence is a big factor when comin to trappin ... and even more so when ya dealin with animals like mink, otter, cats, etc .... good luck to ya !!

LT,

Thanks for the tip. I wouldn't have thought of that before, but I can definately see how it would work.

-TJ

In blind sets, I don't think the triggers matter too much for mink. When using conibears in pockets/cubbys though I do think a pan helps a lot. That is usually the case where I see refusals. The only purpose for a wire on the trigger imo is to pick up the ermine. Waste of a time for mink. I mean, I have well over a 50% catch rate on incidental mink in dryland 220's set for otter. I have never seen one make it through a 110/120.

The Canadians have in trap tests that show a female mink went through a 110 conibear NUMEROUS times before setting the trap off. Point made. Another point is my largest wild mink ive caught was in a # 55 montgomery with thin wire across the opened triggers. The wild mink on drying board measured 39 inches from nose to tip of tail. This mink was a male and had its head and one front leg through the trigger-wire assembly before he set trap off. Just reflecting!

Well good point. You'd think as many people as I know someone would have a digital camara and could post some of these things for me! RdFx- I read that study too. I always tied 2 lb. fishing line between the triggers, which by the way had a loop bend on each end of the wires. SNAP!

LT, do you mean something like this?



If so, that's pretty interesting, because you're also giving them more headroom, which would probably also be helpful in preventing avoidance.

No, the trap needs to be turned the other way ! Flip the trap upside down. Now, see the corner that you've got pointed at 3 o'clock? Well, set that on the ground. Now the trigger is on the bottom and the wires are near the point where the spring meets the frame. Take another look at the picture you drew.... take the spring and bend it toward the part you've got touching the ground ( IN THE PICTURE)...but remember "THAT CORNER" is now pointed up because you reversed the trap! The only 2 points touching the ground are the round end of the spring and the "now bottom" 2 corners of the 2 jaws. The traps sets in a "DIAMOND" shape....with the trigger on the bottom. Look through it at the minks eye level...see what he sees? A clear path...or so it seems! (Anyway to post that Creekwalker)? The mink then hits the trigger with his chest and it's exactly where it needs to be for a weasel! They climb over the wires , which are now in their way! SNAP!

So, if the dog and trigger were on the bottom side, near the jaw corner, that would be correct. ??

I think you meant "near" the jaw corner. Yes it would be. The trap again, sets in a "DIAMOND" shape. Not square like they taught you before! The 2 jaws and the end of the spring are what stabilizes it. If you learn to do it right, you will thank ol' LT when you walk up to a fired trap with a big ol' buck mink or weasel in it. They don't seem to avoid it like one set square.

LT, Is this more like what you mean?



Have you ever tried bending one trigger wire up like this:

You got it! And I'm sure that some trapper is glad you did! No, I wouldn't bend the wire ...both straight out. More effective that way, so the mink hits it with his chest or belly and the weasel actually climbs over and fires the trap! Snap! But hey, try some and see....always room to experiment. I am working on a new stabilizer for this set only, (to avoid freezing ground problems), right now.

great thread, thanks guys. i'm not a mink trapper, but helpful trips are always useful.

i assume you could do the same with otter sets......

Except you'd use a 220 or a 330 for otter and have 2 springs instead of one, so you'd need to balance that somehow...An otter trap typically set in water wouldn't make a difference, I don't feel. If it were on land....might change things, who knows. Try it this winter and let us know.