When I was trapping MINK my line went from Oregon WI to Marshfield WI and a loop back again. One side of the line was probably 200 + miles and about the same coming back on the other line. So, I ran an extensive mink line. It was all road right a way trapping and I checked It twice a week. They were all wet sets. And nothing but pocket sets and blind sets. I ran that line for 3 weeks my best year was 86 mink. I have no Idea how many traps I ran but was way over 300. And yes, I caught some rats and lots of coon.
I have the North Bay fur sale info

It was 1987
XL PT LGE DK 1 $74.50 Commission $5.96


XL LGE PT LGE LT BRN-PALE $47.13 Commission $3.77

Out of those 86 mink I never had a mink that sold for less then $30.00

Good winter rats were averaging around $5.00. My rat catch that year was 267.


Coon were averaging around $20.00 I had 150 coon. I did have 4 coon that went for $35.73. ea.

1988

Mink were still averaging close to $40.00

Rats were averaging around $3.50

Coon were averaging around $11.00

My mink numbers were down to around 50. But the coon and the rats were up a bit. I had stayed closer to home.

!989

had 46 mink that season and I had an average of $36.45

MY COON AVERAGE WAS $9.00

Rat averages were around $2.50

So Boco I do know my way around a mink line.

Come on down and bring your mink boxes. LOl

Not my idea of productive trapping-driving 200 miles a day checking a bunch of empty traps.lol.
I rarely check any empty traps.

Easy. Blind set those trails that go up and over the road.

Your Iowa math is impressive! More traps and area when the weather is good would be a better plan.

I trapped a lot of mink with baited boxes in Alaska. After fooling around with different lengths, I settled on 14" long, screened on the back with 1/2" hardware cloth. I wanted a box i could use with Belisle 120s, and wood pedals for both mink and marten. All made with 1/2", (actually 7/16"), CDX plywood.

Ahhhh finally a good ole fashioned trapping argument bout brings a tear to my eye

Well, if you would have read my post, I only checked 2 times a week. On Wednesday and Sunday and it was about 400 miles. And at every stop I always gang set. At least 3 or 4 traps at every stop. And like I said I ran that line for 3 weeks, so I only made 6 checks. It was a very productive line.

Well, if you only have 10 traps out and you only check them once a week your chances of having full traps Is pretty good. LOL

lol… I wasn’t expecting any miraculous results by putting out the boxes… just need to keep SOMETHING working when everything is frozen up.
I absolutely prefer to make pockets,,, they are my favorite sets to make because they are so efficient on catching so many different critters,,, and if possible, I try to run drowning rigs as deep as I can.
The ice got pretty thick and I got tired of chopping ice for bottom edge sets.
10-20 boxes are going to be easier to check than the same amount of under ice sets that I’d have to chop out.

Boxes have an advantage here because of the early freeze up sets in water (pockets) dont work.
After early freeze the advantage is that mink are much more interested in bait (like all other predators),and a bigger bait is the ticket after freeze up,much more attractive than a small piece of fish.And a box can hold a big chunk of beaver meat.Once you get to know your trapline,the places where you catch mink in boxes will produce every year.similar to a good blind set location for mink or otter.Cull all your unproductive boxes.After a few seasons after normal fluctuations in population your box locations should all produce fur.If you want to hone your efficiency only run boxes that produce multiple catches every year.
After the snow gets deeper later on any traps on the ground become unproductive.Mink here go subnivean after the snow gets deep
.
This is the size of bait that I use in winter.

One advantage I have is lots of springs and trout streams with current so places that rarely freeze. So I always have some water sets working pretty much regardless of temperature although-20 with make it challenging. Great time of the year for three day checks. I probably will run a couple a smaller lines and alternate checks. Keeps me trapping but seem to do better with rats late than mink. Mink catch because more of a once in awhile while I get rats pretty consistently.

Interesting post never set out mink boxes (110)size but have put out larger boxes in winter for coon and i fed a lot of mink Also put out lines of dogproofs in winter tracks in the snow indicated mink were inquisitive especially with molasses based bait Its unfortunate that the last 2 weeks of November is deer season and no one wants you around no ROW trapping here
My point is weather conditions make a difference here and if you do not try a method ,lure or presentation a couple years in a row you really can't form a conclusion

Foxxkidd, just measured my boxes. Most are 16 inches long and made for 110/120's

Ty sir