All my life I’ve seen and heard of guys using a drag and several feet of chain for mink. It looks quick and easy and a mink or rat certainly wouldn’t go far, or even move the drag. Used to years ago,I had very few coons and beaver and otter for that matter were non existent. Now, you never know what might investigate your mink sets. Do any of you still use drags on mink traps and have you had any trouble using them? I have 50-75 drags and chain I usually use on land.

I still do...here is my rig.... foothold trap with about 2-3 ft of well swiveled chain then I quicklink another 6 ft of heavy chain (similar to coyote set up...no light weight swing set stuff) to a two or three prong coyote grapple. I'm like you I do not want to search....I want that coon, coyote, otter or beaver close. Heavier stuff pays for itself.

Thanks Mike. So coon go up on the bank and tangle quickly?

I want my mink on a drowning set up. I don't what my mink up on dry ground where a hawk or owl can get to them.
Same with coon I what them drowned.
I what that critter with in 3 or 4 feet from the set in the water. I don't what to be hunting my catch especially when checking in the dark.
I had some coon on drags and some of them made up into the trees.
But if drags for mink and coon work for you then go for it.

From my experiences as a mink blind-setter I foolishly tried drags on mink traps many years ago which included coon caught in minks sets. As Beav has already said, the 1st thing I found out was that coon will not tangle quickly but WILL BE IN THE NEAREST FRIGGIN TREE to the catch site!!! Also, why would it be needed to drag a mink even on dry land such as in a trail set?? What is trying to be accomplished, preserving the set?? I can see nothing worse than having a live, bouncing mink tangled up on the bank for 24hrs and especially overnight understanding that mink are toward the bottom of the food chain for hawks & owls. I would liken it to waving a friggin flag to all local owls that mink is what’s for dinner tonight!! I would strongly suggest if you’re trapping dry trails, kill the friggin mink in the trap and if you’re trapping water, kill the mink in the water knowing that it doesn’t take much water depth to drown a mink!

Tangle near the site....heavy chain and drags make that happen.

Made some drags for a water guy a while back , he liked them but they seemed a bit ..much I guess . Think he was running 6' of chain to a 1.5cs. these where like 2lbs , highly aggressive plow try drags , now them dinky grapple deals... Apparently mink couldn't move them very much and would end up in the water drowned....but coon would end up. Hooked on the bank by the a water and. Have the whole bank tore up
. I'll dig around and see if I still have a copy of that bunch

The times I’ve seen them used the drag and chain were tossed out in the water. The mink was quickly drowned. I think it may be considered a speed setting tool as well. Just hop out of the truck with trap and drag. No looking for something to attach to or drowner cable setup. The drags and chain I have I doubt a mink or rat would even move them. Just thought surely several on here had done this.

I'm with Seldom. I have caught enough coon otter coyotes bobcats and wild dogs in mink traps that I want them staked good. We have a lot of aerial predators and a mink or rat above water is a loss.

The simple solution is to just hook the drag onto something so the coon just goes to the end of the chain. If you don't have anything to hook tight to, you probably shouldn't be using a drag in that location.

The only thing I've seen a mink drag be good for was a top edge set on a mud bank

I’m not per se advocating drag use on mink. I have just seen it done in books and videos over the years. I’ve never been comfortable using them in the water except maybe in very small streams. I have never done even that. I was just curious if anyone regularly uses drags on their mink line. Usually here I just try to get the mink in the water and it usually suffices. I even give bodygrips on the edge of the bank enough wire for them to get outin the water. Thanks for all your replies.