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Mink?
Sept 19, 2007 16:01:22 GMT -6
Post by seldom on Sept 19, 2007 16:01:22 GMT -6
Me three!
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Mink?
Sept 19, 2007 18:09:13 GMT -6
Post by BK on Sept 19, 2007 18:09:13 GMT -6
Four,.........
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Mink?
Sept 19, 2007 18:42:07 GMT -6
Post by psb1011 on Sept 19, 2007 18:42:07 GMT -6
One of the few tapes ive watched is Spencers 1st tape on mink.Im not saying he advocates above water sets,but he does use trail sets well above water often.My limited mink trapping showed me that mink do not like getting their feet wet for lengths of watery streams,including on very,very steep muddy banks,staying above the water,while slipping inches at a time ,and still avoiding the water..But there are few things more exciting to me then seeing a dead mink in a 160 a full 2 feet under water caught in a bottom edge set. Ill stick with above,below,and at,, the waters edge,with different types of traps.
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Mink?
Sept 19, 2007 18:55:02 GMT -6
Post by markymark on Sept 19, 2007 18:55:02 GMT -6
I guess it all comes down to how a trapper picks there location. Use a snare some snares and you'll begin to see the back door to the beaver lodge, poking a hole on a cut bank, pipe sets, old ground holes, pinch points to a large pool that one would use a BE....... This set is about 5 feet above the water. Another hole set with feathers.
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Mink?
Sept 19, 2007 18:57:07 GMT -6
Post by markymark on Sept 19, 2007 18:57:07 GMT -6
This little area has taken about 18 mink in 2 years.
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Mink?
Sept 19, 2007 18:59:56 GMT -6
Post by coyotewhisperer on Sept 19, 2007 18:59:56 GMT -6
Can you post a pic of your pipe set Marky? Also I'm sure you've posted it before but what cable and lock are you using on your mink snares?
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Mink?
Sept 19, 2007 19:36:21 GMT -6
Post by trappnman on Sept 19, 2007 19:36:21 GMT -6
Phil, I'm curious as to how you came to your conclusion mink don't like to get their feet wet.
I've never seen any hesitation in mink gong into the water at will in observed mink, and many, many times throughout the year I'll have pristine snow banks for long distances, with mink in traps in the middle of it- places and snow where tracks would be noticeable.
I do think that, give the conditions to make hunting worthwhile, mink come and go in the water as the situation dictates. For example, they will swim and work in the water until they come to stream side structure, then they hunt that. I'm a firm believer except for sex, a moving mink is hunting mink.
Everyone has to trap their mink where they feel they are the most concentrated FOR TRAPPING. Streams give me that.
Its not that mink can't be taken on land- but even here I feel that unless near water, you aren't going to have any number of them in one spot (with rare exceptions) to make running a line productive. And if making sets on land in the dry part of the stream bed- Its not worth the bother to me of trying to keep traps going in winter, and 110s on land have a bad habit of getting their rats/mink chewed on by shrews- a common problem here. I can set in water and alleviate that problem by being allowed extended checks.
But even if I needed to check everyday, I still wouldn't run a mink line based on land instead of water.
But- I got the water.
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Mink?
Sept 19, 2007 19:51:42 GMT -6
Post by Mike Prust on Sept 19, 2007 19:51:42 GMT -6
Marky Mark, I"m not sure were your at, but here in north east Wi, by mid January we have been iced up tight for some time. Usually have deep snow, and I find very few mink tracks in the snow. I believe they spend most of their time under ice. Just wondering, are you catching these bank runners under the snow?
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Mink?
Sept 19, 2007 19:56:28 GMT -6
Post by markymark on Sept 19, 2007 19:56:28 GMT -6
I use 1/16th 7x7 with a BMI mini lock tuned with a Grawes L lock for a mid swivel. I load the hell out of it so just touched it fires.
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Mink?
Sept 19, 2007 20:30:56 GMT -6
Post by psb1011 on Sept 19, 2007 20:30:56 GMT -6
In a since,what I wrote is 2 stark contrast.One ,a mink caught 2 feet under water,the other which amazed me ,a mink followed a near virtical mud wall,and appeared to do all it could to stay out of the very shallow water below to the point of several times sliding some inches down toward the water.Ive seen mabe a few times a mink swim up the middle of a creek that had a fresh floating snow on the still pools of water under a bridge.Yet in snow follow a mink for hundreds,and hundreds of yards along a creek,but during them hundreds of yards never enter the water,but came within an inch several times of doing so. Im not speaking from lots of experience,just taking it all in.The mink that I have caught--- not too many,have been caught above,below,and in the water.Caught about roughly equal numbers in conis,and foot traps,in,and above water both types of traps.Simply facinating,and ill keep working at it till I figure it out,,,,time permitting.
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Mink?
Sept 19, 2007 20:45:03 GMT -6
Post by bblwi on Sept 19, 2007 20:45:03 GMT -6
Mike, here in east-central WI, along Lake Michigan my mink catch has been down for about the last 5-8 years. I am an incidental mink trapper with mink coming in pockets for coon and rat sets. I used to get about 1/per 20 rats or so and now I get about 1/30-40 (wad-able stream trapping).
I have seen more road killed mink and more people talking about seeing mink and or dead ones on the road this year also. I feel our mink population could be up a bit as most other species seem to be up also, rabbits, fox, skunks etc. We are dry here too and most sloughs and ditches are dry. I don't know if the mink are traveling more with the drier conditions but I would sense they may be. With the mink scattered throughout the countryside it would seem that waiting until cold weather would funnel them in the open water areas of streams better. Just my .02 worth.
Bryce
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Mink?
Sept 19, 2007 20:51:06 GMT -6
Post by trappnman on Sept 19, 2007 20:51:06 GMT -6
I hear you on the mink tracks in snow. Mink certainly do seem to wander erractically.
I think that unless they have a reason to enter the water, they don't. And the reason to enter the water (in your going across land scenario) is for food or to gain access to food (undercut banks, dens, etc)
I've many times seen mink working shorelines, and they seem as much to work the water as the bank.
Interesting thing about the sheer bank-
out of curiosity- wsa there:
1) fast water 2) overhanging grasses 3) any holes
Phil, if you haven't read Falers book, do so. It's about as complete a mink book as I've read. Don't believe all he says per se, but the chapters on mink habits, range, management of lines is good.
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Mink?
Sept 19, 2007 20:52:11 GMT -6
Post by SteveCraig on Sept 19, 2007 20:52:11 GMT -6
Looks to me like he uses slim locks too!
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Mink?
Sept 20, 2007 19:26:45 GMT -6
Post by BK on Sept 20, 2007 19:26:45 GMT -6
I've caught mink in dry runs in traps set for canines and cats that were using them. Often these runs only had water in the spring or during high water periods. The best ones for mink were those that connected different bodies of water. I can't help but wonder what a mink might find in these runs when they just recently get water as I think whey would be absent of fish,rats and so on. Dry sets along streams and rivers are a different matter.
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Mink?
Sept 21, 2007 7:16:52 GMT -6
Post by trappnman on Sept 21, 2007 7:16:52 GMT -6
known travel routes would be my guess- they are used to travelling such areas, so continue to do so.
the streams that go into the Miossissippi here, are what I call dead- no grassy banks, very shallow- a few inches to a foot, 100% shifting sand bottoms. I set them becasue they are close and easy- but most only give me a mink or 2. I call them travelling streams- the only reason for the mink to be there- is to get somewhere else.
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Mink?
Sept 21, 2007 13:15:24 GMT -6
Post by PAskinner on Sept 21, 2007 13:15:24 GMT -6
First, let me say, I'm no longliner. I caught 20 a few years ago in a very small area. On land, in the water, whatever it takes. With my mix of swamps, small runs that you can step across and a few larger creeks, the tiny runs are sure the easiest to pinpoint 'em. The one big problem I see with water sets is on any stream, the water is going up and down about half a foot nightly through much of the season. So, often water's edge sets on anything but reallly small runs are impossible, and you have to go to underwater or land sets. I'd love to have mink snaring. Sure looks like the way to go, especially in the swamps where the mink are around beaver dams and houses.
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Mink?
Sept 21, 2007 14:50:38 GMT -6
Post by trappnman on Sept 21, 2007 14:50:38 GMT -6
actually, once winter sets in, the streams are very stable, and stable for months around here...God's country.. I've had 3 none springtime water trapping floods- 2 last dec.
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Mink?
Sept 21, 2007 15:57:39 GMT -6
Post by markymark on Sept 21, 2007 15:57:39 GMT -6
I always like to back track them with a little snow on the ground, it becomes an eye opener for setting snares.
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Mink?
Sept 21, 2007 19:02:38 GMT -6
Post by PAskinner on Sept 21, 2007 19:02:38 GMT -6
actually, once winter sets in, the streams are very stable, and stable for months around here...God's country.. I've had 3 none springtime water trapping floods- 2 last dec. That would be sweet. Winter rarely decides to set in for good here until about Jan. if then. It's usually a rain and snow freeze thaw cycle all season.
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Mink?
Sept 21, 2007 20:06:13 GMT -6
Post by mountainman on Sept 21, 2007 20:06:13 GMT -6
Learning about setting any type of terrain where mink can be caught has like any other part of mink trapping always been very interesting to me. I met a northern Georga minker who once did a demo at the NC convention showing how he ran all dry sets using only 110s in the high bank holes. He made small wooden boxes for the 110s and all he trapped was mink. I haven't tried that system even though I do find some of those locations and have seen mink run down the high bank trail and dive into those holes at an almost unbelievable speed. When they are doing that I don't see how there could be any trap avoidance at least from outside of the hole.
Where I can use dirtholes on mink and have a season for fox and coon I'll make more use of that set in dry runs. The first really good mink trapper I ever met told me he regularly caught mink on sandbars in dirthole sets. I'm catching all the small bluegills I can to freeze for bait to try that even though I get mink to come in for jack mackeral on the few occasions I use bait sets.
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