These tracks were made in less than a 24 hour time period.

What is the attraction there for all the mink traffic?Might be a better place for a set.

Nope, seriously unless you want to catch a female. That much sign means a den close. Buck won't travel that much in one spot that soon. Just my opinion. But what do I know .

I was half joking about making a set right there. But there really is nothing in unusual about the amount of mink sign. This picture illustrates what is pretty typical of mink abundance along the saltwater in southeast Alaska.

We've been experimenting with various kinds of baited sets for mink trying to find one that works consistently, we've given up on baited sets. Just for an example, we had four baited sets in this area for four nights; no catches. Blind, trail sets on the other hand work great, and are what most if not all the old timers used around here.

Very few guys really target mink anymore, just hoping for an increase in mink prices.

Yea, why waste time with a bait set with a trail like that.

I'd be head'n for the boat to get a handfull of traps!

I;m with you on the bait vs blind-sets.

I'm headed back there tomorrow with some footholds. We've tried conibears along the trails with some success, but have found that many times the mink will avoid them unless set in a natural tight spot, and then many times a mink will jump right through without hitting the trigger. Fishing line rigged triggers oftentimes has caused them to shy away also.

I'd probably blind set around there or by the looks of the weather a box, one mink can make a bunch of tracks in one night, if 2 happens to come threw it can get rediculas, or you might have a ton of mink, around here that much sign in one day is usually one mink wallering a fun place it's enjoying hunting, it takes awhile to ferret out but around here it's usually one mink, y'alls population could be denser then ares though, good luck! Love seeing them track I always get a rush at a fresh set of mink tracks!
Colt

Coni's work pretty good in water, but like you i have trouble with them on land.
Where they go into the tree in your 2nd pic a coni might work.

I'd be setting the trail with footholds also. 4 nice spots i see.

I'm not a mink trapper but was wondering if conibear pans would work? Giving them something to step on instead of going through.

Just curious if you have tried the pans or if anyone else has with much success?

I really know next to nothing about mink, I would like to know more about mink densities. A couple of years ago I think we got 14 mink within about 100 yards of this cabin; and there were still a lot of mink around. This seems to me like a lot of mink??

yep, that's alot of mink compared to here. I'm not sure how it relates to other areas either.

Don't know Silky, i never used pans.
The fishing string really helps.

Buddy of mine has a creek in his front yard and watched a mink go thru a 110 with regular trigger half dozen times before he caught it.

Might be just the pic,but those mink look quite large.And a different colour than our small dark ones.

Yeahs sounds like more mink then us, best I've done on one creek was 4 in a season on about a 20 mile stretch!most of ares are 1, or 2 per area!
I loop my triggers with thin wire the only time I thank they avoid my conis is in snow I thank it makes them stand out, Thems some nice bucks you got there!
Colt

Never had any luck with a baited set. Blind sets are the way to go IMO

The camera angle might have something to do with it, I think they were males though, but they do have plenty to eat around here and get pretty fat (probably contributes to them being hard to bait). Regarding their color, NAFA usually sorts them into the "NC" section, I think that stands for North Central??

Always fun to find a lot of tracks! Just need to find a narrow place in the trail!

It is getting close to mink mating time!

Jim

a friend of mine just moved from prince of whales island,he says the mink numbers are crazy high,and the mink are big.the first one he caught there he tanned for me,it's hanging in my fur shed.