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Post by markymark on May 7, 2007 19:22:35 GMT -6
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Post by thebeav2 on May 7, 2007 19:42:53 GMT -6
I think when we all talk about BIG traps we are talking about a # 2 sized trap. Sure I have a pretty good late winter dry land set for mink that i use a # 3 sized trap and It preforms well. You can with a little adjustment make any trap spring with very little pressure.
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Post by mountainman on May 7, 2007 21:18:13 GMT -6
Trappnman, you mentioned something earlier about large pans for mink. I knew what you meant. I believe you hit the nail right on the head about those reach back undercut banks or any mink set where placement isnt really a sure thing. I get repeat catches in most blind sets using standard size round pans on 1 1/2 and #2 coils and longsprings with confidence that Im not missing catches. Where placement is tougher I like traps with larger pans and or 2 or 3 traps. Those rat sets we talked about earlier that get those extra mink. The right fencing and placement make that more of a sure thing. A large pan will get more mink hits in those open sets. Placement will do a lot of it. I found a perfect example of that type of rat set last season and only had a #1 coil left in the pack so I set it slightly deeper for a hindfoot catch, tied off to a submerged tree top in deep water and drowned 2 XL hindfoot caught mink along with a few rats. A trap with a big pan or a 1 1/2 would be my preference there.
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Post by mountainman on May 7, 2007 21:45:01 GMT -6
Mink can refuse to enter or investigate a pocket set. My blind sets do a lot better than 50-50. Ill use a 1 1/2, 1.75 or #2 coil in a pocket set when I do make them. With correct placement and the jaws and dog turned the right way it makes no difference about the larger trap. The mink get caught and arent thrown out the trap.
I have used quite a few of the old 1 1/2 pinch pans and some #2 Herters with the big square pans. They were good traps in their day. On the pinch pans I tied the pans with #20 wire to keep coons from tearing them off.
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Post by jim on May 8, 2007 6:20:03 GMT -6
All my traps are short notched,didn't know how to do that with the pinch pans. Jim
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Post by thebeav2 on May 8, 2007 6:56:00 GMT -6
I know you should never say never but. I never put my trap In the pocket, It Is always out In front, or at the left or right approach If the pocket Is at 12 the dog Is at 6 with a small guide stick. Most If not all mink are traveling along the bank and will pass between the jaws as they approach the pocket. In most cases I feel I catch the mink before It even gets to the pocket. This Is a good time to use two traps at your pocket.I also feel that a lot of mink are missed by placing the trap In the pocket or even part of It In the pocket. I feel most mink don't really work a hole that doesn't GO ANYWHERE and just stand outside and look. This set Is basically a BLIND pocket set. Catch those mink before they even work that pocket, I believe with this set up your mink catch will Increase. You can even raise the loose jaw to act as a guide and this will also give you higher catches this Is where large traps give you large kill areas and this Is always an advantage.
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Post by trappnman on May 8, 2007 7:01:42 GMT -6
I agree with you and don't beav. I agree that the idea of a mink entering every hole, is a fallacy.
BUT- make those holes shallow, and where they want to be, and I think MOST mink stop there MOST of the time.
By shallow, I mean just inches deep- and wide enough that a mink can pause there.
I've never trappedm ink in good populations- populations that allow you to treat mink like production trapping, where you don't seek you specific locations, but just put in a few pockets where you have easy access, knowing you have enough mink that they will find the pockets and visa versa.
For me, I find this type of setting to be very low %. For me, I find that if I put the "pocket" where 1) the mink wants to go and 2) hes EXPECTING a pocket (so to speak), my success rates climb.
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Post by mustelameister on May 8, 2007 14:21:01 GMT -6
I've never tried this, but recall reading about this set somewhere, maybe in one of Charlie Dobbins' books: the #4 double longspring. Gary's reference to the loose jaw brought it to mind.
Small-diameter pocket, with #4 snugged partway into pocket, loose jaw vertical up against the front of the pocket. Mink is to pass over the pan and under the loose jaw. The #4 becomes a bodygrip trap this way.
I suppose a #3 might also work.
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