There has been much comment that these are a waste of time, yet some trappers seem to have reasonable success using boxes.
For those that have been successful using this system what is your setup; trigger type, set location etc,etc.

Muskrat, fish or beaver for bait. Some are open boxes, others have a circular opening like a weasel box. And use a belisle 120 or 160 always With a pan.

Box with front end open with 110. Trigger shaped like keyhole. Muskrat, rabbit, rabbit fur, feathers for bait and eye appeal. Weasel lure. Dry land set till freeze up then also placed on frozen creeks and ponds

How many mink do you catch In a season In that type of set?

I wonder if rather than a wooden box, if a short piece of small diameter field tile with one end blocked off and the entrance guarded with a smaller RBG would up the chances where boxes haven't had much success?

I'd block the end off by drilling some holes and putting some 10" nails through them, kind of resembling the bars to a jail cell ( I would think if you used chicken wire or something similar a coon would yank it right off). Then wrapping and covering the pipe in grass so that it looks like a "grass tunnel".

I feel like this would be a lot less inconspicuous to a passing mink than a wooden box.

Just a thought.. if anyone has tried something similar I'd sure appreciate your input

Box sets buried in snow drifts but with a bull-rush packed in the snow then slowly pulled out to leave a small 1/2 inch hole resembling a mouse hole and the smell comes out. Digging in they hit the pan behind a thin tissue so the snow does not stop the coni-swing.
They pass up all open box sets and rarely climb trees here.

Tom Krause Had a system something like that. He had a1 1/2" hole cut In piece of plywood. Just below that hole he had a BG attached to the plywood. He would create a hole In the snow bank and bait It then place the plywood In front of that hole. Then he would bury the whole thing just leaving the hole showing. Never tried It but sounds like it might work.

Put out six to ten boxes a season and usually catch 15 to 25. Catch about the same number in water sets for mink, coon and rat in a season

Beav. Just looked in my log book. 11 in boxes last year. Warm season lots of fluctuating water levels. 5 were in frozen creekbeds of that 3 were in culverts and 2 were in brush piles on creek bed. 6 others in boxes were on dry land. I usually set them at culvert crossover trails or at the edges of high banks on the creek

Those are pretty good results. I still think mink boxes are regional thing. And work better where you have hard winters.
When I trapped In Canada we caught lots of mink In elevated marten sets. And we caught lots of mink In boxes on the ground. But around my neck of the woods It just isn't a very effective set. Sure I caught a few mink but It wasn't worth my time.

I don't know if any mink is "worth your time" in todays market unless you are just after satisfaction of catching them.

I trapped a number of years in the lower mainland(Fraser valley} area of BC which has a mild coastal climate and had no problem catching mink in baited boxes. This is where I started using a restricted lid cover with a 3 inch hole and the trap recessed deep into the box at the back close to the bait. Could it be that restricted hole and trap recessed deep into the box is the basic key to their successful use?

All I know Is It doesn't work In my area of WI.

You could set out 50 mink boxes and I will set out 50 blind sets. Who do you think will reach the 50 mink catch first?
Guys like Gerald Schmidt that catch 600+ mink In a season aren't running mink boxes.

In the UP of Michigan those boxes worked. A hundred miles south not so much. I agree they are best when the winter is hard. For me bait just invites coons. Too harsh for coons to be running much and the mink seem to fill in.

Did you use a box with a restricted entrance hole with the trap recessed close to the bait at back of box, preferably with a pan trigger trap??

The guy that will catch 50 mink first is the guy that will use baited pockets!!!

Spot on.

I've had some luck with them in frozen cattail marshes but not much. Did better with conibear trail sets that time of year. Pretty mild winters lately but I suppose if we had a butt kicking winter they might bring better results.

I don't have to much interest in mink but have no trouble getting them in my boxes when I set them up close to feeder creek's or dam edges covered with dry grass or cattails or other small plants. And use fresh bait is key.

I presume from your lack of response to the question; you did not consider these factors.