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Post by bobwendt on Oct 6, 2004 16:41:25 GMT -6
regarding mink away from water... I never claimed to be a mink trapper, although I have caught quite a few in both water and dry sets. What amazes me the most is the number I catch in canine dirtholes along brushy fencerows, sometimes a mile or more from the closest water. I am not in great mink country, I imagine 100 mink/season here in central indiana has never been done, yet I often would get 1-2 daily in a 50 stop (~100 traps) canine line. I think they must eat a lot of low nesting songbirds and mice, at least more than the average guy would think.
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Post by mattduncan on Oct 6, 2004 22:38:01 GMT -6
bob i too am not a big numbers mink man but when you falow a bunch of tracks you will learn that mink spend as muych time far from water as they do in the water i think your theroy is right on the money from my obseervations
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Post by SteveCraig on Oct 6, 2004 22:45:56 GMT -6
You are absolutley right , Bob. Although there are areas in Indy that a good pocket set man could clean up on, the bulk would be caught faster using good dry sets,coni's, and my own personal choice, SNARES. Last years flood out in the beginning of the season proved that to me. I was FORCED to use alternet means to take the mink I caught. Most were caught in snares, 110's and 220's. the 220's were ,for the most part set for coon. It is also amazing how many mink are MISSED in those 220's too. Best mink book...... toss up between Bill Nelson's and Falers. I also liked all of J.Curtis Griggs books too. Best Video for mink........ Thorpe's FWIW Steve
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Post by Mallard on Oct 7, 2004 5:12:57 GMT -6
Seems like I get a little something from about each mink book I buy. Geralds is a great pocket book, Smyth has BE's covered, Fahler....sort of decent "falling asleep" all inclusive stuff, and then mink mania, streamside mink trapping, mink trapping techniques, and all weather mink trapping pretty much cover the bases. 90% of my book collection is mink trapping, and once you start you just can't stop.
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Post by bobwendt on Oct 7, 2004 5:18:59 GMT -6
steve, once walking some rat traps I heard a noise and saw this big buck mink running the top of the opposite bank where I had the standard 2 prong 220 set up for coon. The bugar ran thru it and nothing! I kept squeeking getting him to run back and forth thru it maybe 4-5 times and finally he just left. I`ve caught a few in 220`s, but I bet missed a bunch!
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Post by Ridgerunner on Oct 7, 2004 6:17:16 GMT -6
As has been mentioned before, there was a study done with a female mink in captivity, and she passes thru a 110 with a standard wishbone trigger something like 14 times. I believe this study was done in Canada, but I forget the source. Anyway, there is no doubt that they will slip thru a 220 size, and I would think more often than not, or perhaps 50/50. I have some 160 RBGs, and I am making my own triggers that zig zag on each prong. They resemble dangeling roots, and provide a larger kill area. This will be the first year I have tried them, and am eager to try them out. Also, many of the larger size body grippers have sloppy triggers, and IMO it pays to "tune" or replace them with aftermarket type triggers. I like the bolt on type.
To the main subject, My favorite books are (1) general trapping: Rich Faler's, and (2) specific: Ken Smyth's bottom edge.
"Ridge"
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Post by bobwendt on Oct 7, 2004 9:24:05 GMT -6
you can de-slop those conibear triggers in a nano second by using a rat tail file to file the dog notches deeper. Won`t say where I learned that , but I don`t take credit for anything but passing it on to my fellow trappers. Works on 3330,220, or 110.
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Post by Gibb on Oct 7, 2004 9:35:26 GMT -6
I am in the process of changing about 200 of my 120 bodygrippers from triggers to wooden pans. I have way more success in having a mink step on wood rather then push on wire. Will have them all ready and tuned for the 20th of this month. Cheers Jim
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Post by marty on Oct 7, 2004 15:00:18 GMT -6
Hey guys, thanks for all the solid info. l have already purchased and read Falers book. It gave me more than enough info to get started with.
One interesting thing I learned while researching, was that a couple of otters that were introduced to the south loup river in north central Nebraska were recovered on the missouri river in eastern Missouri. Thats About 600 some miles according to the article I read. I thought that was pretty amazing.
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Post by backwater on Oct 7, 2004 16:57:28 GMT -6
On pg. 78 of Fahler's book he says he has less confidence in 120's than 110's for mink because "The additional pressure required to set off the trap will keep some mink from tripping it." As a fairly new trapper who has not yet caught a mink, I was wondering what mink trappers think of the above statement, and if cost was no object, what are people's preference concerning 110 vs. 120's for mink on land?
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Post by rk660 on Oct 7, 2004 17:04:10 GMT -6
Ive done similar to Gibb and put 3x4" hardware cloth on 220 triggers for mink, works outstanding. great on those small 1-2' wide spring runs. Your mink is dead, easy to guide into trap and hit pan, and bank iasnt tore up for resetting. i like the wire pan to be just a scoach above water and covered with a few leaves. Easy to get them to hit a 3x4" pan. quicker to drop in compared with a leghold blind set at same spot.
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Post by SteveCraig on Oct 7, 2004 23:09:14 GMT -6
So Gibb, Are we to assume that you know something about the mink market that we dont?!! Looks like you are gearing up real good!!HeHe Steve
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Post by trappnman on Oct 8, 2004 7:17:24 GMT -6
quicker to drop in compared with a leghold blind set at same spot.
Huh? Did you get ahold of somew liennies? I can get a foothold blind set in just as quickly, if not more so, cause it seems like I'm always fooling with those little conibears...
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Post by Ridgerunner on Oct 8, 2004 7:18:42 GMT -6
Gibb, that is a "way cool" mod ... soon as I drop off line; gonn'a fire up the jigsaw, and crank out a few pans. I like to use luan (spelling?) for this type of thing. Also, I treat this wood with epoxy spray, and it will last several seasons of water trapping.
Backwater, I prefer the 120 for land sets on mink, as I believe you will get a much quicker kill. You can adjust your triggers, and they will fire crisply. To do this, do as Bob W. says. If you haven't done this before, just work slowly. (meaning; just take a little metal at a time and test firing often) Also, you can rount the front and back edges of the dog notch AFTER you deepen the notch. Do not be concerned about ruining the dog, as they are for cheap, and widely available.
Guys, I also use hardware cloth on some triggers ... One of my favorites is to fashion a large circle trigger, and close it completely with this material. Works good to say the least.
"Ridge"
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