Mink

I've been looking into trying to catch more mink. I was thinking about starting a thread to see what sets/setups everyone uses to catch mink. So I figured I would give my two cents and see how everyone else does their setups/different variations.

Quick tunnels:

Pretend that the stone is the corner of a wing wall bridge or box culvert, and there is about 2-3 inches of water running over the trap. Basically it is railroad plate propped up with a stick to create a point of interest, and putting the trap inside the tunnel helps to keep coon out of the blind set.


Top and bottom edge sets:

Another type of blind set that works good in deep water and slick on rats too. Pretending that the side of the shed is a bridge wall or some type of culvert, and the water is about 2-3 inches over top of the victor #2. This setup is nice because it is quick and adjustable for rising or falling water. I used hagz brackets on these but there are other ways of doing these. A rubber fishing lure spliced over the trigger on the 110 will make a good baited bottom set too.




Pocket set:

I like deep pocket preferably about a foot deep if I can get it in, if it is to rocky I will build the pocket out with rocks or RR plates and anchor to those. Rotten muskrat stuffed back in the pocket(helps when it gets cold),and I like 3 inches of water over the trap, so the mink is swimming while he is going over my trap. A swimming mink is a dead mink because he is always moving around when he is swimming, a mink on land can stop and sniff he doesn't have to move his legs, or commit to going into the pocket. I believe placing the trap back into the pocket helps keep the coon out, although the picture doesn't show it.


Mink box:

I like to put these in intersections between cricks or any stop on the mink line were it is tuff for a conventional set. These are a lot more weatherproof than most mink sets to they are helpful in the late season. I like rotten rat in these as well, I drill holes in the back so the mink can see light in the back. I also like a trigger wire on these ones or some type of conibear pan.


Pipes:

I set any kind of pipe or culvert that looks minky, as long as it is in a watercourse. Bigger pipes with lots of water, I build up platforms with bricks, rocks, and plates; I sometimes will use hagz brackets with 3/8 rods to support my traps.


Neck downs:

I set any kind of undercut banks or any kind of necked down spot that presents it's self.



Those are some of the common sets I make, lets see your sets and systems to catch mink!

I haven't tried trapping mink yet. My uncle wants me to as they eat all of the fish out of his pond. I will definitely try some of them. Great pics and demonstration!

One thing I forgot to mention, I try to cover as many different areas/cricks as possible, with the traps I have. I look at it as, I would rather have a few chances at many mink, rather then 15 chances at one or two mink. This is because if a trapper can get good enough to catch a mink at the first one or two sets, then all the rest of the sets are not needed at that location. I usually set about 5 traps per stop, and they are usually a mix of different kinds of sets.(Dry sets, blind sets, baited sets,etc.) That way I always have traps working at each location, and the sets could appeal any mink.

Thank you for sharing your methods. I like your concept of creek coverage but some of us, myself included, do not yet have driver's licenses or vehicles so we can only try to catch what we can get to within walking distance of home.

I don't have my license either, that thing about creek coverage is my opinion of an ideal situation. I can only get to about 5 of the local cricks, if I'm lucky.

Pa, this is an awesome thread you started!! We have a couple mink here but not very many at all. Ive tried pocket after pocket with no luck. The only mink i ever got was in a #4 dls at a castermound

Do you have any pics of your pockets? I don't set many pockets because our ground is so rocky, looking at your catch pics it seems like you catch a lot of coon in them.

Pocket sets are my favorite set for mink.Most I use bait and lure.
Tom

I did have some , PA, but they must have gotten deleated. Heres a couple that have been mutilated by some coons. Most of my sets for coons are pockets or punch ins, and im beginning to like the "pocket" dp set

For mink, all I use are blind sets. Most of the time I will make bottom edge sets or block off a small creek with a conibear or foothold. Occasionally I will set trails along the waters edge. I get out as many sets as I can, and I always always gang set. A couple years ago, I watched a nice buck mink following the edge of a creek that I had set, and he suddenly dove off into the water right before he hit my 110. Now I always try to set at least a few sets at a location. Good luck! It always makes my day when I catch one

Gotta love those Hagz brackets. If you don’t have any, you need to get some. Sets are so much easier to construct with them. Saves a lot of piling up rocks.

Ttt

Looks like you're on your way to becoming a great mink trapper.

Glad to see you use wire between the triggers. It definitely increases your catches

Your mink catch will also go up if you use VERY light pan tension. Years ago i switched to #1.5 longsprings because of the light pan tension.

Read up all you can on bottom edge sets. It takes 70% of my mink

Gang set each location untill you get good at what/where works best

Mink in the north country need more fuel to survive then those in southern climates. Pockets are very effective in colder climates. Fresh fish in the back of a 12” narrow pocket guarded by a 1-1/2 coil is deadly when a mink is hungry.
You will find baited pockets less effective in milder climates.
Mink are very sensitive to salmonella and bait should be fresh to be most attractive. In a warm fall I may change my bait out replacing with fresh fish.

Been a while since I visited T-man; studying Mechanical Engineering in college now and haven't had much free time to get outside lately. Cool to see that one of my old posts was at the top of the forum though. Good luck to all the kids in the forum with your sets and enjoy your time outdoors. Weird to think I'm supposed to be an adult now lol.

Thanks and good luck in college.