How’s the outlook this season, are you looking forward to it? Going to try any new sets or techniques this season? Setting any goals?




This weather has mink on my mind, and I’m looking forward to it like you wouldn’t believe!






I want to catch at least one mink in a top edge set using a snare instead of a trap, and I want to add a few pockets into my bag of tricks. I am setting the goal of beating my own personal best at least twice this season. This will give me something to look forward to, and achieving goals is important for all of us.




Whats this season going to be?

Jeff, if you remember, Eric Space had a really good method of snaring mink on the top edge with a 2x4. I have a few of them made up, and I have also set a goal to snare a top edge mink here.

I have some snares made up, and Eddie is here this week bow hunting, and I think he might have brought a few mink snares with him. Since he is a Jersey boy, im not sure how many foot traps he gets to set. Im going to try to take him out on my line before he leaves and maybe let him set a few coilsprings if he wants. I wish I hadn’t been so busy because I don’t even have my line started yet for the year.

That being said, it hasn’t done anything but rain here for like a year now so all of our creeks are roaring. I went out and walked my line one day last week and I am going to have to dig all new pockets and everything because all the old ones are underwater.

Setting some wood cubby sets out. Hope a mink tries em but they are muskrat primarily

Susan was in the Walmart here at PDC so the dog and I walked the cattail ditch between the highway and the parking lot. Charlie caught a snootfull and was sniffing the air real good, slight breeze in our face.

I moved just enough to look down the middle of this cattail thick ditch in time to see a beautiful buck mink poke his head out, look around, then scamper down the middle looking for dinner.

Now that was a purty sight.

Fabs, What I had in mind was just a half submerged loop, essentially a miniature beaver snare. Now that you mention Eric's 2x4s, I believe I'll make up one or two, because those were slick.



Ole Eddie is there? Dam, that would have been a good time. He makes some great mink snares. Y'all make a hunt every year?

He just happens to come in and hunt every year here in Morgantown. He actually stays less than 10 miles from my house. This will be the first year I get to see him while he is here. I found out he was here too late last year.

Come up and hunt anytime you want though, Jeff. I have over 1000 acres of private property I can put you on.

Y’all northern boys iced up yet?

Not in WV, but I’ve been hearing some pretty cold temps north of us. I’d like to see it get cold, but not cold enuf to freeze the ponds over. Open water is so much easier to trap in.

too high and moving too fast to freeze here.

Does that mean you’re getting ready to do some trapping?

I have about 160 Eric Space mink snares (copies) ready to go, waiting till Jan

yeah,should a by now but why hurry.

Seeing lots of sign. Got one underwater along a vertical bank using a 110 and bell trigger Sunday morning. Worked like a charm. Coons won't stay out of my pockets but maybe I'll have another one soon. Pretty excited about catching come mink this year- Larry

sat. opener here and there will be some ice and high water.will be really keeping the miles down.selling 103 mink for 975 dollars slows the pace but it was fun as they say.

My aim is to get more traps/snares out than last season

Got access to a river where I have seen what a think is mink tracks. Will give them a go and set some drown sets

I always look at that spot myself and thought it looked real Minky. I am in PDC alot at that Wal-Mart plus that is where I go to Church is in PDC.

But on the Subject of the Thread. Having better than normal luck this year with the Mink. Using the Railroad Plate set in Don Powells Video in Cement Culverts and slamming the Mink. Also having luck with pockets with no lure or bait, Bottom Edge Sets as always and better than normal luck on Dryland Blind Trail sets with legholds. MINK I LOVE!!!

Snaring on the top edge is all I can do as I can not use foot traps or exposed killer traps. I am going to play with mink snares and pockets as soon as my season comes in. I am going to try the same way I use cable in my pockets with coon only with a mink loop.

Jonesie, do you use a top edge set with a half submerged snare, or do you use the 2x4s like Eric Space?

I’m glad you reminded me about that 2x4. That’s one slick puppy

Gentlemen, I'm new to trapping and mink opens here in PA on Saturday. I'm making up some mink boxes with some 120's in them. Can you tell me where you'd position mink boxes along a stream? Would it be right next to the water's edge?

I’ve never used boxes, but every single other type trap or snare I use goes in the same places——where they travel. If they’re traveling here and not there, here is where I’m setting.

I find a good spot for mink boxes are where a feeder stream enters the brook I'm trapping. Also places where they are running the top edge are good. Also if possible use multiple types of sets at each location to increase chances of catches. I prefer a bottom edge set, top edge set, and a pocket set as long as I can keep footholds from freezing up here. Caught one 3 days ago missed it in a blind set on a crossover, missed my bottom edge set, but got tangled with my #2 dbls at a pocket with fish and smeared cherries in it(cherries were wild ones from a nearby tree was trying something new seemed to work). Good luck mink are lots of fun.

Place your boxes where travelling mink transition from water to land,(funnel)or under overhanging banks.
Also where they hunt( overhead cover).

Thank you gentlemen

Dont forget the blind, dry land trail sets. Pound in a trap shape depression, place trap, sift a little shredded grass and done. Little jump stick helps.
Dont over look levees separating a pond and creek/stream/ditch. Especially if cattails are present

Can someone post a picture of the 2x4 mink set? I’m kinda dense and it is not making sense!

Thanks

God Bless

Dustin

We can only use lethal snares in water in Wisconsin with the loop half exposed or less. In my mind I have toyed with mink snaring but nobody up here does it that I know of. I want to try it and, as I get older, carrying a couple dozen snares sounds easier. By the time pelts are prime like now, the slow water and marshes are iced up. I do have lots of open spring fed trout streams and in winter they don't be freeze and all of those root systems etc along the bank but in the water are tempting for a snare. Let me know how this works in the water sets. My trapping equipment budget is full for this year but thinking about next season. Need to refit my trapline to match my age.

no hable snare,wish i could.

Dustin, I have pictures of it. I will try to post them later. If I can’t get them to post here, I will post them on Don’s site.

Let’s see if this will work.

For a chance at a double, put a snare at each side. The one in the picture has the snare in the center. You attach a cable to it and drop it off the bridge. It will float up against the bridge wall. Mink swims along the side, finds a platform to climb up on so it can dry off for a second, runs thru snare and jumps off the board.

It sure is nice being able to post pictures again.

That almost sounds too easy. I cant snare here in PA but my beam would be down at the first log jam trying to "drift" it in to a bridge wall from on top......

That is slicker then snot! Thanks for the pictures!

God Bless

Dustin

I will use tubes, 2x4's bricks log crossings and pinch points on dry spots. I am not a great minker, but this season I am targeting them hard to gain more know how with the cable. and the pocket set is number one on my list to figure out. I am in flat land with swamps 50 to 100 acres in size where the mink go where ever they want LOL. I wish I had the water courses like north jersey has and what I see out in pa that force the mink.

Glenn Waters, who you may or may not be familiar with, shows mink snare sets in one of his old video's. He used to set some along bridge walls, with snare half submerged if I remember correctly.

12 in of snow,2 in legs,might need to get busy.

I set some conis out this last week as botom edges. For muskrat but I hope they produce mink.

dang spell check

Yep

Well here in Northern WI we had shelf ice on the 5th day of season and have been totally iced over for two weeks.

Since we can’t snare for mink out of the water that set of Eric’s can’t t be used here although it sure would work. But get this we can set up to a 160 above the water or on land but not a 3” snare loop. Makes no sense.

Good luck to everyone, we are done water trapping unless one goes under the ice.😡

Oh forgot to add we’ve had snow on the ground for two weeks ,too, urgh!

I have had some luck with 110 conibear mags in trails thru frozen cattail marshes but boy do I wish I could use snares instead.

Caught a couple this week in dirt holes just below the high water mark. Used footholds bedded in front of the hole. I also set the bottom edge trying to keep all the trap below the water so it don't get frozen and not fire. I do this on both sides of the stream if I can if I can't I set where the stream has a bend so my set is on the inside of the bend in the stream. Seems to work for me

Going to put a lot more mink sets out this year. Market is down for them but I like to learn and since I'm checking coyote and coon sets in same areas anyway might as well run a few mink sets in the weedy ditches and draws.
Our numbers are down here, and have been declining for long time. Some older studies at UNL indicate pesticides and other farming practices contributing to decline of both mink and weasel as both highly susceptible to these in food chain and habitat.
I'm not starting any trapping for most part until end of next week. For mink will be a lot of blind sets and have made a few bait boxes to try too.
Thank you everyone for all the tips and suggestions.
Jim

good luck Jim,i became addicted to that fuzzytailed sob 30 yrs ago.our numbers seem up here but we don't have the large farming operations here like out there.muskrat numbers are really down though.just too many predators in my mind.

Glad to hear Mink I Love.

gettin close to finally settin for a few,worst weather ever up here i think,market may make it seem worse i guess.