some winterline pics

[Stef]

My high school teacher told me to just find a place where something forces him off the bank and into the water then set there.

Hmmmm that's a teacher.
What do you think of this musher?

[trappnman]

kinda- but that edge can be very wide..................mink hunt as much or more off water than on, particularly on bare ground.

snow and ice changes that to a large degree. snow and ice, pushes more mink to easier hunting, and water edges are easier than deep snow.

its truly surprizing, even on open water how much mink cut across land. I've mentioned it before about "setting on tracks" where they go into and out of the water and unless odd circumstances, there simply is NO pattern to where they rove on land (travelling, not hunting) and where they exit and enter the water. What is consistent, is what type of habitat they are looking for, on that particular stream, and then, knowing why they are there (hunting), micro locations can be set up.

so the "secret" is simple- go where they want to go. and that doesn't mean walking all over, it means on a particular stretch- if food is there, and streams w/o much food, are IMO poor mink locations- that a mink at that spot, hunting, will, based on the food in that stream, use obvious features and/or areas more times than not.

to make it even more simple, determine whats the #1 prey (or type- mammals, fish, etc) and set up those areas of maximum food, in places he would go to, in hunting that food.

females and YOY, tend to be more stream orientated all year- males tend to be more stream orientated in severe weather conditons.

[musher]

Jan 27, 2012 11:38:20 GMT -6 Stef said:

My high school teacher told me to just find a place where something forces him off the bank and into the water then set there.

Hmmmm that's a teacher.
What do you think of this musher?

It's quite true.

Sometimes the simplest answers are the best. This is especially true when helping someone try something new. Quite often newbies get confused when given too much information. Vocabulary is one of the main reasons.

I still remember a Quebec trapping manual which named a "dirt hole" a "trou sale" which means "dirty hole!" Try explaining that to someone with a straight face.

[trappnman]

true enough musher- but the information should be out there- one can set a whole lot of edge sets just because its an edge, and have very few mink-

yes, experience will show that some locations are better than others, and some are great- its how we all learn. someone of the best mink advice I've ever read, was when you catch a mink in a set meant for mink- duplicate that.

I know for a fact, that in my area at the very least, that you can change your mink catch per stop, dramactically by moving up or down stream and not very far.

and yes, tha again is trial and error- so I guess you are right

when I first trapped creeks I'd have a LOT of traps out per creek, over a lot of area but slowly over the years, much of the area, and many of the traps are no longer set, simply because time on the water shows me that THIS spot and THAT spot- given me 99% of my mink and other critters- so the rest to me is dead water.

so while one can overwhelm newbies, if they read the information, as their experience develops, perhaps they might think back, and put it together

Anyone that wants to better themselves at mink trapping, NEEDS to go out 2-3 days after a fresh snow, and follow tracks.

[musher]

I agree, T-man. When the guy is no longer a newbie and they want more then you up it. By then they have put some effort in and are paying attention because they realize that what you are telling them is hard earned.

[Stef]

I still remember a Quebec trapping manual which named a "dirt hole" a "trou sale" which means "dirty hole!" Try explaining that to someone with a straight face.

"Trou sale" is still being used today but "trou de terre" is the correct way to say it.

[Hornhunter]

Really enjoyed the pictures and comments Steve!

[birdman]

At least seeing thru your eye's it is fun to still be trapping. I pulled off and on and reset off and on but pulled mid Jan. I need to learn how to snare.

[blackhammer]

I haven't used any bait for over a month in the water and have been using all blind or colony traps.Partly because I just am not that interested in coon right now,I have found that most good blind mink sets are also very good rat sets.I can set many of these up so they are close to coon proof especially with very little snow.It's an easy and fun way to trap late season fur.There are many good blind sets if you know what you are looking for.