Mink Trapping.

stevoman

So now that the early mornings are back im off training the dog in the mornings down by the river before i head off to work. I bought myself a single entry live mink trap and i have decided to wage war on the mink of the river Barrow. This means i can set it at night before any other people might see it and want to destroy it, plus i can get to first think in the morning.

I dont have any experience trapping mink so any tips or suggestion would be a great help.

CJhaughey

stevoman wrote: »

So now that the early mornings are back im off training the dog in the mornings down by the river before i head off to work. I bought myself a single entry live mink trap and i have decided to wage war on the mink of the river Barrow. This means i can set it at night before any other people might see it and want to destroy it, plus i can get to first think in the morning.

I dont have any experience trapping mink so any tips or suggestion would be a great help.

4" wavin pipe in 3' lengths fill the base with a plug of concrete maybe use a nail or two through the side to hold the plug securely as the concrete sets around it.
lean at 45deg angle against rocks and bait with sardines. check regularly and be ready to deal to mink.

yessam

I thought the 4" pipe would have to be set down in ground, but if leaving it against rocks works- thats handy
I usually set two mink traps side by side having an opening at either end. It makes it easier catch the first one and often attracts the second one to the other trap.

Vegeta

Just getting into mink trapping myself

How close to the water do you guys put the traps?

stevoman

this is the one that i purchased lads.

Grizzly 45

Dont forget to reuse and re cycle lads! Mink pelts are valuable for the fur.[Catch enough of them and surprise your missus,girlfriend or bit on the side with a new mink fur coat.:DVery handy if we get another Winter like the last one.:D:D:D]
If you can stand the job and smell.Mink fat renderd down is exellent leather polish and waterproofing.

Terrier

Place traps along runs on the river bank if you are using the trap in the picture you posted as it runthough trap. Single entry I put the door to the side of a run. Cover the trap in grass or whatever is about so it gives it a tunnel affect. I have 7 caught in the last 4 weekends. Got two more traps delivered this morning so using 12 traps now to blanket my local river system

Bait: Mackeral heads\tails or Sardines work best.

CJhaughey

Grizzly 45 wrote: »

If you can stand the job and smell.Mink fat renderd down is exellent leather polish and waterproofing.

Don't do this in the kitchen or you won't have a missus or bit on the side any longer!:D

jap gt

where do ye buy them lads

stevoman

jap gt wrote: »

where do ye buy them lads

best deal around is here. i usually deal with these lads and their great.


http://www.gamekeepafeeds.co.uk/ShowDetails.asp?id=634

stevoman

Terrier wrote: »

Place traps along runs on the river bank if you are using the trap in the picture you posted as it runthough trap. Single entry I put the door to the side of a run. Cover the trap in grass or whatever is about so it gives it a tunnel affect. I have 7 caught in the last 4 weekends. Got two more traps delivered this morning so using 12 traps now to blanket my local river system

Bait: Mackeral heads\tails or Sardines work best.

i was going to try and work some of the small ditches running into the river also, would these hold mink?

how do you dispatch the mink. i was think about just bringing my .22 air rifle with me and sticking the barrell into the cage or i was going to ask my friends terrier to do the job either.

It wasn't me!

.22 air rifle to the back of the skull should do the job nicely.

sonofthegun

got four american traps from an ould lad locally have 11 caught in 7 weeks never realised were so many on the river they are vicious little fcukers

johngalway

Mink are easy to catch if they're in the area. I wrap a black bin liner around the cage, makes it nice and dark. I never bothered putting it too far from the river, but you must be careful that if the river goes in flood that your mink won't be drowned and your trap won't be swept away.

You can dig them in if you like, I never bothered. I use stones, moss, etc, what ever is handy to hide the cage. camouflaging the cage is done more to prevent theft rather than the mink copping on to what it is.

John West Sardines in Sunflower Oil is a good bait in cooler weather. In the summer, kippers work well as they don't get fly struck. A lot of lads say you don't need any bait, the tunnel itself is enticement enough for our American friend, I've never tried that method but I don't doubt it.

I don't use live catch mink cages any more, precisely for the dispatch conundrum. I used to shoot them with my .22lr, but I never felt comfortable doing so for my own safety. An air rifle is the preferred method I believe, so you're well on the right track there. Over in the UK they have it a lot handier, not needing a license for a sub 12ftb air rifle.

Mink is more likely to use the bank of a river near a fast flowing spot, as they don't like the rapids. No doubt you already know, you'll need to check the trap minimum of once a day. Personally I would pick a time when the least amount of other people will be around, less people know, the better, stuff has a habit of growing legs or being broken.

I put up a post with photos some time back, might be worth a read.

Vegeta

Thanks lads really appreciate your wisdom and input as always

Don't know how successful I'll be as the river is "wide" to put in mildly but I'll enjoy getting out and checking it

The old man has a 30ft/lb pcp air rifle which sounds perfect for dispatching so,
happy days there.

Have to say I am really enjoying this trapping business.

johngalway

Mink rafts are supposed to work well also, they're more for lakes though. If you try that and find a great big ****e on top, that'll be an otter

Eddie B

Can`t seem to keep the rats out of my mink traps this year! Only have eleven mink caught compare to over twenty this time last year! Must have over thirty rats this year compare to maybe a dozen or so last year!t 016.JPG t 001.JPG t 006.JPG. Maybe its just that mink numbers are down in my area so therefore rat numbers are up due to less predation!t 017.JPG

johngalway

Eddie B wrote: »

Can`t seem to keep the rats out of my mink traps this year! Only have eleven mink caught compare to over twenty this time last year! Must have over thirty rats this year compare to maybe a dozen or so last year!t 016.JPG t 001.JPG t 006.JPG. Maybe its just that mink numbers are down in my area so therefore rat numbers are up due to less predation!t 017.JPG

Are you baiting your traps?

Eddie B

johngalway wrote: »

Are you baiting your traps?

Ye, baiting with sardine in oil and also trout and salmon heads!

dicky82

do you get mink in or around canals? if you use the wavin pipe method is it best to dispatch the mink and then pull it out?:rolleyes:

Whats the best way to dispatch them without an air rifle?

It wasn't me!

Deleted User wrote: »

Whats the best way to dispatch them without an air rifle?

If you can hold them steady, a knife through the back of the skull or a priest will do the job. Some people gas them in a bag with a car exhaust. Drowning's a tad cruel, wouldn't recommend it. Any other firearm you can use to safely do the job is a good option too.

Eddie B

You will find mink on most waterways, especially those which have fish present! Its a good idea to walk the riverbank and look for sign`s that there`s mink using it. Look out for prints in muddy spots close to the water edge! Tracks through the grass and mink casts. One of the best places to find mink casts is where two rivers meet, or where a drain flows into the main river! Mink seem to use the same spots to s***t to mark their territory, sometimes on a rock or log! Mink casts are black in colour when fresh with little fragments of bone mixed through! If you find fresh casts, you`ll catch mink!!!

stevoman

some great tips thera lads thanks a million. im really looking forward to getting the trap on the go. it'l keep me busy now for the next few months.


by the way to tie my trap to anything incase it moves with a mink in it? also mink be hadled with bare hands after they are dispatched?

Vegeta

The old man checked the mink trap today and the bait mackerel was gone but the trap was still set

Now the trap seems quite sensitive to me so I am baffled at this. Will re-bait, set the trap again and see how I get on.

stevoman

a sneaky rat possibly veg. on the other hand at least you know something came its way.

Vegeta

stevoman wrote: »

a sneaky rat possibly veg. on the other hand at least you know something came its way.

Maybe but he would have had to be very light not to set the trap off.

I'll put some dirt down and flatten it, try and read the tracks off it the next day to know for sure.

My fear is that the trap is just crap and a waste of my efforts.

CJhaughey

Vegeta wrote: »

My fear is that the trap is just crap and a waste of my efforts.

Try the pipe, for about €4 you could have a proven design.;)

stevoman

Vegeta wrote: »

My fear is that the trap is just crap and a waste of my efforts.

I hope not. I didnt receive my one in the post today. Hopefully tomorow fingers crossed so i have it for down the river Paddys Morning.

Vegeta

CJhaughey wrote: »

Try the pipe, for about €4 you could have a proven design.;)

Indeed, will be doing this and may try a few other trap options to see how I get on

Eddie B

Vegeta wrote: »

The old man checked the mink trap today and the bait mackerel was gone but the trap was still set

Now the trap seems quite sensitive to me so I am baffled at this. Will re-bait, set the trap again and see how I get on.

Any chance he got at the bait from the outside! Happened to me a few times when i started out. Now i usually tie the bait from the roof of the cage with a bit of wire, or put a couple of flat stones at the back and sides of the cage! Its also important to handle the cage as little as possible once set, only do so when rebaiting and of course when you catch!!!!

stevoman

Vegeta wrote: »

The old man checked the mink trap today and the bait mackerel was gone but the trap was still set

Now the trap seems quite sensitive to me so I am baffled at this. Will re-bait, set the trap again and see how I get on.

Methink we are trying to catch the same mink. I was out foxed last night too. I set the trap and came back this moring to see al the bait completly gone and the trap never went off. I put the mackerel on the trip plate that sets off the trap but he must have very delicatly eaten it off. PLus i might have set it too tight.

Im going to set it again Thurs night and leav the mackerel right at the back so the mink HAS to sover the trip plate. They must be nimble on their feet!

johngalway

Leave the bait behind the treadle plate, make sure it can't be accessed from the sides or behind by placing rocks around the end of the cage.

There's a trick used for spring kill traps, where a twig or other small piece of wood is placed in front of the treadle plate, the twig is raised just enough that the animal must jump over it and cannot get under it. The effect this has is to force the target animal to "hop" onto the treadle plate.

clivej

johngalway wrote: »

Leave the bait behind the treadle plate, make sure it can't be accessed from the sides or behind by placing rocks around the end of the cage.

There's a trick used for spring kill traps, where a twig or other small piece of wood is placed in front of the treadle plate, the twig is raised just enough that the animal must jump over it and cannot get under it. The effect this has is to force the target animal to "hop" onto the treadle plate.

Just evil.

A hop, skip and crunch.

johngalway

clivej wrote: »

Just evil.

A hop, skip and crunch.

Works though

I'm tardy posting your parcel, but I've not forgotten about it!

yessam

johngalway wrote: »

Leave the bait behind the treadle plate, make sure it can't be accessed from the sides or behind by placing rocks around the end of the cage.

There's a trick used for spring kill traps, where a twig or other small piece of wood is placed in front of the treadle plate, the twig is raised just enough that the animal must jump over it and cannot get under it. The effect this has is to force the target animal to "hop" onto the treadle plate.

Thats Brilliant
Going to try that. Thanks