Mink

simonj

Saw a bloody mink today on the croft, no contact number on Dept of Ag for advice, no answer from parks and wildlife.

Trap costs 35 bloody Euro and a 50 mile round trip to Clifden.

I had to buy it because I think snares should be banned, but dear christ, 35 euro is a lot of dosh for me, ut I need it I guess to protect neighbours hens and native wildlife!!

Wish me luck in trapping the bugger, I like having cats and wildlife around the place.

Is there anyone I should report the sighting to?
I live on a peninsula, and have never seen them here before.

Any advice on baits and control welcome

johngalway

Bet I know the shop you bought that in They ain't cheap.

Couple of things. I presume it's a "live catch" cage affair. Have you given any thought as to how you'll kill the mink after catching him? Drowning is inhumane and possibly illegal as far as I know.

There will possibly be a drain, stream, river, lake nearby where you saw him, that or something he was after like hens. The waterways are where he'll be traveling.

If it's a river or stream pick a narrow place with fast flowing water. They don't like being in fast water, so he'll likely come out there.

I use Sardines in Sunflower Oil (not brine) as bait, smoked kippers will also work well in hot weather, less likely to get fly strike. Crack open the tin slightly, the idea here is to run a trail of oil from the bank of the water to the trap site. There is likely a bait tray in the back of the cage, put a third of the sardines into that. Also put a small amount of bait right at the entrance and if possible some feathers as well. Wrap your cage in a black rubbish sack. Camouflage with rocks/moss/grass/whatever so it won't get nicked and check at least once per 24 hours.

Oh yes. If you're setting this near a river, make sure the trap is sited ABOVE the level at which that river may flood. Two reasons for this, your trap may get washed away, and any animal captured will drown.

When I used live catch cages I would shoot them with a .22 rifle. An air rifle would be much more preferable and less dangerous to the user.

Since then I've moved on to using kill traps which are much better. Bodygrip #116, Fenn MK6 (larger than the MK4), and Kania traps all do the job. The first two need to be set in a man made or natural tunnel with two posts in the entrance set to exclude non target species. The Kania will also need a tunnel to it's front also with excluders.

If you have pine martens locally the cage trap is a better option.

kay 9

Very good post John.

johngalway

kay 9 wrote: »

Very good post John.

Cheers Kay 9 I've only dabbled, don't claim to have any great knowledge of them.

Oh yes, another thing which I forgot at the time of writing are to look up "mink rafts". A good idea in a secluded spot, a bad idea if too visible, all IMO. People steal things all too easily.

Feargal as Luimneach

johngalway wrote: »

Bet I know the shop you bought that in They ain't cheap.

Couple of things. I presume it's a "live catch" cage affair. Have you given any thought as to how you'll kill the mink after catching him? Drowning is inhumane and possibly illegal as far as I know.

There will possibly be a drain, stream, river, lake nearby where you saw him, that or something he was after like hens. The waterways are where he'll be traveling.

If it's a river or stream pick a narrow place with fast flowing water. They don't like being in fast water, so he'll likely come out there.

I use Sardines in Sunflower Oil (not brine) as bait, smoked kippers will also work well in hot weather, less likely to get fly strike. Crack open the tin slightly, the idea here is to run a trail of oil from the bank of the water to the trap site. There is likely a bait tray in the back of the cage, put a third of the sardines into that. Also put a small amount of bait right at the entrance and if possible some feathers as well. Wrap your cage in a black rubbish sack. Camouflage with rocks/moss/grass/whatever so it won't get nicked and check at least once per 24 hours.

Oh yes. If you're setting this near a river, make sure the trap is sited ABOVE the level at which that river may flood. Two reasons for this, your trap may get washed away, and any animal captured will drown.

When I used live catch cages I would shoot them with a .22 rifle. An air rifle would be much more preferable and less dangerous to the user.

Since then I've moved on to using kill traps which are much better. Bodygrip #116, Fenn MK6 (larger than the MK4), and Kania traps all do the job. The first two need to be set in a man made or natural tunnel with two posts in the entrance set to exclude non target species. The Kania will also need a tunnel to it's front also with excluders.

If you have pine martens locally the cage trap is a better option.

How do the posts stop non target species from entering? Could a young otter be caught?

pachey100

I have caught four mink in about three weeks. This is the time to trap when the river is a bit warmer and the mink will be moving more.

Eddie B

Feargal as Luimneach wrote: »

How do the posts stop non target species from entering? Could a young otter be caught?

Even a young otter is a big animal compared to the average mink!
In twenty years of trapping i've never caught an otter in a trap!

As johngalway said, only use live cage traps where there's a possibility of pine martins being present!

The posts are used to narrow down the entrance of the trap allowing mink to squeeze through, but stopping cats, hedgehogs, etc... from being caught!
You can avoid trapping stoats and other small animals by making sure the trigger of the trap or cage is not set too sensitive!

Hope this answers your question!!;)

simonj

tried mackerel last night, this morning trap shut and empty, all that was missing was a note saying thanks for the fish.

Dont want to use a kill trap, dont want to kill anything except the mink

Will try sardines this evening - thanks a ton for the advice, much apprieciated.

Tackleberrywho

simonj wrote: »

tried mackerel last night, this morning trap shut and empty, all that was missing was a note saying thanks for the fish.

Dont want to use a kill trap, dont want to kill anything except the mink

Will try sardines this evening - thanks a ton for the advice, much apprieciated.

best of Luck!

Feargal as Luimneach

Eddie B wrote: »

Even a young otter is a big animal compared to the average mink!
In twenty years of trapping i've never caught an otter in a trap!

As johngalway said, only use live cage traps where there's a possibility of pine martins being present!

The posts are used to narrow down the entrance of the trap allowing mink to squeeze through, but stopping cats, hedgehogs, etc... from being caught!
You can avoid trapping stoats and other small animals by making sure the trigger of the trap or cage is not set too sensitive!

Hope this answers your question!!;)

Yip, I have a better understanding of it now:)

johngalway

simonj wrote: »

tried mackerel last night, this morning trap shut and empty, all that was missing was a note saying thanks for the fish.

Dont want to use a kill trap, dont want to kill anything except the mink

Will try sardines this evening - thanks a ton for the advice, much apprieciated.

Possibly a young rat or mice (presume they'd take fish) that swiped the bait on you.

Have you it well covered around the sides and top so nothing can reach in and trip the foot plate or rob your bait from outside?

And another thing I forgot, damn cold, wash the sardine tin in the stream/drain/lake afterwards if possible. The scent will travel. Obviously don't do this if you have extra bait left over

simonj

Well, the trap works. This morning it contained Mr. Macho, a neighbours tomcat who occasionally comes over and knocks the crap out of our kitten Leon, let him out, gave him a saucer of milk and sent him on his way

But good news in that Parks and Wildlife are sending me a pheremone to use as a lure

deerhunter1

simonj wrote: »

Saw a bloody mink today on the croft, no contact number on Dept of Ag for advice, no answer from parks and wildlife.

Trap costs 35 bloody Euro and a 50 mile round trip to Clifden.

I had to buy it because I think snares should be banned, but dear christ, 35 euro is a lot of dosh for me, ut I need it I guess to protect neighbours hens and native wildlife!!

Wish me luck in trapping the bugger, I like having cats and wildlife around the place.

Is there anyone I should report the sighting to?
I live on a peninsula, and have never seen them here before.

Any advice on baits and control welcome

I mentioned it here before but got no response,I have two mink Traps (Live) I do not use or would not have time to check reguraly,I would gladly give them to someone who would make us of them to catch Mink. Free to collect, can't do any better than that:o

simonj

I might take you up on that deerhunter.
The peremone arrived in the post today from the NPWS.
If anyone needs a contact there just PM me.

The cage is now baited with the 3 unitis of the pheremone stuff, it comes soaked into cigarette filters, each one should last a week, and they sent me loads.

Will update as and when anything else happens.

johngalway

Two bits of thin dowel, or even a good strong U shaped bit of bull wire set in front of the trap would keep the cats out. I forget the spacing off the top of my head but I'll find out for you.

deerhunter1

simonj wrote: »

I might take you up on that deerhunter.
The peremone arrived in the post today from the NPWS.
If anyone needs a contact there just PM me.

The cage is now baited with the 3 unitis of the pheremone stuff, it comes soaked into cigarette filters, each one should last a week, and they sent me loads.

Will update as and when anything else happens.

More than welcome Living in Limerick

simonj

johngalway wrote: »

Two bits of thin dowel, or even a good strong U shaped bit of bull wire set in front of the trap would keep the cats out. I forget the spacing off the top of my head but I'll find out for you.

Just using the pheramone lures now, the cats seem put off by them, and I think Mr Macho will avoid that area now, poor wee bugger was totally stressed out, and theres no other cats there - being a tom he ranges around the place

Eddie B

simonj wrote: »

I might take you up on that deerhunter.
The peremone arrived in the post today from the NPWS.
If anyone needs a contact there just PM me.

The cage is now baited with the 3 unitis of the pheremone stuff, it comes soaked into cigarette filters, each one should last a week, and they sent me loads.

Will update as and when anything else happens.

Any more information on the pheremone lure?
Soaked into cigarette filters, havn't heard of that before!

Holdover

deerhunter1 wrote: »

More than welcome Living in Limerick

Hi deerhunter,
If anyone isnt taking the traps off you I would definitely be interested, I live in clare so could easily collect.

cavan shooter

I came accross this if anyone is interested or needs dome pointers

http://www.sussexotters.org/pdf/Mink%20Control%20for%20Wildlife%20Conservation.pdf

Nimrod69

Hi all,

Had an interesting experience last night in the veg garden, our chickens were going manic, the gwp and cat were "on there toes" and we had a strange smell round the house. In the garden we had a mink trapped in a large water container, not a happy bunny. had to do the odvious, that was the first mink "seen" in our area for a few years.

johngalway

simonj wrote: »

Just using the pheramone lures now, the cats seem put off by them, and I think Mr Macho will avoid that area now, poor wee bugger was totally stressed out, and theres no other cats there - being a tom he ranges around the place

If you have any 2"x2" weldmesh lying around that'll let mink in and keep cats out. Just in case you have trouble again.

deerhunter1

Traps now gone