Winter Mink

['eyesmaster89]

Does anyone know how to trap mink in the winter when the lakes and rivers are froze over? What are your favorite coon sets?

For making homade lures, do you have to buy fish oil or is there some way you can make it. Any body have any favorite recipes.

[This message has been edited by 'eyesmaster89 (edited 12-04-2003).]

[Lunker]

I'm not much of a trapper, but I know some. I've been told that a great acctractant for coons is sardines and the OIL they come in. Don't know about mink, although I see their prices are way down.

[Gissert]

I used to do fairly well with blind sets. If you can find a lake or creek bank that has trees with exposed root systems, look for pockets that will fit a 110 or 120 conibar trap. #1 coils work well also, just make sure they are staked solidly.

Artificial pockets can be dug in the banks before the ground freezes also.

A mink will investgate just about every hole, nook, and cranny as it travels the countryside.

Sometimes you will find a rat house that the minke have bored into. I always set these when I find them, as any passing miny will usually shove their head in there and take a look.

[protrapper]

The best methid for taking hardwater mink is called the Bottom Edge Mink Set. You can use it in creeks, rivers, streams, and lakes.

Find a point of intrest where the mink will hunt on a stretch of water, such as a culvert, sunken log, or a grass hummock point into the water.

Chop hole in ice and set 110 conibear tight to bottom and up against the vertical edge. Prop stick through side of spring not the spring eye. Wire to something on bank. No bait or lure is used.

I have taken hundreds of mink through the ice with this method and know others who have. If the water temp is warmer than air temp the mink are hunting underwater under the ice.

Ken Smythe devolped this set number of years ago it also works on beaver and otter.

Also you can use simple box cubby with slots for 110 conibear with bait in back. Cover your bait with propleyene glychol and a mink gland lure to throw out more odor. Otherwise frozen bait is worthless. Sardinies and there oil is inefectual at best. It freezes and dries out fast. Fish like bullheads and a muskrat are better baits. And you can cover your bait in fish oil to.

Good luck as mink in winter are not hard to catch its finding where there hunting.

[This message has been edited by protrapper (edited 12-05-2003).]

[Guest]

Interesting variation Protrapper! Haven't played that game for a few years, but that sounds like a real winner. How does it hold up when the nights are 25 or 30 below?
On my old line I had a couple of creeks on beaver flowages that would invariably slowly dry up as the late fall/early winter progressed - creating double and even triple ice layers, with huge air pockets. I was crossing the creek one day, and looked down where I had put a leg through on the previous trip, and there were tracks everywhere - leading into and out of the hole.
"Hmmmm," says I, putting down the pack and rummaging around for a 120 conibear.
Had a mink in that set nearly every check after. I ended up spraypainting a dozen conibears white the following summer, and they were deadly. I would cut a square hole in the top layer of ice, use some narrow sticks to hold the trap from falling through, put a little snow up to the edges of the trap, and wire off on whatever was handy nearby. Use an adequate wire! Had an otter show up in one set, caught by a back leg, and he was really po'd - made quite a mess.
Another excellent bait - perhaps the best of all - is a mink carcass. Seems the little cannibals really enjoy munching mink meat. Chopped in half - they go twice as far.

[Guest]

For mink, I like to find open water around rapids, waterfalls and such. In current a good old cubby set staking trap into deep water is a killer.
Hard water trapping is different - and Gissert's idea is a good one, just be careful you aren't the one creating the hole in the 'rat house (or beaver houses are good also - but much more likely to attract otter). There are laws regarding destruction of 'rat and beaver houses.
Seems like old beaver houses are a magnet for all kinds of furbearing critters.