watching mink

[conibear]

This spring while beaver trapping i seen a ton of mink running the banks most looked like buck mink but some where smaller looking females. Now keep in mind this is just my observation I have read alot of books and mags that state a mink will look into ever hole they come by but what we seen was the oppisite they hardly looked in any at all they just keeped on going by them. Yes they maybe had breeding on the mind but they sure didn't look into many holes. And second they are sure greedy man the frogs are sure out here in full force along the ditch and river banks and all the mink that we watched just killed the frog and left them there. We walked over and checked the frogs after the mink killed them and there was just teeth marks in the frogs. I sure learned alot from just watching them they are a very neat animal. has anybody else seen this while watching mink also. Take care.

[trappnman]

Now keep in mind this is just my observation I have read alot of books and mags that state a mink will look into ever hole they come by but what we seen was the oppisite they hardly looked in any at all they just keeped on going by them.

that was one of the first times, that I found that "all trapping knowledge" was wrong.

I too found mink seldom investigated holes along their routes.

But the holes they DID investigate...they did so each time through.

In other words- a hole had to have some "meaning".

Another fallacy is that mink follow the same tracks all the time- in othr words, find a set of mink tracks in the snow, and set on hem and you'll get a mink next time through.

Maybe...but probably not. I've never seen where a mink takes the same paths over land when running along a stream. What following the tracks DOES show you, is that mink will USUALLY reenter the water in the same general areas- telling you that they spend time i ncertain areas. Its up to you to then make sets in that area, along his most probable path.

[myst]

When I was trapping on the Missouri river this past week I seen a few big mink running the banks also. Question for you assuming those bank running mink keep the same pattern till the fall season would dirt hole sets be the ticket for those mink.

[NittanyLion]

So far in my lifetime I was never fortunate enough to observe a mink in the wild. I know many have said they check out every hole but for some reason I always doubted that. This brings me to a question, do any of you minkers ever set up a pocket set with a trap leading to the hole and not in front of the hole on a consistent basis? I have at least 30 method books and I know this was kicked around in some of them. I am pretty sure Charles Dobbins mentioned it in his book. My mind set always has me making the pocket with the trap placement at the hole. I think Dobbins made a double pocket and set a trap between the holes, and in some cases on each side of the hole.

[thebeav2]

well It makes sense,since I doubt a mink approaches the pocket directly from the front. I feel most mink are traveling along the bank so a trap placed tight to the bank with a small guide stick should produce. And with a trap on either side of the pocket you could take doubles.

Gary

[trappnman]

You need to do some trout fishing NL. Thats where I've seen most of my mink- but I do see 1 or 2 a season on the trapline somewhere.

One season I played around with making a stinger set so to speak. I'd have a pocket then where I expected the logical approach, added a trap.

Don't remember exactly what I caught in those sets, but never tried it again.

How does a mink work? The ones I've seen, are always as much on land- if not more so, then in the water. But 99% of the observed mink I've seen, have been on bare ground.

Actually, thinking on it, when I tried the double trap sets, it was also on bare ground- back when I used to start mink opening day.

So the pocket- visual and/or bait- brings them, it would seem, off the bank into the water at that point, more times than not.

But with snow- you are going to get more mink working the water than on the edge, so in that scenerio, maybwe the 2nd trap would pay off more.

[SteveCraig]

When I didnt want to take the coon in my pockets,
I just dug the pocket, and put a snare on the approach both upstream and down. Coon walked around the mink snare, worked the pocket and was gone. Mink would be snared going to or coming from the pocket.
If you want the coon too, then just put a trap on a drowner in the pocket. The 2 snares would still be working for the mink.
Steve

[thebeav2]

Steve
Did you have any snare damage on those mink? Were most of the mink hip caught?

Gary

[SteveCraig]

Beav,
Once in a while you will get a hip snared one, but rare.
I use 2 1/2 inch loops set 1 1/2 inchs off the walking surface for Indiana mink. Larger mink, in other areas will need a larger loop size, but no more than 3 inches I suspect. Ardell Grawe told me one time that he uses a 3 inch loop on his big Dakota mink.
Mostly neck an/or chest snared.
I dont use a snare at the entrance to the pocket. Too many coon hit it first.
Charley Dobbins showed me his approach set for mink in 1980 and I just applied a snare to it is all. Many times, depending on the set situation, I will have 2 to 6 mink snares set on different approaches.
This setup is no different than using a draw station for Canids.
The pocket becomes the draw station and you simply set the trails/approaches.
Snaring is snaring. You can apply this setup to coon as well or ANY critter for that matter.
Steve

[K9Wolfer]

Follow em after about an 1" or 2" of snow..... To me the lil buggers look into every hole as I followed their tracks up the spring stream

[trappnman]

We must have a different mink here- I've spent hours following tracks in 1-2 inches of snow- and I've never seen where a mink will investigate even a small % of holes they go by. I've noticed this same non pattern for decades.

Simple way to prove it- set a trap in every one of those holes, and then set 2 sets in the correct water locations. Tell me after a season which sets produce better- not %, but in total mink.

[coyote]

anybody have a 35 mm color slide of a free roaming mink or of a QUALITY taxidermy mink mount?

been looking to replace the moth-eaten taxidermy mount slide we've been using for the trapper's ed class I teach.

kids would appreciate it.

[musher]

I live on a river and there's a trout farm 1 km. up river. I don't see a ton of mink because buddy the trout farmer has traps set year round for them. However, I do see a few ,before he gets them, from my dining room window so the watching is cozy!

The first thing about a mink is they don't seem to stop much. It's bound, bound, bound. They don't check out every hole or crack. They do go into the water at the same place every time. When they fish they never seem to come up from a dive empty handed. They also seem to catch way more fish than you think they could eat. The pattern seems to be dive, catch fish, stash fish, dive,... When they fish they seem to hunt up stream.

[trappnman]

Good observations musher...they mirror mine. Now take that thought one step further....and think...inbetween that bounding- they'd stop and look around. For a second or two. That mink will likely pause or rest in the same spot each time- whether to eat or just....pause.

Look for those little worn indentations near or under cover.