Mink question for Beav and other "minkmen"

[packerfan]

How many sets (going ALL blind for now) per mile of creek? In general. A ballpark figure.
Thanks
-Dan

[trappnman]

well...you don't look at it like that...look at it instead like this.....

a section of creek- how many sets to properly cover all locations in a smaller area? Most of my locations have at least 6-8 sets....some have 15 or more (in good rat areas)

Does that help....

[Ridgerunner]

Packerfan, Trappnman is right on the money here. Now then , given a mile of stream , and lets say that you have a few mink on that span, I would recommend that you "sectionalize" the stream ... In other words, go along to the major ess curves, deep holes, log jambs, feeder streams, etc. and set those spots up just like Trappnman recommends.

"Ridge"

[BK]

Well here's two more cents worth,.........how many more places could you be setting up if you made say two sets
and left?
If mink are your target put yourself in touch with as many as you can in the time you have to do it.

[NittanyLion]

Most of my locations have easy access, I do not spend anytime walking up or down streams very far. I try to cover as many locations in as much territory as possible.

Now I know the above did not answer your question. It is up to the individual as to how many traps he wants to set. I would say it would be more likely to set too few, than too many. It all depends on how much area you want to cover, and how many traps you have.

[trappnman]

Why set 2 traps when I have enough traps to set many more?

Water traps, at least in winter, have a lot that can go wrong with them, esp on a 3 day check.

[CoonDuke]

I feel that setting a lot of traps per stop, is some of the best advice that can be given to a beginner...no matter the species. Each set is a learning experience and a teacher. The more sets the more room for slight errors the beginner has. But you do need a good supply of traps! ;D

This question of how many sets (or how many stops) per mile of creek comes up on the internet often. If somebody really knew the answer, it would make a helluva book or article. I bet a lot of guys know the answer for their area. I'm sure creek size, prey base, populations, non targets, competition, all play into it.

[lumberjack]

On a linear mile of creek with an automobile line,I would make 3 stops and set 2-4 at the beginning,middle and end.This would be entirely dependant of many factors,but would give you a decent set-up.Now,if you are walking a creek 10-20 would be what I would set at key locations.

[thebeav2]

Since you will most likley be road trapping Stop and set every tube and bridge, no less then 4 sets at each stop.
Don't go running up and down the creek to far It"s mostlly a waste of time. These bridges and tubes are funnel points let the mink come to you.
Yes there will be mink that won't come to the bridge but they are seed.
If you have the time set up two loops so that you can check them every other day.
Set a lot of traps and set heavy at each location.

Beav

[packerfan]

Thanks guys. This is the info I was looking for. Beav, these creeks are all on private farms,BUT I can drive up and down them by way of crop fields. I thought about a roadline last year, but every stop was LOADED with mink traps.

[T-Bar]

I am by no means an expert minker, only caught 3 in two years, but I did notice one thing, that we always seem to catch them somewhere in the middle of our sets.

What I mean is they seem to run past half of our sets before they finally step on a pan. Another thing is we caught all 3 mink in the same straight stretch of the creek. Don't know why that spot is more special.

We are expanding our range this winter, we marked a route on a map where there are 7 creeks crossing the roads, we plan on setting 4 traps at each culvert or bridge, and then a few more up and downstream, hopefully that will pick us up a few more!!

[Edge]

**Don't know why that spot is more special.**

And the mink dont either,but now that *YOU* know where that spot is,and the others like it,just set those next year and use the other traps to cover new area.After five or so years of that,you have a line of hotspots only.

Edge

[dblcoil]

Since you are able to access the entire creek and not just the bridges, I would set every "key" location on the creek. By that, I mean every log jam, culvert, undercut bank, tree roots hanging into the water, etc. My sons and I did this last season on a quarter mile section of river. We had 10 sets in these key spots and caught 12 mink in 3 weeks. It was like we hit the mother load.

[jim]

Hot spots only work if there are mink in that area. I had some of my hot spots that I could depend on to give up some mink on the first check, this year some of then not a mink in over two weeks of being set up. Then had a section of two or three miles that every spot got aleast one mink.
Jim

[BK]

I don't care to set things up too heavy,.........4 traps per stop is about it, and I'm off to the next stop.
This way the line produces longer for me and I'm able to put myself in touch with more fur by moving on.
The one person I hate to trap against is myself.

[NEPISIGUIT]

I like the answer edge made in that we remember where we were successful from year to year. keep trying new locations. This imp. bit of advice is a key in both water and land trapping success. I find that its necessary to waste a lot of time before success. That time can be well spent if we keep our eyes open and remember what we observe. If your as old as me keep a record.

[packerfan]

Thanks for all the info.
-Dan

[rk660]

I like Edges comments about setting last years hotspots and saving other traps for new areas. Im down to mostly 2 traps per stop on coon line, 1; because I know that 17 miles of creek like back of hand and know exactly where to set with least amount of traps for maximun payback. 2; I hate carrying more than 2 coon up a bank at a time. Unless needing to race the compititon or a lack to time to trap, I believe you could get most mink stops down to 2 traps per stop once you had a few years of hotspots built up and give up on so-so spots. The few years I was able to trap a deceint mink population, I felt I did fine with one trap per side of creek or 2 on one side if I pretty much knew which side of creek they would come down. I was getting 2 and sometimes 3 or every so often 4 per stop on the good locations, and figured more traps would just be overkill for same amount of fur. The best mink trapper I knew, Don Bolte, probibly the best that ever walked Nebraska, told me once he could look at a creek and tell which side 80% of them would come down, then just set accordingly. He had his "mink think" down to a science.