Ah, the Beav speaketh. Greatest one-dimensional trapper that ever slid into a creek. And no crack about my small traps? C'mon, Man!

I bet my one dimensional mink trapping will out produce all the gimmick mink sets that are out there.

There are darn few areas In mink country where you can dig In elbow sets. But If you want to run up and down the stream banks looking for them. I would not want to get In your way.

Although Most of my mink are caught in blind sets I never put all my eggs in one basket. Those hiperactive cyco mink go where the want. I never pass up a soft bank where digging is easy. My favorite wet set with paw holds is the indent set. Just a short open trench in the bank with a 1.5 in the mouth.

Beav, when the high water hits...where are your blind sets? These BE and Elbow sets SHINE during flood conditions. As 'GBUS stated...I'm putting these speciality sets in when and where I can along with the blind sets and pockets.

I'm 90% a blind setter but I like having some " all weather" sets out too. Getting back to the original post, I've caught several in the past in what I'd call top edge sets. It's a 110 tucked against a protruding stump, rock or tree that it a foot above the water but come a big rain it's a bottom edge set. I got out and dug most of my elbows a week or two before season. Got me fired up a bit. Also shaved a bank here and there. Sure wish mink were worth a little more to cover a line cost. There are fewer mink here than used to be back when we had rats.

And the Beav saith unto thee, there is only one true set, and that set beith the almighty blind set. Thou shalt not maketh any other set, lest thy limbs become useless and thine mind rottest out from within.

All it takes for BE or TE sets is some type of vertical structure. The best are close to mucky backwaters or beaver bank dens or rat bank dens.

I know what works for me In about 95% of the time. I never said you guys couldn't experiment with those gimmick sets.

The BE and TE sets work well to. And they are fast and effective.
And a few Colony traps placed In the right places work well to. The thing about all the sets I mentioned they are fast to make and will catch mink.

Ask the guys that catch 1000s of mink a year and see how many of them put In elbow sets.

You should start a new forum, Gadgets Rnt us

I found a few natural "elbows" in my time, Set em, and didn't catch squat.
Another season the one was still there, I didn't set it, when checking, a mink spooked and ran in there. I then set it and caught nothing.

With that said, our mink season dates are a joke and can not compare data to other states.
If there are guys catching a "1000" here, well I doubt it.

My 1st true BE mink was after I bought Smyths' book from someone here.

Old holes that have been investigated don't have the appeal that a freshly dug elbow has. I'm curious if you baited the old elbows or just set it. And if baited, how was it presented, what was the bait, etc.

Interesting how a different set is perceived as a gadget by those who don't incorporate them into the water trapline.

How does that old Chinese proverb go? “Those that say it can’t be done should get out of the way of those doing it”


Anyway, puts a big smile on my face when I see two critters swaying in the breeze on the drowner cable coming off the horizontal hole of an elbow set.

I once set up a natural elbow set. It was a shallow muskrat den just covered with water and had a cave-in on top. Water filled the top hole. I pulled up the 110 and there was a rabbit in it, I kid you not. I did catch a weasel in a half submerged bottom edge, never did catch much in them unless at least totally covered by water.

I didn't mean any harm by the gadget thing, was just poking at Beav, I think he needs that from time to time. Just funning.

I probably baited with muskrat or ground mice as they are the two I have confidence. Maybe weasel lure. I used two 110s, both on the lower leg, front, back. With our laws I like to keep bgs wet. Oh and another bigger tunnel 160s set the same.
Someone on this topic said about 110 placement, that I did not comprehend, I'll read all this again.

That one elbow is still there today. It is caused by a hundred year old field drain that plugs at the end, then big rain comes and blows the top out. It gets cooler weather I might go fix it up and prepare it for foot traps. I like your idea of two small traps on one cable.

I think the reason I stopped setting it is,
I catch the mink in a nearby set that is easier and out of sight, and not in mowed grass.
I showed the set that works to a couple guys and they didn't think much of it. But hey, it works for me.

A plank from dry bank to under water is another "gadget" set my Uncle used.
Three paw traps, one just as plank gets wet, one at wet END, and one underneath at waters edge.
It worked for him back when mink were a pay day.

Lumberjack maybe the rabbit watered there, got a drink I mean.

He was caught in the den entrance, not the top hole. I didn't have the top hole set. I should have checked to see which way he entered- but regardless, he was swimming either way.

"With that said, our mink season dates are a joke and can not compare data to other states."
You got that right and with it usually flooding about half of our short season.

First time I ever used the BE set I had a mink on my first check. I was pretty impressed. Of course I have checked plenty of empty sets since then.

Yes I do, November 1987. Think I caught about 27 mink that fall. I remember one bridge there was 3 trappers trapping it. I just kept on looking for ones with less pressure. I wasn't the heavy hitter like them guys. Trapped more for coons and muskrats.

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The really big hitters use fish in pockets,simple is better.

You're not alone muskrat on not recognizing the potential if this set. In the 80s I trapped while stationed in Kansas in the Army. Had a 110 set in a dry trail next to a curve in the creek bank and snug against it. It rained and sleeted for 2 days. Checked the trap poking around with a long stick. It was still set but too deep to retrieve. When the water went down to about 2 ft over the trap I checked and had a female mink. Duh. No clue as to what that meant.

Pocket sets are great but the older I get the less stuff I want to carry. Plus most of the time I don't want to deal with coon and possums.