Old dog learning new tricks about mink

I'm 70 years old and have trapped since I was 12. I trapped raccoon , beaver, and muskrat and a few fox. I caught one mink in all those years. I got big into hound hunting for about 10 years and did little trapping during those years. When I retired in 2011 I started a nuisance trapping business but most of that is groundhogs or raccoons in people's back yards or squirrels in their attics. It's not like fur trapping. For the last 6 years, because of other responsibilities, I was unable to do any fur trapping and I missed it. This year , just before the season , I found myself with time to fur trap. I started doing some muskrat trapping. One day I had a rat that had it's head chewed on. I set another trap and the next day had a nice big buck mink. The same day I got another nice buck at another pond where I had found a small hole under a couple of feet of water , too small for a rat den, and had stuck s body gripper in front. Two mink in one day! Now I was fired up. I ordered Jim Spencer's videos and also joined Don Powell 's site and ordered his DVD. I got Spencer's DVDs and watched all four that day. I was impressed that he uses mostly blind sets. No bait and very little lure. Even his float sets were without bait. I thought about my creeks and couldn't imagine trying to pick from the many blind set locations. The next day , while adjusting a rat set , I looked across the creek and saw a flat bank that transitioned into deeper water and undercut banks and thought, " Spencer would set a trap there." I had a 150 Bridger and set it tight against the bank and subtly blocked it in. Two days later , this morning , there was another nice mink waiting for me ! I'm checking out some new areas and am already planning next season. I . can't wait to get Don's DVDs. This old man is fired up!

Cool post.
Go gettum....I want to hear you get more.

Good stuff

Really nice to read your Post!!! Hope you nail more!!!

I used to catch a few mink in my 330s- that were going into Beaver lodges I had trapped out. That was in the mid 80s and I got 30 to 40 back then for them.

Man great post. It's one of the area's I definitely intend on expanding and doing myself.

I think mink are a really cool animal and a lot of fun to trap. It's a shame how cheap they now sell on the fur market.

Your hooked , lot easier carrying mink out than bvr !

And that's what it's all about, eh?

I love mink trapping, and 3 to 4 dollars was not incentive to trap them. But late into December I had to try for a couple, just wish it was worth it to run 50 mink sets again, a guy could catch a bunch.
Water level dropped 3 inches from when I set the trap, had to move my support rock to keep it at the right level, you can catch a mink in a bare trap but I always like them under water.

Way to go.

My thoughts exactly.

Congratulations ,Its still a great feeling to catch a mink

You're in trouble now!

"I think mink are a really cool animal and a lot of fun to trap"-----a lot of us think that way too. Ice fishing a few years ago, the fishing got slow so I took a walk. Found mink tracks and followed the along the shore line. Sort of got good at guessing where he will show up again until all of a sudden his tracks went sharp left right across the center of the lake. You just can't figure them out completely, just when you think you got them outsmarted they do the unexpected. Have fun that is what it is all about......jk

He couldn't have cut across the lake-they always follow edges, at least that's what all the old books say.

He was following the top edge of the ice! LOL