Building some mink boxes since it appears we are froze up for the foreseeable future. I am making them out of pine 1x8s. I made them 16 inches deep. What have you guys found works best to better stabilize a 110 in a box?

Id think either a long slot like they use for Martin trapping or those little coni clips hold traps very well

Right on, I just didn't know if anyone had any tried and true diy ideas without having to buy a specific clip. I will do some experimenting and report back. Mink have been winning this war lately. 0/15 on mink sets this morning. Just waiting for their rotation to come back through. Coons on the other hand...

In my mink boxes I cut the slots just big enough to slide the trap spring in. But my 110's I put a machine bolt in where the rivet is in to hold the jaws together. This is done to support both sides of the trap.

If anyone has any plans or diagrams I’d love to see them. Been making weasel boxes despite weasels around here being hard to find. Would like to make some more box sets as the creek I have access to for mink, rats, beaver & otter is extremely rocky & they’d be preferable over anchoring in water.

Perfect timing with this thread. My son is going to make some mink boxes also. Still haven’t caught our first one. We have plenty of BMI 110 but thought about going Belislev120:for the boxes just incasr we had a raccoon visit them. How does everybody attach the trap? And do you guys anchor the boxes?

I don't plan to anchor my boxes, just because we are froze up. If I did it'd be a drag if some sort. But that kind of defeats what I'm trying to eliminate. I went 16 inches long with 1x8s. Then I cut my slot wide I enough for the spring, and 3 inches deep on 1. I went 4 inches in the other. I will report back what I find. I have an I bolt on each box. The trap chain is tied to those with a quick clip. That way if anything is frozen or stuck I can unclip that trap, slid a new one in and clip it

Good luck. Maybe it's just me but I never had much luck catching any mink in those boxes.

At least here in WI. But when I trapped In Canada the boxes worked pretty good. The mink even climbed the trees and got caught in our marten boxes.

Zac, FYI ...IF you plan on using the Belisle 110s/120s be sure to make the boxes taller as those corners add about an inch. I found that out the hard way....tried using the Belisle 120s in my Victor/Bridger /Duke boxes....no go. Now I make my 120 boxes big enough to accommodate the Belsile and the Duke 155 traps....and everything fits 110, 120s and 155. I stabilize the trap from the outside springs...snug them up using stakes. Something else add about 4 ft of cable to traps or bring separate cable extensions. That way you can anchor off to trees, roots branches etc...easier,
Good luck!

I never had any luck with them either. I tried adding some in here and there when blind setting, but never connected with the boxes while I did in the blind sets. Could be I put them in the wrong locations I guess, but I gave up on them.
But if a guy has the time to play with them, why not? Beats sitting at home watching TV!

around here mink cant resist checking out drainage pipe so i made some cubbies out of some big o pipe this past summer and than got busy and never got them out but they work wonders on squirrels

As has been said Mink boxes are very low percentage set unless in the far north. If You must trap after freeze up you would do much better with bottom edge sets.

Not exactly what I wanted to hear, but thank you all for the responses. Guess I will stick with natural cubby sets. I am in NW Iowa. Currently 9 degrees farenheit, but this weekends lows are -5 to -15 so most, if not all creeks will be locked up right.

Make a few and see what happens. Nothing ventured nothing gained.

I've got a couple made already. Had mink come through last night and walk right up to every cubby set I had made. Not 1 went through a 110..need more fencing? Better bait? Who knows, but I'm going to find out

I'm actually going out to chop some b.e. sets out of the ice in a little while. Want to get to them before the ice gets any thicker!

How are you guys setting them in the ice? Finding a spot between 2 open holes?

I caught 1 mink and 4 weasels in mink boxes this year. Not much luck with them here in Wisconsin. I've had pretty good luck catching mink setting their snow tunnels and ice heave sets with conibears, plus at 81 I get my exercise following tracks thru the marsh. I've seen mink tracks come close to the boxes but not commit. Next year I may set some old #2 coils concealed at the entrance.

I have taken many, many mink in boxes, though I am not at all a fan of using #110 muskrat traps for mink.
I built my boxes out of plywood and used 1/4" wire mesh for the back. They were built specifically for Belisle #120 traps. I ran a 2" screw through the bottom of the box several inches from the back to hold bait. Boxes were 13" long. I cut narrow slots in the sides to stabilize the trap, about 2-1/2" deep, and snug to the springs.
All traps were set up with wood pedals.

Mine were actually set out when the water was open. Mostly on bridge walls. I like to align them with a crack in the wall or some other type of mark so I know right where the trap is when I have to chop them out of ice. Often times the ice gets thick enough that the top jaws get frozen in and the location won't work anymore. If its deep enough I'll leave the trap. I don't catch a lot of mink under the ice, but the muskrats are still there to catch.

Im originally a Minnesota Mink Trapper I used footholds and 120 Conibears using drain tiles. Often late season I used conibear trail sets tunnels in snow tall grass or cattails.
Now living in Idaho I just started marten trapping,, generalizing my mink methods into a marten boxes.
Boxes work keep both ends open and set in or parrallel to travelways


Long ago trapping friend who likely had the biggest mink catches for years in South Dakota.
Short version he took national grassland water trough redwood stays. Nailed 3 of the 30 inch stays together creating a 5x5x 30 inch, U shaped tunnel. with a trap inside each end. Said he wasn't a mink trapper because that was all he knew

My dad had often used 6 and 8" clay/concrete tiles basically as a tunnel or pocket in water,on dryland or on top of the ice.



A view through the box seems important for mink and only use 120's

Sounds good I will have to find some 120s. I only have 110s and 160s currently. I've got about 15 110 sets out right now. Mostly all cubby and tunnel sets, 2 boxes though. 110 just not have enough power?

Did you catch those mink while you were in Alaska?

I’ve found I like to drill 2 holes threw the top and bottom in line with the trap so I can use a small stick down threw the top , in between the jaws then down into the bottom on my mink boxes. It holds the trap in place but also necks down the opening so they have to go through the trigger more centered. They have a way of sneaking around trigger wires . I made them so the sticks would set right agains the spring eyes on the 120s . Didn’t make the opening too much smaller but I did like the results .

Yes Alaska

I used wire mesh so the mink can see through them and the air pushes all the good smells. What did you bait with? Was using sardines, salmon, and crawfish oil. I also made a couple out of drain tile, so we will see how that goes.

I mainly used large herring, but also salmon heads and even beaver meat.
And I will again stress using wood pans. Other than the occasional blind set, I haven't had great luck with conibears type traps hoping the mink would go through and trip the trap.

I will have to make some. Any ideas or dimensions and how to attach? Also, could I take a spring off of some older 110s and throw it on a good 110 and have a 120?

Here in my area of PA I would rather rely on a 110 sunk in a pool under the ice with a carrot on the trigger than a Coni cubby box. Seriously and would probably catch more.

So . . . you place a carrot on the trigger to attract mink???

One mink this morning in a 110 cubby set. Finally. Edit: it was a natural cubby, not a box. I have 2 boxes out as a test, but I feel these mink form such habits that they already know what holes they are checking each time. Especially when it's froze up. I have had tracks up to my connibears , then they wouldn't committ so I doubt they'll be committing to my boxes. I did however make a coon/skunk bucket cubby. Used a bucket that we get our ag graphite in. Will report back. Thank you all for the help on the mink situation. Hopefully more to come once I figure out how to add a picture.

Go to the main Trapper Talk forum and look at the 110 mink thread. I put a detailed post on wood pans and how to make and use them there.

I have heard of guys using carrot chunks under ice for rats and pick up mink in them. Maybe the mink thinks its something else, Im not sure. Probably way more than I ever caught in boxes.

What is the best wood to make boxes out of? Plywood or solid lumber? Is treated OK so they last longer or does the smell drive them away?

I used pine 1x8s but that's not cheap. I'd use plywood, or better yet used weathered lumber. I caught a big buck mink this morning. Going to switch to 150s for a more humane kill. Not impressed with the 110s for bigger mink as others had said.

I only use plywood. I have built probably over a hundred boxes for marten and mink. If packing them, you could use 3/8", but I use 1/2' for mine, (it''s actually 7/16"). They are pretty sturdy, but in Alaska, every year I lost several to bears.

Great info on this thread concerning the mink boxes. Haven't caught a mink in my boxes yet, but have caught 2 with 110s the last 3 days. Big buck caught right behind the head today. I am not giving up on the boxes though. I may try to brush them in though. Anyone here from Iowa care to guess how many mink you can take off a beaver dam before they're gone? Haven't had any fresh snow so really don't know if the ones I have caught are all that was there or not. Also going to try make some pocket sets in the drifts with some 1.5s. no drowners since it's froze though.

Mink, males especially, can have a large range. They may leave tracks, then not re-appear for 2 weeks.

That makes sense, as these took between 5 and 7 days to come back through to this beaver dam. I never knew much about them. I'd catch them in pocket sets during open water, or the occasional 330 in a beaver run, or on a drowning rod but never knew much about them. This is awesome

X2

How are you guys setting bottom edge sets after freeze up? Same as you would otherwise, but you chop an ice block out instead? Or are you just setting between 2 open holes?

Very seldom would I have to break through much ice early on, but if I had to I would rely on previous years locations. Going in cold I would do bridge walls and pick steep banks if I had to. It sure would slow a guy down thats for sure.

Same locations as you would before freeze up. The only exception is that you might need a little deeper water depending on how thick the ice gets.

That's what my plan is anyway, just didn't know if I should be setting on top of, or under the ice.

What advantage is a 120 over a 110 other than some power and speed, for a 2 pound animal.....? Genuinely curious if you could elaborate.

Stabilizing is an advantage for the 120

Back when I used 110s for mink, I had mink still alive, likely hours after the catch. Especially with suitcase strikes. They are usually a weak trap. I will say that new Dukes are powerful, and would probably result in quick dispatch. And of course, as pointed out, a 120 is much more stable in most cases.

That would depend on how you hang your 110 in my opinion.

Interesting about the live caught mink, good point. I do have some old 110s from the 70's that are more than paid for with soft springs, no doubt.

I am just not impressed with the 110s power when not in a drowning situation. The last big buck mink I caught was alive when I got to him. By the time I took the 110 off of him, which was directly behind the head across his throat/airway, he was ready to take off. I could tell he had been doing a lot of struggling by the amount of frozen ground and chain he had messed up. I would much rather use a 120, or a 150 and have him dead instantly.
Again, this is just my opinion. I have also killed animals 2 to 3 times that size with a good new 110. But every time you set a trap it isn't quite as strong as before. I just know my weak 150s will make a new 110 look like nothing. Mostly personal preference, but that preference is coming from a few different past experiences.

A properly adjusted 110 with a strong spring will neck catch and kill a ground hog, I get that some guys have had bad experiences but a mink is no powerhouse mammal. If animals had MMA there would be no contenders that were mink or muskrat, they are just built too light. Just my opinion, set what makes you happy.

I always preferred weaker springs on 110s for a more sensitive trigger. That said, I'm usually in water or very close. Even with a strong spring, I doubt most strikes kill them instantly.

My brand new duke 110s will absolutely kill big mink. Now my older victors and belisles are where I start having issues on land. Just don't like walking up to a perfect neck catch and seeing it still moving. Mink are basically a mean squirrel, but I prefer them dead. If I had all brand new 110s I'd be fine setting them.

Belisle doesn't make a 110 to my knowledge.

You are correct. All I can see is a B on the dog, I'd assume bridger then? The dog only has 2 notches, unlike my dukes with 3.

Yes, Bridger. I don't like any body-grip they have made. My son bought a dozen 120s against my advice a few years ago. A week after that season opened, I was suddenly short a dozen Belisles! LOL. He switched. I have handled their 280 and 330 as well. Not a fan. I do like their #5 Alaskan coilspring trap. Only cry once when you buy Belisle Traps.

Agree, I have a few belisle 330s and a ton of duke 330s. The belisle are good enough that when I go to set runs I save the best ones for the belisles ha ha

Back to mink boxes.

I tracked 100s of mink in the winter and I found that every mink that came across a hole would investigate but It wouldn't go in unless that hole went someplace and had an exit. So, I think that's the problem with your typical mink box.
Back in the day a ran a pretty extensive mink line I never caught a 100 but I was close several times. My go to winter mink set was a dug tunnel. I would use my Pick Matok to dig a trench. The trench was about 3' long and 6" deep and about that same width. I would cover the trench with shingles and them put some dirt or leavers over the shingles. I left a opening in the middle so I could bait it. I could cover that once I had baited It. This trench was about 12" above the water line. Both ends where open so the mink could go through the trench. When it was time to set the traps, I would place some dry sand in the trench to bed my traps. I never used this set till the dead of winter. I didn't want to be dealing with too many coon. I used #2 Victor square jaws.1 on each end. Sometimes I would bait the set up sometimes I didn't
Since our Road right away trapping is done, I'm not going to run mink line ever again. But If I could I would use that flexible drainpipe and bury that.
The other thing I would do was to build rock tunnels along the creek edges. I would build them so there would be about 1 or 2" of water running through them. You want the mink to be walking. But that drainpipe would be the way to go. I would go with at least 4' of pipe rock it in or stake it down. If done right these sets would be in place for years. You just need to get out and do your preseason work.

Beav, did you not have coon bothering these tunnel type sets? In a regular fall weather condition and an open winter, the coons would havoc any bait set before a mink would find it here. This year with warmer temps, the opossums add their smile to any set (coyote, coon, fox, mink etc.) with bait. Poor success with a mink box here UNLESS,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, a mink has found and killed or fed on an animal caught in my set, then the remains placed in a newspaper tube or wooden box cubbie is almost a sure thing. Guessing the mink has usually taken up sleeping quarters nearby and like Schwarzenegger, "Will Be Back"!!!!! Surprisingly, they will hunt rats around feed bunks on large feedlots and an enclosed box (similar to a larger weasel one to protect the barn cats) has worked for me. Its 1 and done on these and the operators would rather I caught the coons feeding in the bunks. The take-away here is the 'food source" seems to have reduced any caution and kicked in the predator instinct. My experience. .........the mike

I can totally see that working very well, Beav.

I have a couple lengths of that drain tile
I suppose next fall if we are done combining corn in time before freeze up I will try to dig some trenches. I did some on top of ice bottom edge sets today, blocked the outside and top with rocks so it is a tunnel with no bait. Also set a hole where I saw tracks, and set another pipe that was half buried already. We shall see
I have a fairly substantial line out right now for mink (22 traps). A little discouraging but once they make their loop back through it could be feast, or it could be famine. Thank you for the info. I hope more keep adding to it, as I am definitely learning a lot. Spent the day skinning coon so this is a nice break for the hands.

Beav's got the right idea. I don't have any of these out this year but if mink prices continue to climb it might be time to get these back out. My 4" drainpipes are all about 3' long. In the middle there's a small hole (maybe 3/8") drilled then a sharp knife makes a slit away from the hole for maybe a half inch. This accepts a couple of Q-tips that can be placed into the pipe, head down, then pushed into the slit to hold 'em tight. I dip these in different lures prior to inserting. Sometimes mink lure, sometimes weasel lure, and also muskrat all call. The pipe also has a 1/2" hole drilled top to bottom less than a foot from both ends. This allows a 3/8" or 1/2" rerod stake to be plunged through to hold the pipe in place. Now, at both ends you'll need to cut the plastic away to allow your trap to set inside the pipe just a little bit. I use #1 Bridger coilsprings. Strong small trap. And I modify it with a Duke #1 1/2 pan. The Duke #1 1/2s now have the Wild River pan. Each #1 coilspring trap is hooked up to a drowner cable that terminates in deep enough water to drown a 'coon, just in case. This same terminal end has another drowner cable running to a trap aways from the pipe. Usually this is another foothold in a blind set. This way you'll have 4 working traps with two terminal ends.

Pipe has a wad of grass stuffed into it, about half way down. Pipe is set along the water's edge, but fully in shallow water. Snugged to a vertical bank works very well. Stake in place with both rerods, dip your Q-tips and insert 'em into the slit, then prep the substrate at each end to accept the #1 coilspring. You can cover the pipe with marsh grass, weeds, bark . . what have you along the shoreline. Get your drowning system in place, set trap and snug into place, and get your side sets made up.

You'll get muskrats and mink. An occasional 'coon but if your trap is set inside the pipe your chances become less. No bait. Nothing to rot and stink up later. Until it gets cold and stays cold. Then a muskrat haunch stuffed down into the pipe works very well. That grass wad shouldn't be so thick it blocks air flow, yet doesn't allow the mink to see through the pipe. As the Beav says . . if the mink thinks the hole goes somewhere and has an exit you'll have a better chance of having that mink enter the pipe.

Stock Bridger #1 and then with the Duke #1 1/2 pan.



Ready to go, though that copper tag will be blackened up just a bit.



And the Duke #1 1/2 with the Wild River pan.



The small coilspring trap is easily taken to deeper water by most mink and 'rats. It's a good set, takes some tinker time, but unless you have water up and down issues, should work well for you in those open creeks and rivulets that tend to remain open in winter when it doesn't get too cold out. Keep the pipe in flowing water. This will help prevent freeze up.

Hey Mike, In most cases I only set them in the dead of winter and in most cases the streams were froze over so there was little or no coon activity. And sometimes in the early season I wouldn't bait them just because of coon. And I still caught mink because of the curiosity thing.

And yes, your totally right about a mink kill. They always come back to the kill site to finish what's left.

I am going to make a set similar today, although this will be on the ice, along a vertical bank that has mink tracks. I will be using a 150 on each end of the pipe. With sardines or beaver meat inside

Good luck, and anchor your traps well. Coon are in rut and on the move,

I would think you'll start seeing success with a nice line out like that! Good luck and please keep us posted!

I will add another thing to consider: When you find mink tracks, follow them the best you can. Often you will find where they spend extra time in one spot, and there will be lots of tracks. This might be an area only a foot square. Or it might be a little trail going back and forth, say from a creek bank to a stump or old pile of wood, or something else. Those can be hot spots and will be a place they check each time they travel that area.
The point being you can make new places for them to "check out", but the best places will be where they are already hunting when they pass through. Set on sign, literally where they left tracks before.

Good luck.
Those black pipes are going to draw sun light and will sink into the ice so you should cover them with snow. And by covering them you will make that set more attractive.
I would use foot holds. I never had much luck trying to force a mink or even muskrats through an exposed BG. But if that's what you're going to use spread the trigger wires, so you keep them out of the mink's face. You could add a trip wire to those BG triggers and that will improve your catch.

It was actually very warm here today. I ended up placing the pipe half in water, half out. It is moving water and I've had a 150 in it that hasn't froze so they will stay operational. The pipe is half submerged I'd say. I've caught a couple mink this year in 110s. I put circle triggers on my smaller body grips (150 on down), but may switch to trip wire if I notice refusals.
I have followed the tracks as best as I can. The little crack heads have been running the edges of the ice and checking absolutely every hole along the way. I did find a spot where multiple times they have come out of the water now, so I set a submerged foothold there as I don't have much faith in un natural cubbies at this point.

Isn’t it a little late for mink trapping? They have to be past their prime at this time of year.

Not that I know diddly about anything, Here's why I don't use box cubbies much. I quit following mink tracks 30 years ago in a fresh snow. Discouraged losing too many at open water, heavy grass, cattails, etc.. I did start BACKTRACKING mink tracks then to SEE where they came from and discovered many places they fed and laid up. You might be surprised at the difference following where they are going (bounding/hopping, hunting or seeking mate etc.) and where they spent time AFTER they were done traveling. Abandoned beaver dens are #1 here along with rock riprap erosion barriers, large driftwood piles, and badger holes close to water seemed to be over day (not night LOL) "motels" here and they did not emerge immediately after a snowfall. Would pass an old beaver bank house or den hole daily many times and suddenly a mink track would emerge coming out. The light came on (dimly I might ad) when I backtracked one to a culvert plunge pool and saw where he spent some time in a crevice of the stream side that split from the bank and led to a high water bank hole. There were no tracks entering (and I scoured the area pretty good) so I surmised he probably had been in there sleeping "it" off from hunting the pool then came out and headed upstream where I cut his track. Caught that (or another) mink there when I saw tracks entering that crevice 8 days later BUT ONLY AFTER I left 2 BG's guarding the entrance/exit for 4 days! We had snow cover so I could see if there was any new coming or going and there was only 1 set of tracks entering. If you have ever seen a mink cache you probably know what I thought ---- frogs, chubs, and/or panfish stored in there and after a while it was time to leave. In MN I backtracked 1 to traveling from a tag alder swamp up to feeding on a guy's 300 lb. dead hog by a farm place and actually caught 3 there in 2 days (pretty rare but never pass up a look at a carcass now). Just a couple of my "discoveries" that vary a little from the majority. My experience. ....................the mike

Large carcasses are a real draw when it comes to winter mink trapping.
While scouting a new area I discovered a dead deer in the creek. It had washed up in a debris pile. But the great thing about It was all the mink sign. The mink had a beat down trail along the edge of the creek. Then they were jumping from the bank onto a large rock and then running down a log to get to the carcass. Those mink did not what to get wet. So, I replaced that rock with a large chunk of sod. I didn't set it till the next week. When I came back the mink were using the sod has a landing spot. I bedded a #2 coil on that sod and cut up some grass and blended in the trap. Back at that time we didn't have this exposed bait law, so I was good to go. I'm not sure on the number of mink I caught but it was at least 5. With a little work you could make some sets like this. The quarters off a road killed deer would work and if you have a exposed bait law you could cover it to make it legal. You just have to make It so the mink can't access the bait without having to jump on to some landing spot.
I did over the years set up some of these sets and they all took mink. But it is a fair amount of work but back then mink were averaging in the $40.00 range so it was worth the effort. I did think about making 2 landing spots so I could catch doubles. But I never did it.
And yes, back tracking mink is something you should do. But it could also just be a waste of time just like tracking a mink to see where it is going and what's it doing. But it does show the tracker how a mink reacts to different situations. And you will get some exercise while doing it. LOL

I see no difference in tracking and back-tracking other than which way you are oriented to the tracks. There is NO DIFFERENCE. Tracks point one way or the other, unless you see a mink standing in them, they show you where the mink was.

That is how I feel also. Not to mention it seems the mink in each creek just make a big loop anyway. I have rarely seen any tracks in the snow going multiple directions. This tells me trail sets should work great. We have a slight warm up here now, I have caught some mink and learned a ton this season about them and their habits. I may hang up the mink sets and focus on skunk for the next week or 2, then it's on to prepare for spring beaver work!

I’ve did a little mink box testing. They work better after freeze up at spring holes and frozen rat sloughs,not so much in open water scenarios. The test for me started out hard trigger vs spread apart with trip wire,which mink dont care for. They don’t care to push a trigger in their face.

I went to a test of wooden pans (always set so the trap pulls on the pan rather than pushes as the trap is sprung)… trap pan facing in vs out, trap up against the bait deep in the box vs trap at the entrance ( pan in or pan out),

Tested against a spread trigger wire with a monofilament loop held with silicon tubing allowing the fishing line to let the tag ends form a entire imaginary loop/ circle through which a mink will blindly dart with reckless abandon. Up against the bait deep within the box or at the entrance…trigger system in or out.

In ice up conditions you likely will only make on catch at a majority of sites, and when it’s cold,rethreading the monofilament in the tubing on the trigger wire can be difficult in windy bleary eyed outdoor conditions.it was about evenly matched catch wise between pans vs monofilament loop. The test for mink favors pans up against the bait, but monofilament loop traps can be anywhere. A mink can go through a panned trap at the entrance and not get caught,or not right away.

Every trap configuration will take a skunk and the entrance is where I would position the trap, deep within the box for mink, trap springs bent up or down will stabilize the trap.

Older traps with a spring added may have an issue with the spring eyes not in line with each other causing the need for larger spring slots. Newer replacement springs have addressed this issue and if you were picky about that you could replace whatever is needed.

I learned more by finding where they came from after a new snow than where they went. Difference being the tracks came from some hole, brush pile, beaver den, crushed concrete pile etc.. No tracks entering. How long they were in there is a guess. Trying to track forward didn't reveal much to me. This is ag country with millions of meadow voles, white footed deer mice and bunnies by any winter cover (piles/hole). Without a bait cage to protect your offer the voles and mice will eat 1/2 a muskrat or more in 2-3 days in a cubby. If it warms up (mid 20's) the coons will find every meat box cubby and ruin your mink chance. BUT........... its great when coon fur is marketable. Ours currently are. We have no rocks in this area for miles and county roads are graveled with sand pit tailings (pea stone) or trucked in from 90 miles. Every few years I will get a call or catch a mink in a cattle feedlot hunting wood or norway rats by the feed bunks. They find a food source and camp out in any "hole" they can. When food is reduced and/or depleted that is when their tracks (in the snow) indicate they are moving, looking so I go Backwards to find the "hole". Am sure you have all seen/discovered a mink cache in your life of fish, frogs, minnows and such. Here its more voles, rabbits and mice and mink will live in those concrete dump piles along an erosion gully spots for a long time in the winter. A 220/160 size cubbie there has accounted for a pile of winter coons and mink for me. But a box cubby set along a creek, beaver colony, stream or river trying to intercept a moving mink has not here. The only results (for mink) are when they have fed or killed a catch I made so I shove the trapped leftovers in a box and have the mink the next day. If I wanted to harvest mink I would wait for the snow - backtrack to where a mink emerged and guard entrance/exit with a BG and skip the box cubby. I learned some of those general traits/spots by doing this. My experience............................ the mike