minking

[chub618]

how many yrs on average does it take to establish a solid mink line, especiall if you never targeted them before and maybe some pointers on what to look for would help too

[dblcoil]

Well, I wouldnt say it takes years. At least it doesnt have too. How many traps are you going to be running and how much time do you have to check and maintain the sets? As far as terrritory goes, most any waterway in my part of the country (northern Iowa) holds some mink. Some areas hold more than others. Ive found my best producing areas along creeks and smaller rivers that have lots of tall grass overhanging the banks. Tree roots hanging in the water, rock piles, culverts are all mink attractors. Go out and scout around and see what you can find. And just because you may not see many mink tracks, doesnt mean that theyre not there. Ive caught numerous mink in places where I havent seen any tracks. Then again its taken me as long as 2 weeks to connect in spots that looked really hot with lots of tracks. Be patient since it sometimes takes them awhile to "make their rounds".

[NittanyLion]

You could establish the line in as little as one year. Improving the line is endless.

[CoonDuke]

One of these years, I am going to target mink. It may be 2, 4, 10 years down the road...but I will do it.

When I do it, I will plan the whole line on a topo map. Marking every stream and run that feeds each large waterway I plan to trap along. Then, I'll check each spot out and pick what I feel are the best locations, and then try to "connect the dots" with a drivable route.

[dj88ryr]

I am NOT a minker, never have been, but I caught more mink on purpose this year than any other. The key to that success was lessons from Nittany Lion. He is a master minker.

Nittany Lion: Inventor of the " Blue Bucket Set " and soon to be distributor of "BLUE " formula One, to increase the odds of connecting.

[NittanyLion]

I am not even close to being a master minker, DJ owes me three days on the trapline and he thinks if he says crap like that I will forget about it.

[dj88ryr]

I will take the free education anytime. It isn't crap, after spending time with the Lion, the spots just pop out at you, don't let this little pint size banker fool ya, there aren't many other minkers in PA that catch more than he does, and he gives lessons CHEAP, and even supplys all the Peppermint patties you can eat.

[lumberjack]

Ive had an established mink line for several decades,and I will admit that I find it gets monotonous at the same stops/same sets for years on end.
What I do to try to make it interesting is,I will do bottom edges some years,pocket sets others,blind sets totally.sometimes mixed in,conibears one year,footholds another,always experimenting,etc.
I like coldrolling the most,some years I will map out an unfamiliar area and run it.That makes it more challenging and rewarding in my eyes.

[CoonDuke]

Ninny, you are way too modest.

Riding with you probably shaves 5-10 years off the learning curve a new mink trapper would have when trying to learn mink location.

You know mink, you know location, you know your trapline, and you work hard. That's the formula for a helluva trapper.

[dj88ryr]

Amen MinkDuke,
After the first day with Nittany Lion, I felt more confidant, and just knew I would do better, this year made a believer out of me. The guy just has a way of imparting all those years of wisdom to you effortlessly. Whatever the price, a day taking lessons from NittanyMinkMaster, is money well spent, people could trap half a lifetime and not gain the knowledge he sells so cheap. I had to schedule a year in advance, so anyone considering lessons with the Lion should set something up early, once he gets going, it's hard to keep up with him.

[Computerhater]

Sounds like this man is a "LEGEND".


Randy

[dj88ryr]

Randy,
Other trappers you see along his line bow in admiration when he passes.

[trappnman]

NL knows his stuff.

Interesting post. As said- you can establish a line in a year- but its a constantly ongoing operation.

Catching mink doesn't bore me- so I revel in the same old stops year after year. Especially when its a spot I know I'll take 4-6 mink a year from.

Each year for several reasons- creek changes course (lost a beauty this year becasue of that), beaver, weather, develpment, land use change- I lose a few of those hotspots- so each year, I find new, I adapt. Always enough different.

And thats why it takes so long to establish a good mink line.

It takes years to find most of those little hotspots- I'm of the belief that ever set that takes a mink is a potential hotspot- mink doing some activities are very predictible.

I only have so much water- it pays to know the locations well.

I have 1 location- that I trapped for 6-7 years. Took a few coon, a few beaver, a rat or 2 a year. Never a mink.

One year, about 5 years ago- It was very shallow in that location- so I walked by a dead section of the stream and found a little grassy corner on a steep bank- maybe 50 feet long. Set 3-4 traps there- got 4 mink that first year plus some rats.

Every year since- 4-6 mink and 6-10 rats-

Every location is about like that. Someone rides along- I say- "I used to walk over there and trap-" all the time- but years and results have defined the locations so that I KNOW where the mink will be.

Starting out- talk to your local furbuyer and see if yo uhave a decent mink population. If so- just about every creek will have mink IF that creek gives the mink something- usually food and cover but some dead creeks (no vegetaton, no food, shallow sand creeks) provide transportation routes.

Around here- good fishing creeks are good mink creeks- esp the clear trout brooks- look there first.

To start out- you know enough to know what to do. Set up pockets on grassy banks, set footholds under banks, root systems, on ledges- use conibears in trails, on BE points.

The secret with mink is put out traps. I caught 48 beaver my best year- with a total of 5 beaver traps. I wouldn't even begin to set up a mink line without at least 50 traps- preferrably 100+.

Gang set mink. I look at it like this- he can run anywhere on that creek he wants- but in my 50 feet of creek- I call the shots. Its not uncommon for me to have 3-4 such locations at a stop with 2-5 traps at location.

Im not a bridge trapper- yes, I do set a few traps under bridges- this year 3 bridges- 6 traps- my locations are all walks of 1-3 blocks- then check a series of traps along a good stretch of stream.

I find that mink are more predictible at non bridge locations. Modern bridges offer so much habitat that unless there are special features- I don't even bother.

That grassy stretch in the middle of the pasture is where every local mink will end up sooner or later...and I'll be there.

[Computerhater]

So no one takes my above post wrong I'll explain just a little. Mr. Lion and I are friends. We communicate occasionally via e-mail etc. We bet on Penn State- Ohio State football games. Yes, I know he is a good man as well as a good minker. He put some magazines for sale on E-Bay recently and well, the description he used about these magazines about made me fall off my chair laughing. I am just poking a little fun back at him.

Steve, good post.


Randy

[fishadict]

DJ - With your new knowledge, did you target more locations or did you do better in the same locations?

Who in your opinion would be someone to talk to, learn from in Wisconsin? Beav, is a good friend, but he is obsessed with coon. I trap a couple streams and get a few in each, each year. Am thinking of changing strategies possibly for next year. Would appreciate some thoughts.

Am teaching fly tying tonight, so may not get back 'till later.

fa

[NittanyLion]

Good post Steve, I too have never gotten bored. Some of the things I find interesting about mink trapping really make me scratch my head. It seems like every year my best type set for the season changes. One year it may be pocket sets, the next year bridge abutments, the next year a type of blind set. Some years I think tunnels are the way to go, the next year I waste my time with tunnels. I have some locations that are consistent year in and year out, other locations that might produce as many as 4 or 5 mink one year and none the next year or two. I have no clue why, I guess that is why I find mink trapping so interesting. I know this, a mink trapper needs to keep an open mind.

When I say a line could be established in as little as one year, I mean one could set up a basic mink line in a year. But, each year you run that line, you will learn how to improve it, 10 years later, you will still discover something better than the year before. Another thing that I find interesting, and we proved this when Steve, OldCoon, Minker, Computerhater and I, went out on portions of my trapline. I think we all agreed on the basic location but, we each saw how we would set it up with our own eyes. Some would have used more traps, some may have used less traps, and we all had our own ideas. Seldom did we say we would all do it exactly the same. I don't think anyone was wrong in how they would have set it up, I think we all saw it a different way and would have done things slightly different.

[trappnman]

Fishaddict- if you can talk him into- BK is your man. Hes a terrible bartender...but he's the real deal.

NL- Yes, I found that fascinating at our mink day- that we all set things up different.

I mentioned before that Lori took right to canine trapping. She continues to learn about locations whys and wherefors- but she became a very competent coyote trapper. I easily trust her to make sets out of her side of the truck.

But mink trapping is a different matter. Now that the line has been out a while, and she can see the patterns- she is starting to see my system. I have no doubt she will develop into "my" type of mink trapper, just as I became my Dad's style of mink trapper.

And yet- many times, I'll check a trap the next check after Lori previously checked it and removed a rat/mink....and when I look at it..its out of position. Sometines an inch or so, sometimnes 3-4. Doesn't sound like a big deal- but I look at it...and can "see" that mink using the location- and see he would miss that trap that 1-4 inches out of position. Always? of course not...but enough.

But shes learning- and a key to that is catching mink in locations she choose herself. On one location- a portion was rip rapped maybe 20 years ago by TU. Hard to set up- I made a few sets downstream- and told her to pick the best looking "tunnell" system...a route into the rocks with cover. So she did. Staked it by wiring to a branch, and covering the branch with rocks. This was one of the sets made around thanksgiving. Every check- we look at it- I'd say "can't believe we haven't caught a mink there yet"...and then last week- no trap. I love that- weeks of looking at the trap...untouched...then you look and trap is gone. You look again...double take..Yup , trap gone....pull up wire, feel weight...minky!

Herters 1.5 by the way.... Being Herters headquarters in the old days was just down the road from me, these were some of my first bought traps.

One of your observations hit me as happening to me also. I have some locations that are consistent- 4-6 mink a year year after year after year.

but many others that as you say- give me 4-6 mink one year- 1 or 2 the next.

My best location last year gave me 8 male mink. Its usually a 3-4 mink location. This year- 1 male mink..the toe story mink. I refuse to believe that taking male mink out of a population reduces the next years population- that if there is a receptive female out there- a male will find her.

[fishadict]

Steve - Hard to wreck a beer, so being a bad bartender doesn't matter. I have talked with BK on the computer, but never had a chance to meet him - maybe at the WTA this fall. If we don't see him here in a couple days, I'll just start a post about how bad the BE set is.

fa

[BK]

fishadict,.........near is I can tell I'm gonna have a short lul between the end of beaver trapping and when I start to hunt turkeys.
If you care to come up I'll show you some of my sets from last fall and answer any questions I can.

[fishadict]

BK – That is a very nice offer. Thank you. Your schedule sounds very similar to mine. I stop beaver trapping when it starts to get warm and my turkey season begins May 11, this year. My son is in school at River Falls now, so I will be coming your way anyway to watch him run track.

Just got back from checking an otter trap on one of my streams. On that section of stream I caught two this year (mink that is) in 110’s. I don’t know if you would call them bottom edge, because they were only half submerged – they were just where the mink had to go.

fa