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Post by lumberjack on Aug 4, 2007 12:18:46 GMT -6
Where would you put the lure in a trail type situation if you were using bodygrippers? Or are you just making a smear set with a foothold?
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Post by buckfreak on Aug 4, 2007 12:47:23 GMT -6
Just a thought... If animals like canines "shy" away from odors that aren't natural in their environments how could any lure other than pure urine work? Tonquin, asafoetida, valerian, etc, etc are all used in good lures that work and they are not native to the areas and animals targeted. Too much myth and pure bullshit being put out as the gospel on animal reactions. I can't see where a mink would differentiate between an old male or a young male mink odor at a set, especially a pocket set. The bait and the hole itself is a draw. A mink odor on top of that seems to me that it would just be another draw for the next passing mink. Got enough people here with ALOT of experience on this subject to shed light on it and it's very interesting too.
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Post by k9 on Aug 4, 2007 13:06:48 GMT -6
Asa's theory is that a coyote will not stick his nose into a hole with weasel/mink smells in it because he has been bitten by them before. I got news for him....he's wrong.
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Post by trappnman on Aug 4, 2007 13:30:06 GMT -6
another theory was that coyotes won't work dirtholes because of snakes in certain locales, and that might be true. I've only the one experince, at Pathfinder, with zillions of snakes- all we used were dirtholes.
and yet, I have hard luck with them here, and we are like Ireland.....
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Post by fishadict on Aug 4, 2007 19:35:11 GMT -6
Back to your initial post, Steve. I have not followed the other post, but will go look at it. When I think about consecutive catches in good blind set locations when mink are moving well, I just plain don't believe it. I too, like to smell them and I think I step more quickly on the next check.
Why do I always see the spelling error after I hit post?
fa
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Post by markymark on Aug 4, 2007 20:13:37 GMT -6
I don't know if there is really any mink lure, that isn't made up of glands.
The Grigg Formula didn't have mink glands in it.
Not to long ago at a convention I had a chance to check out some of Johnny Thorpe's top secret mink lure for 10 bucks and ounce. I think it was just rotten meat but it didn't smell like it had mink glands in it either.
Just remember Caveat Emptor and that's coming from a guy that isn't selling anything.
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Post by trappnman on Aug 5, 2007 6:55:07 GMT -6
Perhaps I should say- any mink lure I've ever bought and used, has been a gland lure.
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Post by mountainman on Aug 5, 2007 17:30:08 GMT -6
Same here. I believe it helps my average on mink with location being the first priority. The extra rats and otters are ok with me. I have been told that red fox gland lure is effective on mink. There are now some county fox seasons here so I see more reason to use fox lure. The recent addition of coon seasons in nearby areas make dirthole mink sets easier for me to use there. There is the greed factor with mink. I once had a tug of war with one that grabbed a trout I caught. I have found jack mackeral to be a fair/good mink bait and almost irresistable to fox and rats. The few early season dirtholes I made in high sandy banks with that, mink gland lure and a wad of dry grass were worked hard by mink. That was only an experiment as I mainly trapped predators that season while waiting for better water trapping weather that didnt really come. I picked up one of those long narrow bulb planter trowels with a 7 1/2" long and tapered 1 1/2-3/4 blade to try on mink dirtholes.
I dont believe a mink is likely to be afraid of a snake other than to investigate and back away if threatened by one that is too large to kill. Even if they were in areas with numbers of venemous snakes a dirthole plugged with grass still has some eye appeal, good smell and I believe adds more curiosity to mink or canines. I have a pet copperhead that has scars on its tail where it appears that it might have been chewed on by a skunk, mink or maybe a coon. It was found in an area that has good numbers of all 3.
I have often used mink lure on the predator lines. Mink lure (or likely any other good predator lure) in mole tunnels where fox make small holes to stick their nose in is a good set. The same for the occasional shallow bank rat run that shows sign of fox digging. My first gray fox catch was in a shallow 110 rat run set.
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Post by trappnman on Aug 5, 2007 17:36:03 GMT -6
mole tunnels where fox make small holes to stick their nose in is a good set.
good tip- one I had never thought of
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Post by k9 on Aug 5, 2007 20:11:19 GMT -6
A pet copper head sounds warm and freaking cuddly!
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Post by trappnman on Aug 6, 2007 6:54:35 GMT -6
I've seen the figure out there, that 70% of the mink can be caught in unlured blind sets....but the other 30% can only be taken in lured sets.
I'll repeat that.... 70% of the mink can be caught in unlured blind sets....but the other 30% can only be taken in lured sets.
I'll give anyone a zillion dollars and my left....arm....if they can come here and prove that in any possible way, shape or form.
And the ideas been tossed out there that natural musk is different than lure musk- and of course that is true. Its true for every gland lure in the world- prepared lures, even pure dried glands- are not going to smell like Uncle Joe.
So the idea then was that since so many minkers take find that wild musk doesn't scare mink, tat the different smelling stuff does.
Maybe.....
anythings possible
But I'd consider it darn improbable.
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Post by k9 on Aug 6, 2007 6:57:50 GMT -6
You are right Steve, there is no way those figures can hold water, and I have just ben waiting to see if anyone calls him on it. There is no posisble way to know that, none nada!
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Post by trappnman on Aug 6, 2007 7:18:19 GMT -6
the interesting thing k9, is that by far the majority of mink I take are in winter conditions- I don't set a mink trap till the week after Thanksgiving- and I can count the number of times I've seen mink tracks in the snow close to a set containing a mink each year on 1 hand.
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Post by trappnman on Aug 6, 2007 7:26:29 GMT -6
Where would you put the lure in a trail type situation if you were using bodygrippers? Or are you just making a smear set with a foothold?
I don't like any lure at all on trial sets. Mink are flighty, and I agree with the premise of if they are coming naturally, let them come and give them no distraction.
So any sets along sheer walls or under overhanging grasses, I very seldom use lure- exception for underbank in very cold weather. Im talking single digits to below.
I'm more apt to use lure/bait in those other blind set situaitons- natural cubbies, root systems, resting sets (indentation type blind pockets).
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Post by mountainman on Aug 6, 2007 14:55:53 GMT -6
I couldnt agree more Steve. I want them to keep moving so that their stride puts them over the stepping stick onto the pan for dry trail sets w/ foothold or through the 110 at their normal trail running speed.
I'll try some of those resting sets like you make next season. That will work especially well here in the good deep muddy high bank creeks where speed setting is the norm and the mink often go some distance without a resting place. I remember some good locations from last season where that set could very well have allowed for some doubles. I carry a tile spade, but only make time consuming pockets or elbows where the location really calls for it.
A hot blind set doesnt need anything but good mink trapping weather and not plugged w/ incidentals to catch mink. I dont believe there is a mink out there that cannot be caught in a blind set providing the terrain allows for making good blind sets. After the usual 2-5 and sometimes 8-9 late winter catches including large males and no sign showing for a week or so I tend to believe that the good blind sets including mink/rat landings and resting places would have later on taken the one or two that hit bait sets while many of the blind sets were plugged with catches.
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Post by trappnman on Aug 6, 2007 15:20:46 GMT -6
anytime you have a log or big stick laying over a medium type bank (up to 4 feet or so) or a log stick lying against the bank at an angle- it makes a good resting set location. If you see them with a smal indentation behind tem at the bank, set it. If not, make one and set it anyway...LOL
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Post by mountainman on Aug 6, 2007 17:47:25 GMT -6
Ok thanks Steve. I know we covered this before.
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Post by markymark on Aug 7, 2007 14:34:11 GMT -6
I'd place a pillow in that resting area to make sure you lure him in. What about feathers do they count as bait or lure? ?
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Post by mountainman on Aug 7, 2007 15:31:12 GMT -6
Maybe add a pinup of a slinky little female mink too...
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Post by coyotewhisperer on Aug 7, 2007 18:25:38 GMT -6
At the bank wall or anywhere on the bank? I was a fair mink trapper as a kid all blind sets. I havent caught one in years though but have plenty of rats it doesn't make any sense.
Enjoying the thread though
Jeff
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