You can essentially use conibears anywhere you can use a foothold trap, preferably with a pan trigger set close to the bait. Many will tell you that box sets don't work worth a dam but in certain frozen conditions they work reasonably well. When using baited box cubbies the key to reasonable success IMO is to consider all the following when setting them:
---Whether using footholds or body grip traps, the main things to remember about the boxes are to set on LOCATION where mink travel, have the back of the box wire mess screened for air movement and box see through effect, camouflage the box well with surrounding vegetation/snow or whatever and hide the bait with dry grass so the mink will enter the box searching for it, and keep the bait fresh.
---The best location for boxes is at beaver pond outlets, overhanging banks, small feeder stream entrances with larger water courses, at active and abandoned beaver lodges and alongside open water areas of frozen streams.
---Use a box with a wire mesh back for air/scent flow and see through effect and an entrance cover with a 2 ½ inch hole. Mink explore holes all the time and thus it's my opinion, and experience, that the hole is an attraction to them. Another advantage of the restrictive entrance hole is that when trapping a farm area, it restricts barn cats from entering.
---Use a pan trigger set up. Although mink are accustomed to tunnelling through vegetation, it is my understanding and experience that, many will often balk at the cold, hard and stiff wires in their face at the box entrance and shy away from entering. Whereas with a pan trigger trap set CLOSE to a concealed bait at back of the box, and nothing in their face, they will proceed to enter and investigate further thus stepping on the pan and getting caught.
---Place your lure on a small bush at back of the box low to the ground and close to the box.
Last edited by bctomcat; 11/26/19 06:33 PM.
