Mink Traps..........

[Steve Gappa]

The ULTIMATE Mink trap……by Steve Gappa (T & PC Special issue 2004)

Many years ago, back in the “olden days, if you talked traps with a minker, he usually would tell you he used a simple single long spring. Some preferred the #1 while others swore by the #1.5. But today- every mink book you read tells you a different trap is the ultimate mink trappers trap. I have seen everything advertised as the ultimate mink trap ranging from the tiny #0 (touted as being able to get into tight places) to #3s and #4s- (touted as being killer traps because they caught the mink across the body).
And all these trappers are right to a degree- all these traps certainly have and will continue to take mink. And practical advice that is often given is if you already trap another species- fox, coon, rats, etc….then don’t even bother buying “mink” traps, just use what you have. But are those traps the best traps to use? Would using other traps perhaps give you MORE total mink over the season?
I’ve trapped mink in one way or another for over 40 years. Seasons when I struggled to take 3-4 and seasons where I took over 100. During that time, I used a lot of types of mink traps and slowly, from seeing the results on the line year after year, I have developed some definite opinions on what makes a “good” mink trap.
One thing I need to point out- many people feel, after catching a few mink, that not much water is needed to put a mink down and out. And while this certainly is true at times- to consistently drown big mink you need more than a few inches of water- you need a system. People have the misconception that mink are weak and expire easily. Not true. A big male mink, esp. caught by a rear leg, is not easily drowned and can and often does pull or twist out of weak/too light traps.
To begin with- I like deep water- the deeper the better. I prefer at least 3 feet and will take deeper anytime I can. If I have a choice- fast water is a bonus. You can fasten mink traps in several ways- but a few common methods cover most of your needs. Slide wires or cables are perhaps the most certain method- a properly constructed slide wire will put any mink down- but the time and equipment needed to do this on an extended lines doesn’t make wide use of slides practical or really needed on a mink line. Long chains on grapples will work, but on many creeks coon are a problem, and coon and light grapples aren’t something that I like to get into. Fastening a trap to a stake and then adding a tangle stick to the deep water side of the trap stake is a good method- the mink will wrap the wire/chain around the tangle stick and be unable to return to dry land. One method I like in theft free areas is to drill a hole into a fiberglass electric fence post about 18” up from the bottom, wire a trap to the stake using this hole and push the fence post into the bottom so top is out of water and angled away from bank, and wire is at bottom of creek or in soft mud actually below surface. This too gets the mink wrapped around the stake and will hold any coon that comes along. The springiness of the pole and a coon pulling from the bank keeps them there. The last method I use is the one I prefer- and that’s simply to wire the trap chain to a rebar stake and push the stake flush to the bottom in 3-4 feet of water, pulling the wire semi tight to the trap. This method, with the proper trap, will put down any mink out there. As an added point, if you feel you are using too light a trap- a railroad spike or two wired on the chain near the trap will add extra weight- and this extra weight often means the mink will be there in the morning.
But what is the ideal mink trap? Is there even a trap that seems ideal, that seems as if it was designed for mink trapping. One trap that will outperform most if not all of the others out there? I think so- and perhaps my choice of the ideal mink trap will surprise you. Lets look at what traps are out there and what traps make good mink traps. Remember now- the following is my opinion, based on the mink here on my lines in Minnesota, and are certainly not written in stone for other trappers. As always, what works for you…works for you.
Not counting body grip traps and a few other oddballs like tunnel traps- there really are just three types of traps used for mink- coil springs, jump traps and long springs. Their names say it all- long spring traps have a spring that is extended out from the trap in a long loop, and then the jaws fit into the ends of that. Long springs can have either one or two springs- if two, they are on opposite ends of the jaws. Jump traps have a single spring that is attached to the trap frame on one end, goes under the jaws and then has the jaw ends inside the opposite end. This provides a continuous single spring, under the jaws. Coil spring traps have wound springs (coils) sometimes one, usually two- and these coils usually are on the side of the trap under the pan/dog . By having the coils “in and under” the jaws - you get a tight, compact trap. All three types of traps have their proponents, and all of them have and will continue to take a lot of mink. I have used a dozen different mink traps over the years, and have found that while each has some positive traits- many also have enough negative points to make them a liability on the mink line. Let me look at a few common mink traps and give you my ratings, from worst to best.
The absolute worst mink trap, in my opinion, are the jump traps- whether in the #0, #1 or #1.5 sizes. While it is capable of getting into tight places, it seems to be a very unstable trap, and misses and misfires are common on my line when using it. I’m not too sold on these traps for coon either, so all in all, I prefer not to use jump traps when out on the line. When I am forced to use some due to shortage of other traps- I right away see an increase in snapped traps. Use them against your better judgment.

[Steve Gappa]

Part 2--

The most common mink trap by far, or at least has been in the past, is the plain old #1 long spring. This trap used to be the mainstay of the marsh and creek line for many a trapper and most schoolboys in years past started out using #1. While the trap certainly is capable of holding mink- it does have some drawbacks. First in foremost, is that the plain #1 is a very light trap. While the myth abounds that mink are easy to drown, this isn’t always the case. With a big male mink and a hind foot catch- or even a front foot catch- and unless you have a slide wire set up- he won’t drown. You also get low holds on this trap- many toe caught mink. And when they don’t drown and they are toe caught…they won’t be there in the morning. You can wire weights to the trap to make it heavier, but on a long line this is time consuming and subjects you to a lot more work. I own hundreds of these traps- and catch dozens of mink every year in them…but also, if I have a toe in a trap- 99 times out of a hundred- it will be in a #1 long spring.
I’ll continue to use some of these traps- but in doing so, always try for 100% sure fire drowning sets either on slides or with weights.
Real close to the #1 longs spring in both size and stature, is the #1.5 long spring. This is actually a pretty nice mink/rat trap, and is the mainstay of many minkers trap lines. If it has one drawback, its that with the bigger size and the 1 spring, they can be tough to bed securely. You can, if you aren’t careful- get a lot of tipped traps using 1.5 long springs in small set situations. A bonus is the weight- the larger size gives you both extra weight for drowning and the larger jaw spread gives you a higher hold- resulting in very few toe catches or losses.
In third place, would be all the big coil springs- the 1.75s, the #2 even the #3. Many trappers like the bigger traps for 1 main reason- the traps act like a body grip and your mink is usually dead on the spot or quickly drowned. A mink trips one of these pans- and he is there for sure. But in my opinion, there are two major drawbacks- both relating as one would suspect in the size of the trap. To begin with- a bigger trap is harder to set into tight areas- locations one often utilizes on a mink line. And the second, even more important concern- is that the larger the trap- the more open space between the pan and the jaw. This means that a tight slinking mink- can pass over the jaws and still not set off the trap. This can be cured to a degree by guide sticks and even larger pans- but it is something you should be aware of. Don’t be afraid to use bigger traps- but if you are using bigger traps without some sort of aid, you probably are missing more mink than you realize.
That brings us to my #2 choice of a mink trap- the old workhorse #1.5 coil trap. While some brands are better than others, I find it hard to find a bad 1.5 for mink. This trap has about everything going for it. Its very easy to bed and stabilize- the “internal” coils, so to speak, making slipping it into tight areas a breeze. Having coils rather than a jump spring, makes the trap fire “balanced” if you will, and misses are reduced greatly over the same size trap in a jump. The trap gets a good high hold on a mink, and toe catches are rare. All in all, almost as good a mink trap as you can get, and certainly my choice hands down for the #1 overall trap on a waterline for coon/rats/mink. But while the 1.5 coil might be the ultimate water trap, its still not the ultimate mink trap. Its strength- light, compact, strong…also to a degree is it’s only fault….it still is in some instances with big mink, just too light of a trap.
And that brings us to my #1 choice- the trap I think is absolutely ideal for mink/rat trapping. Up to this point, I have been able to buy them relatively cheap at conventions, etc- but I perhaps that will stop now that I am letting you in on this “secret”. So what is my all time favorite mink trap? While the answer might surprise many, my choice goes to the old double long spring #2. While some might argue that the #11 does the same job, in my opinion they are not even close. The #11 is too light for its size and doesn’t, again in my opinion, perform any better in many categories than the plain #1.
So why do I like the #2? Many reasons. Lets examine one for a minute. The #2 double long spring is an old trap and is simply a 2 springed #1.5. The ones that I have are mostly cast… heavy- and heavy duty! They seem to last forever with little or no adjustments. Out on the line, while the bulkiness might seem to be a downfall, the trap with the 2 springs cocked inward actually can be set in some pretty tight places- and can be easily stabilized with a stick in each spring in other locations. I often set them outside pockets with 2 sticks, creating a ledge in front of the pocket or resting place. Their design and heavy build, makes them about as stable a trap as I have ever used- mink and rats can climb all over them without tipping and/or misfiring the traps. The stable base also gives a high catch when the trap is fired, and most mink are caught mid leg or higher. But the absolute #1 thing I like about them- is their weight. Of all the common traps- the #2 dls is the only trap that consistently puts a mink down right now with the trap itself, without weights or wire. No way, no how is a mink or rat going to bring this trap back up.
So there you have it. My thoughts on a few of the common mink traps. While almost any trap can and does take mink, they aren’t all created the same- even though all take 1000s of mink a year. But just like in coyote trapping- its not the catches it’s the misses that count. So next time, when thinking about “any old trap” for mink…perhaps you will want to give what I consider the ultimate mink trap a try on your mink line this year.