110 coniber trigger position for dryland mink?

[Zagman]

Hey, I see where a mink literally went THROUGH a 110 coniber in a blocked-off culvert. The trap is set with the trigger on top and I am using a KB Stabilizer.

I have the trigger in a wide wishbone shape......

The little SOB went right through it.....the top is blocked off OVER the coniber as well.....

Other than stringing fishing line and/or copper wire between the triggers, what do you feel is the best configuration for this type of set?

Just like missing coyotes at a set, is this expected and there are always a % that slide right on through?

Gotta tell you, I am ready to blend in a couple tricked out #3 sized coyote traps to catch the little booger....

Neat deal.....I get out of the vehicle to check the trap and I see mink tracks coming down the frozen trickle and heading to the culvert......

I often follow canine tracks right to the set, and with a little luck, the animal is waiting for me....

Expecting the same, I crane my fat neck around the corner to view my dead mink and see the tracks go right through the little trap. Damn!

With the KB Stabilizer, I dont think you can put the trigger on the bottom.......if that is the solution, then I will have to figure out another way to prop this little trap up....

Starting to hate mink trapping as much as I hate red coyotes....

Zagman

[trappnman]

but mink are easy.....

I just put the trigger in the middle in a slight spread- also, don't put the notch on tightest, either middle or end as you prefer. On mand, I often start the trigger- just push it with a stick until it swings loose- that means it has raised up, and is "hair trigger". Many mink go through, and brush the wires- a stiff release will miss them.

[dj88ryr]

YES ON THE STIFF TRIGGER AND STARTING. I dont use the Y but leave the triggers straight and move them 3/4 of the way to either side, then in my mind, the minks shoulder or body springs the trap, and he is already halfway through, and suitcased.

[Stef]

Zag, does the KB put more tension on trigger?
If yes... it can be the problem.
Add this to a stiff trigger and a mink can pass through a #120 or #110 without being caught.

My 2¢!

[primetime]

110's were a very poor Mink set for me this fall. I did much better with 1 1/2 CS's. BUT I really wanted these traps to work, so I continued setting and checking them. Ended up taking I think 2 with 110's and 1 in a 220 Bucket set. I don't know if the triggers were to blame, or if they are just a poor set. Next year I'm going to be running 110's and some 160's for mink. Both are going to have the triggers bent like a horse shoe with a trip wire between the tips. I'll run that all season and see how things pan out. I want to give the mink a large window to look through, but yet make it hard for him to go through without setting it off. I will also start the triggers like mentioned. Lastly I need to leave them set for 2-3 months, not weeks. To my shame I checked out some old trapping grounds after a snow and seen Mink tracks running the bank. Would have taken them if my traps were still set. So reset - it's been 2-3 weeks and the Mink has not returned. Most likely won't.

PT

[conibear]

Zags thats why I went to the BMI 110 conis with there triggers and I start my triggers

[lumberjack]

Im a firm believer in using 4 way triggers on land.
I use 1 trigger prong straight down near the jaw and the other sticking straight across.
My belief is more mink are caught
pushing down with their bellies / throats or up with their backs / neck on triggers than caught going through hitting them straight on.
My mink dont have shoulders for a two way trigger to hang up on.
Boy,those KB stabilizers have some pressure on them dont they? Their springs were stronger than the springs on my traps.
I was afraid they had too much tension for Coon.

[markymark]

Get rid of the KB, They are to strong for the trap to have an even light tension setting. I tried the KB's they SUCK. Try bending one of the wires on the trigger 90 degrees, place trigger toward the ground. Give the mink all the room in the world to pass his head through and then he'll hit that trigger no matter what.

I have had better luck with the "The Magician" stabilizer I personally trimmed down the support square on the bottom to handle the trap upside down.

I found mink to be allot like an addiction to shooting dope, You just can't get enough.

[rk660]

There was a canadian study done once that showed a mink going through a 110 like 20 some times before firing. I think draping a little grass over opening to break up trigger wires helps. Maybe putting a stem of thick yellow grass over each wire would help too. From what ive seen of coon in 220's plus seeing same thing on a few mink Ive 110'ed and talking to other trappers, especially a guy that conibear trapped in Alaska, I think a certain % of critter can feel the cold stiff wire of a conibear trigger and try to avoid it by refusing to push against it or trying not to touch it. I watched a video once by a guy in Alaska and he stated he had poor luck on woverines w/ 330 cubbies, until he started sliding a stem of grass over the trigger wires. Seems not matter what you do you will get a certain % of 220'ed coon that are as fat as trap that are flank caught, how they do this is beyond me but think it has something to do with them feeling the trigger wires, and probibly a stiff trigger. After house hunting this year Ive seen coon can squeeze into about anything they can get their head into. Maybe thats why you get some of those flank caught big coons that really make you shake your head at times.

Something that works great for me is a pan on a 220 for mink. big 4x6" hardware cloth pan on bent over trigger wires, as per a Tom Krause article. I grass in the pan so it blends in. I think if I had a need to use a lot of conibears on land for mink I'd consider a 160 w/ a pan on it. A little bigger opening and an easy to hit pan would eliminate most misses from dodging trigger wires and having to break triggers, run small cable or fishing line that breaks all the time, etc. Just set, cover pan and go.

For a holder w/ less tension, I mounted some of those sheet metal coni mounts to a piece of 1/4 plywood painted grey, for those concrete box culverts, could be welded to a short lag bolt too, in metal culvert just drill pilot hole w/ cordless drill and screw in with lag bolt.

[primetime]

4-way Trigger? Explain.

I read it a lot, and maybe it's common knowledge, but I'm not that common.

Later - PT

[lumberjack]

A 4 way trigger not only sets off from the front and back,but also when pushed from the sides also.
Most new bodygrippers have them.
The old style victors didnt,and I change them because I will buy used 110s from time to time..

[Stef]

[fingerlakesfur]

I'm always suprised at how many do slip through.

BMI 110 with the dinner bell 4-way triggers are high percenters.....although I have had many hip caught mink in them.

Trapping mink with snow is like trapping coyotes with snow....you get humbled real quick.

[BK]

Zag, this is what you want,......... DJ hit it as to the trigger position, 3/4 off to one side.
I push the triggers tight together, Stef brings up a valid point if your trap stand puts tension on the jaws it can make your trap go off too hard.
Go to a different notch on the dog, or start your trigger.
I feel starting your trigger can give me a hold farther back than I like so if a given trap goes off harder than I like I take a color crayon to the jaw.

[Zagman]

BK: what color crayon do you feel works best for this?


Joking....hey, thanks for all the info.....everyone.

MZ

[trappnman]

from reading the posts, seems like your stabilizer could be the problem.

I went through the wire, fishline, odd trigger shapes ....

Starting the trigger takes care of that. I can't say I have ever seen poorer catches because of it. If anything, starting the trigger should give you MORE head caught mink, simply becasue a mink isn't going to get 1/2 way or 3/4 through the trap before it fires. FWIW.

[BK]

Zag, I like black or brown, but I think Ninny likes blue. ;D

[NittanyLion]

Zags, stick to the easy stuff like coyotes. Get a couple more years experience on the Yote line and then you may be ready to target mink. But, if you insist on going after some mink don't listen to BK, blue works better. In fact, I would suggest you get some of Newt's Blue Formula I and dip your bodygrippers in it.

[JLDakota]

Zag,
BMI 110's are my choice dipped in either a sand or light brown color. Bend the bell trigger in a circle between 2.5 and 3 inches. I am of the opinion that the circle squares him up, that the circle is a "hole" to him and an invite vs a deterent. I put the dog in the outside notch and start the triggers. Break the outline of the trap with some dead yellow grass. I use either Barker or Arrowhead stabilizers. After a couple years on the ground I feel the springs weaken some and I then move them to water use only. JL

[BK]

JL; are you using the magnum BMI's?