I am working on a good opportunity to trap a large chunk of land. The catch is they want the raccoon and mink population thinned out considerably. I can handle the coons but haven't done much for mink. So I was wondering if anyone has used rat traps in boxes to catch mink and how did it work? this place is overrun with them and I want to set as many as I can and still be economical. Any other suggestions would be great. Oh BTW this is a public area so the catches/traps need to be as discreet as possible

What do you mean by rat traps in boxes? If you are talking rat/mice traps in boxes I think there are much better ways. You should check out minktrapping.com for some excellent ideas.

yea, wooden rat traps in homemade boxes. Not tryin to sound stupid. just never went after them before and I would like to get access to this property

Are you talking weasels or mink? Rat traps in boxes work well for weasels, but not mink. For mink best set is a pocket set with an oversized light pan 1.5 coil on a drowner or even better a blind set with a 120. Good luck

Mink. I was wondering if they would hold them.

Rat traps won't work.

No no it won’t.

https://www.fishwildlife.org/application/files/2015/2105/2663/MinkRV3.pdf

Page three should help.

Thanks Guys!

Who is they if it is public land?

I would stay away from trying the method you suggest. If you have not trapped mink you are in luck, in that there are a lot of good educational materials available.
Don Powell has written a great book and produced a great instructional DVD package.
Mike Marsyada (spelling) has a great little book.
Check with Katzz brothers as they have a great mink book by Bud Hall.
Red O'Hern has a good mink book.
Mink trapping.com has a ton of good material and none of the drama that infests most forums.
Ardell Grawe's last mink book is fantastic.
If you can get a hold of The Canadian Mink trapper by Reg Biard (spelling), do so.
Bob Noonan has an excellent mink DVD on the Bottom Edge set.
There are probably a lot more great ones, these just come to mind.

If you look in the archives on this site you will find some decent information.

I don't trap mink specifically but do catch them on my rat and coon water line. I catch the most of my mink in 1 stop loss as that is my major rat foot hold trap. I have caught many in my 1.5 coil springs as well as that is my main foot hold trap on the water for coon. The 1.5 catches the mink up high, is fast and heavy enough to dispatch the mink when given adequate chain or cable.

Are you referring to cubbies when you say box traps? If so then I would not use that as a main system. Digging pockets and setting the pockets for the 3 species mentioned to me would make the most sense. Also mink will run every overhanging bank shelf so find those and you have great natural sets for all three.

Bryce

I was thinking something like a box like used for weasels but it doesnt seem like a good option.

Buy Jim Spencer's mink video series and you'll know all you need to know to catch plenty of mink. GREAT video series. No hocus-pocus nonsense.

you are talking about different varibles.....what habitats are you looking at?? as far as economic............110 duke bodygrippers are bout as cheap a trap your gonna get.....and using the bottom edge sets are about as discreet as your gonna get..........but its only limited. look for used old style #2 victors...they usually fetch 3 -4 bucks each ......and you can use them at blind sets ran off on drowners.

Bodygrips in trails.
Footholds at pockets.

Rich Faler has an excellent mink book.
If you're tight for money try the dvd, Minkin' by Probst.

Mink are like a 3 yr old kid who just ate a box of starcrunch and turned loose in a bouncy house.

If you have a good population of mink they are as easy to catch as any other mustelid.There are several basic sets that will catch the majority of the mink on any trapground.My favorite mink traps are waxed 120's after and during freeze up or 1.5 ls.in open water.

Thanks for the input fellas! I have a few old 110s. Id prefer 120s. have a crate full of old traps I was gifted a while back. Im going to dig them out and see what i have
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