The trail I am talking about was along the top going from one side to the other, not a crossover. It was a dead dam many years old with no beaver activity. He still told me not to set it.

I have a diagram of a floating mink box I will have to look for it in the morning i wanted to make some to try this year.

There is blueprints for a floating mink box at the FHA site.
I never tried those.

Seems like the farther north you go, the better they work. I ran a couple dozen set up with conis a few years ago and no luck. Started setting 155s up on the dry trails and put the hammer on them. For me, more trouble than they're worth, may work for you though.

This one box produces several mink each fall.

Boco, do you leave the boxes set out year round? Maybe the mink get used to seeing it? From tracks in the snow, I'd had a few mink approach the boxes but wouldn't go in.

I think that one is the second one there in about 30 years.They last a good while.Sometimes the mink go by but eventually they check it out to their detriment.Secret to get mink in 120's on the ground is to wax them so they fire easy,or use a pan trigger.If the triggers are not sensitive enough to fire with a light brush of the minks shoulder,they will go in and out of the box past the trigger without firing the trap.I like to stuff the box full of dry grass and use a 1.5 ls on a drowner wire before freeze up.You don't need any lock on a drowner wire for mink with a 1.5 ls.

If I'm in a new area,I slap down about 20 boxes the first year,then leave about 5 or 6 that produce well,and lift the others.After a while all the boxes that you have out will be in locations that produce well.Takes a couple seasons to fine tune a good trapline.
That's how it works here anyway.

Here is example of some we made up this summer. This is a newer one but we have some pretty weathered ones that have seen service for many seasons.
In good locations these are great mink takers and stay operating in some pretty harsh weather in dead of winter here. I like them a lot better than just blind open sets when it's heart of winter here.
Wide open each end, and set up to accept a single spring 110 trap at both ends.
(Single slot for spring on one side of each end)
We made a slightly elevated piece for the 110 clips and in very middle is an old sardine tin nailed in to hold bait and lure.
These were place along weedy banks of creeks after they freeze up and next to beaver dams.
They get covered with a pile of sticks and grasses leaving just the tunnels barely showing each end. Both traps get attached with same (just one) single t-bar stake that also pins down and stabilizes the box. The stakes are long and are driven down right outside the center of the box so the t top of stake holds the box down. We use a long t-bar because we get a lot of coon try to reach in the box and get a 110 on their arm but easily pull out if you anchor everything well. Takes both mink and rats pretty well for us. Target mink though after ice up but if open water it will get some rat visitors.
If you set near beaver dams cover it with sticks and leave a few sticks hanging down over ends of the box. min are used to pushing around in sticks at beaver dams and the trap triggers are not an issue to push through either.
Same with cattail locations, or weedy creeks banks...pile them onto the box and have some hanging over end of the boxes so they have to push in to investigate.
Haven't used a 120 before we always used good 110s and never had a problem killing mink even really big males. Triggers need to be adjusted for short throw no extra travel. Get a good flat and a round chainsaw file to work the dog notches just right.





Thanks for looking.
Jim

I use footholds in boxes when water is nearby for dispatch before freezeup.
I like the 1.5 dls.They sit stable in the box.

If you give these mink boxes a try just remember not to build more then a couple. LOL

If you place the trap outside the box(better chance of making a catch)you might as well dig a dirt hole.
A coni with a pan Inside the box would most likely be better then a coni set with the trigger wires hanging In the minks face.
Good luck

Yes pan trigger trap, SET CLOSE TO THE BAIT, deep into the box is the way to go when using mink boxes.

Although the majority of your catch with the boxes will be mink,they are attractive to a lot of other species from time to time,such as rats,skunks,marten,ermine,fisher,fox,lynx,otter and others.







Remember what beav said though,only Canadians can catch fur in boxes,Yankees cant do it,LOL.

If you wax your 120's don't worry about the trigger wires.Animals don't push on them with their faces,they will duck under like marten,or in the case of mink and weasels,they hug the edges so go alongside one wall of the box and trigger the trap with their shoulder.Have the wires spread in a V hanging down from the top.With a waxed trap you wont miss any fur even the small shorttail weasels.
If you don't wax,then use a pan trigger.

Lots of things work In Canuck land that don't work In the USA.

Bump