Setting up traps on a beaver pond today and brought out a couple 110s for mink and rats. Found this old scat pile on a log, bad photo but it was full of shell bits and small fish scales. The other end of the log led down to the water. Think its mink?

On the other end of the pond, I found a small fist-sized hole about 6-10 feet from the bank. Out of the hole was a trail leading down to the water. Would this be indicative of mink? I set up a 110 coni on the trail leading down to the water. Are these sets likely to produce?

I've never trapped a mink before, so any advice or thoughts would be welcomed

Could be old heron poo, too.

Doesnt look like mink,and very old looking.
if you seen tracks from the hole you should be able to identify them-could be rat hole.

I know nothing about mink in SC. But in Michigan they love beaver ponds. While fishing in summer will see them playing and climbing on trees hanging over water and on water. As Boco said finding some tracks in mud would be sure way if knowing it is mink.

If it were my pond I would skip the log and even the dry land trail. Mink go into every small hole, cavity etc. and those are much easier places to crowd the mink in most cases. Also if you have a hole and a trail it may be a resident female, a set on the water or a few sets will be able to target more travelling mink. I am an incidental mink catcher on my rat line and I have found that finding good places to catch rats is also a really good place to catch mink. Coon too unfortunately in the current maket.

Bryce

When I was a kid trapping down south I would set traps on logs sticking into the water like that.
I would chop out a flat spot and put a sod on it to set a foothold on.
Caught mink,rats and the odd coon.
Often today when I am trapping fall beaver,in open water,I carry a few footholds for rats and set any floating logs or logs sticking into the water that have rat toilets on them-guaranteed to pick up a bunch of easy rats while beaver and mink trapping.

This is a PA mink toilet....I have yet to get him lol. Look on both sides of culvert.

Fresh mink droppings on an old rat house at the base of a tree.