Avoid mink at pockets.

Like to make pockets early season so when banks freeze, they there late season, wondering what others go to trap placement. I's to avoid real early season mink at pockets. U get some not matter what, but cut down it, hard set a real deep at pocket to avoid. Still catch some. However deep end up be az for coon, not going waste ton time. I don't like mink till maybe some good ones 2 nd week, actually better 3 Rd week the end. But some pass later 2nd week

I use the same method as keeping possum and skunk out of coyote sets.

If you don't crowd the hole with your trap you will miss most mink, Dave.

So your targeting worthless coon over worthless mink. If you want to catch coon just set either snares or body grips up on those high bank tails and forget about digging pocket sets.

If you insist on setting pockets, dig them where the water depth will be over 4 inches deep at the entrance and 6 inches is even better. You will catch very few mink but will still get coons.

U still get some mink with trap set 4 inches deep. Put trap an pan back from pocket. Maybe 5 inches if can easy ? Later on I like have dug out for when bank freeze an don't have build up trap bed for mink , lots mink around last few seasons , on occasion, u get mink that very good at steal bait from pocket. Not real often.

Mink will probably bring as much or more than coon.

The trouble is if set trap deep to avoid mink early. Then later when target mink, a problem build up trap bed an time consuming

Wow

Ain't it

Why not just wait till later and catch both coon and mink at those pocket sets.

At the recent Fur Harvesters give away, my best male mink brought $4.75 and my lesser ones brought $2.00. It will cost you way more money in gas and wear and tear on your vehicle to run that same line early for coon and then again later on for mink, than what you will lose if you just trap them both at the same time. It isn't rocket science!!! Do the math.

Good thinking

Pocket sets on small crick banks are a killer set for mink. I caught some (mink) two years ago and I couldn't give them away. Lol Coon need cleaning out bad but I got to busy again to knock down the population this fall. Again not worth my time since they are worthless as well.

Not a good price for sure not, plan on doing some trapping, get in shape an loose some weight, help me live longer, just not go do as much as in past, the trouble is when it becomes a big hassle with trapping an work an a rush , which it well be

Increase pan tension and move trap away from pocket a few inches

I’d probably wait a few wks to set.

I'm with Computer Hater.
I received $4.75 for Select males and $2.75 for Blue males. Not much of a difference.

I don't know the ratio but from the threads I have read here for years in IA you have a lot of coons and a good mink population but I would bet with a long coon water line I would be surprised if you would get more than say a mink or two for every couple dozen coons. To me that would not be a large enough number of mink to want to change my methods around too much if at all. a $2 mink is easier to handle then a $4 coon from my perspective.

Bryce

I am no coon trapper,but I agree with trapper John.
Mink have short legs and lighter weight by far than coon-set accordingly.
How about incorporating some encapsulating traps?

I don't know the ratio but from the threads I have read here for years in IA you have a lot of coons and a good mink population but I would bet with a long coon water line I would be surprised if you would get more than say a mink or two for every couple dozen coons. To me that would not be a large enough number of mink to want to change my methods around too much if at all. a $2 mink is easier to handle then a $4 coon from my perspective.

Bryce

I haven't had much success with pocket sets, unless the pocket is dug in a bank opposite a well-blended blue bucket set.

Jim

A 4.00 coon probably costs me 10.00 to get, and a 2.00 mink like about 20.00 LOL.

Yup lot of coons decent mink population just set a extra traps at each stop to catch the mink along with coons that what I always do catch couple hundred mink a year and 1000+ 2000+ coons a season

Increase your pan tension...

That be good idea but already, check that stuff out with triggers an pans in spring when go though before dip traps. Not mess it again, try set trap back a little futhor from mouth pocket. Any land trapping I do is mostly at first with few select 220 spots later on, water trapping is more after opening but some. U always get some mink, out 40 somei k last season, top was $5, next down was $3.50, an i believe 9 at $1.50, thought I heard of possible little increase in wild mink this upcoming season, hard say at this time, I heard red fox an possum were in demand. But on Rex fox, very cheap prices