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.