Mink......

[trappnman]

So how was everyones mink season? I know we have a few minkers here- maybe more than I realize.

My season was slow this year- fewer days with zero mink- but also no "big" days. Got 5 mink one day and four another- a few days of 3 but a typical day was 1 or 2 mink.

Sure got a lot of big males this season- part of that is having sets out a long time- but I never did get a lot of females and little mink this year. My total take is within average- but it "felt" slower.

Rats are down a little- but still am pickig up a rat or 2 a check.

Set fewer 110s this year- but set them in better spots- I thought. Only have taken a few mink in 110s this season

Never messed much with the BE set this year- but will do so more next year after havng BK give me instructions.

Was very pleased with the addition of more #2 dls to my mink line. A perfect rat/mink trap.

I'll be selling my last mink this week- am curious as if ANY price advancement has occurred. Its a crying same to have mink this low.

Since this is a catch all mink thread- howe many sizes of mink boards do you really use. I find 3 sizes are about right for me.

1) big males: length- 36"
at base- 4.50"
1/4 up from base- 3.75"
1/2 up from base- 3.00"
1 inch from top- 2.00"

2) Small males, big females
3.75"
3.25"
3.00"
2.00"

3) females:
3.50"
3.25"
2.50"
1.25"

Are these about the same as you use? I'd say 75% of my mink go on #1 boards, 20% #2 and the rest #3.

[chub618]

wanting to get into some mink next yr. never strickly went for them! i see u use boards to finish them. i made a mink board today with the NAFA pelt handling manual specifacations for a larg male... they only list 2 sizes of board in the manual

[trappnman]

What sizes do they list? Most of the boards I have came from an old mink farm.

[chub618]

males: 4" wide at the base 36-30 inches and then graduall tapers up to the nose

females: 2 3/4 wide from the base which is at 30" up to the 27" mark and then tapers up to the nose.

those r the only two sizes listed in the manual!! dont know if it right or wrong that all they have listed

[trappnman]

That smaller board seems like some of the "female" boards I bought some years ago- and they are too small for any regular use.

As I said, mine are mostly from a mink farm, so a little bigger maybe?

[myst]

I am from North Dakota and there is not a whole lot of mink in this part of the state-what are they paying for mink theses days? I remember when I lived in Wisconsin ,must of been about 1984-85 I received about 50to 60 dollar average on my mink that was a good year.

[dj88ryr]

Males, $10-$12. Far cry from the 80s, but canine prices have been up somewhat, and coon are on the rise again, I think beaver may be coming back as well. Just a hunch, but I think I am going to find some trappable beaver next year, even if it means trapping for a few weeks back in NH.

[trappnman]

Then prepared to be shocked- mink prices are in the crapper!

The ranch mink market has pushed the mink and in addition the rat market way down. A good average on males is about $12, females around $7. Thats a striaght count average. Most collections average $10-11.

Rats are averageing $2.25-$2.75 straight through.

I have heard the the market has gone up a little- I'll be selling some mink at the end of the week- But I can't see any big upward movement.

At least long haired furs are moving up- and thats been the market for decades- one or the other is in fashion.

[myst]

That is a crying shame what they are paying- but on the other hand there is not a whole lot of competion for them I guess.

[Computerhater]

Tman,

At our OSTA January sale I averaged $15.04 per mink including females, cotton, etc. I received $18.00 for my XL male mink, $11.00 for my L male mink, $10.00 for #2 male mink, $7.50 for cotton male mink, and $11.50 for female mink. The prices for the XL males and the females topped the sale. I saw several other male mink go for 16 to 17 dollars. There seemed to be some competition as about 3 buyers were trying to get them. It seemed like the same man bought most if not all of the XL and L mink offered. I did talk to one of the buyers who was bidding on the mink and he said he was bidding more than he would have got just to see how high that other guy would go but he could never outbid him.

As far as stretchers go I don't have any in front of me to measure but I have 3 sizes that I use. One for XL males, one for L males and XL females, and then a size for females.

This season was a tough one for me due to an injury and the never ending rain and flooding. I never had any days over 3 mink and it seemed like I had to work twice as hard for each one except the last one which was caught in a rat hole in a farm pond. I don't ever remember this much flooding and periods of high water. Looking back though I still ended up with almost as many mink as I have caught in the past several years and I learned a few things along the way. One interesting side note was that most years I catch about 65% males but this year I was at 80%. It will be interesting to see how that reflects upon next year's catch.

Randy

[trappnman]

Thats about the prices I had been hearing- I hope so... ;D

Your year sounds like mine- no big days- but end of year about the same. And you had a lot less females also. Interesting.

I've got 2 more weeks- been sticking it out waiting for a warm up- sounds like 40s this week and maybe rain. A couple more checks and I'll pull starting the 23 or so- a few locations a day is a lot easier than pulling the whole line. I'd like to pick up another 10-12 mink and all the coon I can get.

[NittanyLion]

My mink catch was down more than 25% this year over the past couple of years. Two reasons, the number 1 reason was the rain. I trap 3 weeks, this year the largest stream on my line was either flooded or had extremely high water for about 18 days. This stream usually produces about a third of my catch. This year it was more like about 5% of my catch. The other reason is I am slowing down some.

My male to female ratio was pretty typical. I caught about 65% males and 35% females. With my catch down this year I left plenty of seed. My muskrat catch was close to average, but it was down slightly.


As for the boards, I never really checked how many different sizes I have. I know I use two basic sizes, one for males and another for females.

[BK]

I sold a couple times this season as I was laid off work.
The last time I sold I got $18 for males and $12 for females, the mink were prime.

That was to Groenewald.

[17kiss]

Just made a drive up to friends house and counted 3 buck mink run over on a 20 mile run. i had to salvage one biggun. Long as my arm and almost as thick. Makes me want to start trapping them again.Sure do get your blood pumping. This time of year they are away from any water in this area. Rut?

[BK]

Rut yes,........ Kiss if you got mink like that I would have kept driving around. ;D

[NittanyLion]

Around my parts I don't see that many road kills in two years.

[nickb]

Steve, I had an off year here, most of my mink went on small coon boards

[BK]

It's getting deep!

[nickb]

LOL @ BK, some Ohio redneck humor there! ;D

[BK]

I know it......and I liked it.