I think every coon I’ve ever skinned had worms in the feet area.
Some mink had
What you shows in the pics too.
It’s not like any wild animals are regular visitors to vets.
Just part of trapping.
Jim

A handful of little kids get that worm every year. Can cause blindness. Its from eating feces. https://www.cdc.gov/baylisascaris/about/index.html

According to google cooking meat to 143 F or 62C kills the worm eggs.

Guess it’s time for another round of apple flavored ivermectin!

It’s hit and miss here based on the water source I figure by the way it presents itself. I read that the worms gather in the legs when they are ready to leave the host then break out at the next water visit so that continues the cycle. Host eats the frogs that carry the eggs to start the cycle.

Reason I don't eat chinese food



Human version in Africa from drinking nasty water so don't drink out of any hoofprints when out trapping.

Just skinned a small female mink. Didn't see anything out of the ordinary. Only thing for sure is that on the watersheds i trap the mink population is declining for some unknown reason. My catch records don't lie. I might have to give up trapping one of my favorite furbearers. Time will tell.

Eric Space that is serious, I had your tapes that you sold ( I lent them out and never go them back) and you HAD a lot of mink. Hope that does not cross the Delaware River to Pa.....jk

Got otter

they kill them with a vengeance /k

Drifter I have more problem with them wiping out the muskrats here along with bobcats and hawks....jk

The mink population has taken a serious nose dive the last few years around central Wisconsin. I initially thought it was related to the reduced muskrat population but maybe it’s related to parasites??

Sure makes me want to double up my dose of ivermectin and maybe while I'm at it I'll get a jug of pour on to be extra careful.

The irony is when planning an expedition, one will reason and hypothesize. Lay awake reeling
The excitement of Getting reacquainted with old haunts, testing new methods and surmise the population. Which been Largely untrapped for several years, due to market limitations. Leading one to expect a record breaking bonanza.

Only to struggle, disappointed and discover worms.

Fact is trapping was better when we had trapping pressure. Or I just lost my touch.

Caught my first mink way Back in the 1960s and many since then. Lots of competition and never knew about the bottom edge set. Blind sets with footholds were my go to method. Every place you scouted would have plenty of mink sign. That was usually the case until 4 or 5 years ago, at least in my area. I don't know why the mink population would tank. Maybe some of the longliners such as Gerald Schmitt or Ack would give there opinion.
Ole Seldom did studies in Michigan on mink also. Hopefully they will chime in.