Don't know where you sell your mink Lumberjack but my avg last year was more than 3 times that at NAFA.

Mink are better than that. 10 to 15 for males and half that for females. I catch more males, for some reason and if I have a chance, I'll pull where the track is an obvious female.

Well Muskrat, if you've got open water, I agree with you, that there are better sets. This isn't open water trapping.

You should develop the extended check mink box for the icier , colder part of WI where that trapping might be more relevant. Any time you can have an extended check, you'll generate some interest.

Well, I'm in. Maybe get it off the ground as a resolution for this spring CC hearings in April.

Pattern it after the weasel box exception in the regs:

Non-submersion (dry) Set: non-submersion sets must be attended and checked in person
at least once each day and any captured animals must be removed from the set, except that
weasel boxes may be checked every four days given that:
1. the entrance hole is no greater than 1 3/8 inches in diameter;
2. the enclosure set must use a body-grip trap (for weasels this includes a foothold trap
and rat snap trap); and
3. the enclosure is securely anchored to an immovable object.


Hmmmmm . . . . start with "except that mink boxes may be checked every four days given that:
1. the entrance to the hole is no greater than ___ inches in diameter.
2. the enclosure set must use a double spring bodygrip trap
3. the distance from the hole to the trigger must be no less than ___ inches; and
4. the enclosure is securely anchored to an immovable object.

Suggestions for the blanks? Maximum size hole? Minimum distance from hole to trigger?

Why not? Might be a good time for a new tool in the packbasket. Fresh blood in Madison, might have a chance. C'mon Beav, let's give it a shot.

Blank #1 23/4" hole
Blank #2 7"
Mine have a 4" hole. We are allowed 50sq inches
I keep the trap 8" back. Are rule is 7"
I'm on generation 4 of my box design.
The 2 important things I found are. Putting a bait shelf in the back so that piece of wood holds the bottom of the trap from moving back. And a piece on the inside of the box lid to hold the top of the trap from moving. Obviously it stops the trap from moving back. But when it fires it will come out the front of the box. As long as your slot for the spring is straight and smooth.
The trigger. I bend the wires forward towards the hole. Cut a freash stick, 3/4" dim. Center it over your trigger and mark where each wire is, drill for each wire. Angle the holes away from center 1/4". Insert the wires until it is pushed all the way back. Cut off extra wire sticking out of the stick.
If it wiggles a little just cut a small piece of the wire and stick it in one of the holes. You don't want the stick to wiggle at all.
No cold steel for the minks little feet or nose to touch.
The stick is 3" long.
For blind sets in trails I have the same trigger setup. Except I bend the wire the other direction so the stick is between the jaws
Just my 2 cents
I'm working on gen 5

Thanks wetdog. 7" back and you've had no reach ins from 'coon? 8" is just good insurance?

Do I assume the trigger wires are pointing up in the set position? And the stick is snugged down these wires all the way to the trigger? Mink jumps up on the stick and pushes off to get to the bait, causing trap to fire?

Very interesting. Thanks

2 3/4" hole here, but it's not a requirement, and I have taken to leaving the door up as I believe it's more inviting. If coon wants in there you couldn't keep it out without latching the door, same for an otter. The non target catch is rare in these sets anyway. A marten can maybe get through a 2 3/4" hole. I have caught them before.

These are earlier pics before I added a spring to each trap.

There needs to be an acceptable , allowable not target catch number too, IMO.

Do you have to check footholds on drowners every day?A foothold in a box under an overhanging bank or beside a beaver spillway is deadly on mink in open water.And its simple to switch out the foothold for a 120 after freeze up,or nail the box to a tree for a marten\fisher/weasel/squirrel set for winter.
They are not so good on beaver houses unless you remove the beaver first.But a hole kicked at the waterline baited and set with a foothold will take plenty of mink if you trap fall beaver.Except they become useless after freeze up.Just don't use beaver for bait.

We are a 3 day check on bodygrips. in MN, 24 hours in WI and maybe other states. That would be a real discouragement.

Nope, four-day check. And I do run traps up on the bank hooked up to drowner cables.

What I'm looking for (and apologies for the highjacking here) is a 4-day check on a mink box once snow/ice has set in. Would be nice to incorporate these into the bottom edge set lines I've got out from mid-December to early March.

Got to be put out there as 100% nontarget proof.

That's why reach in distance is critical.

big difference

and yes, big discouragement for me

Les, you got hardware cloth on the back?

Yes I do, and I thought Boco meant bodygripps, I misread that. 24 hour check on footholds here unless the set is capable of drowning.

My body grips are inset 5 or 6 inches, but I could go deeper if I wanted to. It was arbitrary with the jigsaw at the time.

What are the check laws in PA ?

Triggers in box

I had to go make one I take the sticks off when I'm done for the season
I just like a fresh one. And that stick is a bit small in diameter.
I bend the wires the other way for trail sets

36 hours all traps. Water or dirt

wetdog--that's about how much wire you've got sticking out the front side of the stick normally? Or didn't nip it off for the pic?



"fresh" as in a new stick, dead or alive, or "fresh" as in living?

I think your going to have a hard time getting a mink to commit to a 2 1/2" hole or any sized hole for that matter.
If I was going to build a box I would use a foot hold and It would be a #3 sized trap. Put a lath across the bottom front to keep your bedding material In the box. Fill It with dry bean chaff or something like that. Give that mink as much freedom as you can and I think your results will be better. But of coarse your going to have to deal with check laws no matter what.
Rat by the time you get that rule change made you will be to old to be out trapping. LOL

If you have coon to deal with and It finds your box and It has bait In It your box Is going to be severely damaged .


I sold a really nice male mink the other night for a whopping $6.00 and like others have posted their mink are still sitting at the auction houses for several sales.