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?