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Mink
Aug 17, 2004 7:17:41 GMT -6
Post by trappnman on Aug 17, 2004 7:17:41 GMT -6
I read elsewhere where a minker stated he had found that it helped to cover his opans with leaves, etc to build them up- that he found that mink would, given a choice, prefer to keep their feet dry.
I never even considered that being the case- and in thinking back on my experiences in seeing live mink work a creek, I can honestly say I saw no heisitation in entering water, no detouring around little puddles, etc - the mink treat marsh,water and land the same-
Any thoughts on this?
A side tangent- do mink avoid traps?
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Mink
Aug 17, 2004 7:46:50 GMT -6
Post by Computerhater on Aug 17, 2004 7:46:50 GMT -6
Here I sit at work goofing off while putting in my last few days since Bob Wendt convinced me to quit while I'm still young. Stop with the mink threads. I've got work to do before I leave. LOL
Tman, I saw that post also about the leaves. Interesting concept but I don't agree with it. I do when possible try and cover my traps with a few water logged leaves or blades of grass but my traps are under water. I cover them for two reasons. First and foremost is the obvious. Thieves have a harder time when the outline of the trap is broken up. But the second reason is ( answering Steve's last question ) I have seen on more than a few occasions where a mink has avoided a trap that was set just under the surface of the water or one that was slightly exposed as the water level dropped. I keep all tracks washed away from my sets as much as possible. I like to see what is going on. I have seen it often enough to know it wasn't a fluke. The tracks came down the bank and then the mink veered around the trap by going into the water ( no choice ) and then came back to the bank. I think the biggest problem was that the trap was sitting on the bottom and not level with the bottom. Since making it a point to get the trap level with the bottom of the creek, so it doesn't appear to be an obstacle, these walk arounds have greatly diminished. I don't believe the mink was afraid of the trap I just feel that it appeared to be an obstacle in his path and he went around it versus jumping on it. I'm sure 9 out of 10 mink pay no mind and end up in the trap but a few have altered my way of doing things plus have helped to alter the color of a few of the hairs on my head.
Randy
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Mink
Aug 17, 2004 8:08:05 GMT -6
Post by trappnman on Aug 17, 2004 8:08:05 GMT -6
So Randy- starting anew as ?
I've defintely had mink go around conibears, thats for sure. I too thought that it was just an obstacle that he wanted to avoid. Even "camo" still gets avoided at times.
In water with footholds- I never do cover traps, but my traps are kinda squished into the mud. So you see 10% or so refusal rate with traps just at the surface or slightly above? I could see that.
Trying to run through my mink spots mentally here...... my best producers are mud bottom creeks ..... if pay a little bit more attention to traps on hard surfaces.....I'll take 10% more mink!
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Mink
Aug 17, 2004 8:15:40 GMT -6
Post by BK on Aug 17, 2004 8:15:40 GMT -6
Computerhater is so right about mink not realy liking to step up onto traps set underwater. When the water drops for whatever reason,..........take a close look at your mink sets. I realy don't think mink are any smarter than muskrats, infact I find it more difficult to get muskrats to enter dry Conibears than mink.
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Mink
Aug 17, 2004 8:37:14 GMT -6
Post by BK on Aug 17, 2004 8:37:14 GMT -6
Camo? I let the grass fallover the trap if there was some there to begin with, but thats about it. From my observations the single most deterent for mink is the placement of the trigger, the second would have to be too much "camo" blocking the route. Let me ask you this Steve,........do feel a mink knows what a Conibear is, or do you think he cares? To them it's just so many sticks.
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Mink
Aug 17, 2004 11:59:39 GMT -6
Post by Computerhater on Aug 17, 2004 11:59:39 GMT -6
Tman, Don't want to get off topic but not sure what I am going to do. I called Hef but he said there weren't any openings for photographers at this time. "OOOPS, sorry I forgot to put film in the camera. I guess we will have to take those shots over again. LOL
I get the occasional conibear avoidance. I do camo them with the surrounding materials. I don't believe they are afraid of them, I mean maybe an occasional one may have had a bad experience but for the most part I think it is just the individual mink's preference to go around rather than through. I try not to give them a choice if at all possible while still keeping the set natural but there's always a few that screw with you. I agree with BK on trigger position being critical and as you know I am a firm believer in starting the trigger.
Randy
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Mink
Aug 17, 2004 12:32:55 GMT -6
Post by thebeav2 on Aug 17, 2004 12:32:55 GMT -6
I think mink just shy away from something different that's been added to their home ground.
Has any one ever tried the round " bodygrips"? I all way's thought animals were more square shy then trap shy. Aren't many square objects In nature. I would think round would be more natural and more inviting to pass through. Beav
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Mink
Aug 17, 2004 12:36:36 GMT -6
Post by thebeav2 on Aug 17, 2004 12:36:36 GMT -6
I noticed all of you are In violation of Trademark and copyright laws and could be subject to a law suite. You just can't be using the word Conibear out of contex like that. LOL
Beav
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Mink
Aug 17, 2004 12:40:19 GMT -6
Post by trappnman on Aug 17, 2004 12:40:19 GMT -6
I've always thought the same thing on round conibears.
bk- I caught my last mink in a conibear, and not only did he know it was a trap- I heard him mutter "not even a freakin' trademark Victor Conibear but a simple knockoff body grip type trap..."
No- I don't think they know its a trap- but I do know that mink detour around 110s set in the open at least occasionally. Someone wrote an article- or maybe it was even you telling me this last year Randy- that he found 220s to be much better for mink on land- for that very reason.
Give him no choice- thats one thing. Someone wrote that even on weasel's that will step on a bare uncovered trap- that if you give him a way around, he will often take it.
by camo, I meant a few grasses over the top- maybe a little branch by one end.
I think its much easier to get a mink to go through a 110 used as a trail set if the trap is in an inch or two of water.
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Mink
Aug 17, 2004 13:19:39 GMT -6
Post by BK on Aug 17, 2004 13:19:39 GMT -6
Beav, we have 3 lawyers in the famly,..........let them sue. LOL Computerhater while I don't start my triggers, I think it's a good pratice if your traps are a little hard to fire. The biggest part is not to have something they have to push their face on. Yes they will duck down most of the time for you boys that like to spread your triggers,........but not all the time and I think that's what were talking about now. Round traps and round triggers seem neat , but in the same breath I don't feel they would attract mink to your sets,........ so untill I see where mink avoid my sets (and I do trap them in the snow) I'm happy. Mink are brave mean little critters, they do what seems most easy.
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conibear1
Demoman...
Beaver trapping
Posts: 247
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Mink
Aug 17, 2004 15:59:53 GMT -6
Post by conibear1 on Aug 17, 2004 15:59:53 GMT -6
I use the Sullivan Circle triggers. I don't know if it's the mink or me, but I have more confidence in that circle trigger. When doing a little camo-ing, the trap appears to have a hole to jump into--through the jaws.
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Mink
Aug 17, 2004 16:19:17 GMT -6
Post by dogpaw on Aug 17, 2004 16:19:17 GMT -6
i spread the triggers out wide and then bend each one in a half circle thus leaving a circle in the center of the trap. i flatten the ends of the triggers with a hammer and then run a peice of wreath wire across the triggers. just wrap it around each trigger. when the mink trys to go thru the circle he hits that wire with his chest or legs and fires the trap. all my 110,s are rigged this way. i think i read this in the Trapper years ago. i like the way it works. dogpaw
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Mink
Aug 17, 2004 20:43:38 GMT -6
Post by NittanyLion on Aug 17, 2004 20:43:38 GMT -6
When one has a foothold trap in the water, how do you tell if a mink avoided that set or not? Maybe I missed something here, but I think some of you are talking about avoidance in water sets.
BK...Muskrats are smarter than mink. ;D
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Mink
Aug 17, 2004 22:48:19 GMT -6
Post by Computerhater on Aug 17, 2004 22:48:19 GMT -6
Steve, I use the 160 sized "bodygripper" LOL a lot. I find it to be more effective in open spaces. I feel the additional head room that it provides causes less avoidance. As far as trigger placement - I center it and spread the triggers apart and form them into semi circles with the bottoms about an inch or so apart. Most mink have their heads right in the circle formed by the wires. I don't use a trip wire as it is not needed with this set up. I start the trigger to take the stiffness, tension off so if the mink does brush it with his face or shoulder it gives like a small twig or blade of grass and the mink just continues to try and go on through versus sliding or slithering around a stiff trigger. With the 160's I also place a stick down through the frame on each side of the trap between the trigger wire and the frame. When I'm done camoing the trap the square outline is no longer square.
Nittany Lion, I think we've talked about both conibear avoidance, (ooopps I said that word again ) and foothold avoidance. You asked how I tell if a mink avoided a foothold set or not. On a lot of my sets I keep tracks washed off the bank on both sides of the set. Usually I will see a fresh set of tracks approaching the set and of course if their ain't a fuzzy tail floating in the water I investigate. Usually I can see the tracks right as they enter the water and where they come back to the bank. Sometimes I can even see the tracks under the water as they have went around the trap. I always try and slow down a little and look things over while checking my sets. I've seen and learned a lot of things by doing this. I even saw the steel girder I hit my head on one day as I crawled out from under a certain bridge. Of course I saw it after the stars went away.
Randy
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Mink
Aug 18, 2004 18:55:39 GMT -6
Post by trappnman on Aug 18, 2004 18:55:39 GMT -6
This was sent to me as a pm by NEPISIGUIT. Some good comments so I asked if I could post it. He says hes intinidated becasue he can't type as fast as furhandler (that showoff... ) ___________________________________________ Interesting topic. lot of good comments. For myself i have often had problems with covering over leg holds with leaves. In November when we trap leaves are often floating in the streams and becomming deposited over the top of pans.Mink comes along steps on the pan and many times i end up with a trap full of leaves , no mink. Like the idea of setting the jaws level with the stream bottom.Wish i had thought about this two years ago. A local park owner asked me to remove an otter that was eating many of his trout in his pond.I tried all the sets i know to no avail.I finally ended up setting a MB 750 on a drown wire in about four inches of water, The stream that the otter used ,comming to and from the sea was about 24 inches wide. he passed fifteen times and went arround all my culvert , log and channel setups without getting caught. I wish him long years of survival. Really enjoy this website its a privelege to be part of it. good trapping.
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