Mink beside Pheasant Pen.

Tawny Owl

The Club ordered some medicated feed as the young Pheasants have the gape,as I was driving towards the Pen to change over foods. I noticed two Mink jumping around the lane and having a great old time, not a worry in the World, it was the first time I did not have the Gun with me, as I had to meet a Lorry at 7pm last night and was rushing to get both pens done, and was on my own,will the Mink traps do the business and how or what is the best way to conceal and bait them, I have to get shut of these 2 before I open any entrances if they get in they will wipe all 200 Birds out:eek::eek: I must say they were in great condition but hopefully not for long.:D

ace86

Any fish bait at all will do I use markerel fillets that you buy in Aldi and I have a small milk bottle in the bak of the cage that I put the bait into so nothing can eat it out or be messing with the trap and set it off. I empty the juice in the near by water and wash the container in it is also and hopefully you will have sucess in 24 hrs as well. I also use disposable gloves when setting the trap too and I was told that pouring hot water over the cage too also gets rid of any other scents thats on it.Best of luck anyway.

Tawny Owl

Thanks ace86 I got two traps in Johnsons of Naas yesterday, they were set at 9.30pm last night in the pi##ing rain I was distroyed,anyway I will check today if I was successful.

One shot on kill

How were the traps. After talking to you today you mentioned you were checking them.

Tawny Owl

Empty but I will be checking again and rebaiting till I get the feckers.;)

Capercaille

The best bait is anal gland secretions from the mink's rectum. It attracts mink better than any fish bait. Also it attracts generally mink only so you won't attract protected animal like pine marten or stoat.

dicky82

id say his mink anal gland secretion stocks are low so best to keep using the fishy baits instead. i would also hazard a guess that he using the live catch traps which means he can release non target animals. . having experienced first hand what a mink can do in a matter of minutes never mind a night id say he'll be eager enough to catch them.

Tawny Owl

I am using live catch baited traps, I check the traps every morning at 6.30am before I head to work and again that evening, and if any animal is trapped other than the Mink they will of course be released, I am very aware of what is protected and what's not.

One shot on kill

Well done tawny owl I seen your traps and set up tonite very impressed and had a great evening out cheers again. Hope you catch the mink.

Tawny Owl

One shot on kill wrote: »

Well done tawny owl I seen your traps and set up tonite very impressed and had a great evening out cheers again. Hope you catch the mink.

Really enjoyed the evening, and your more than welcome any time and that's a lovely Rifle set up, as I said if you need to zero any gun that area is available anytime.;)

One shot on kill

Cheers bud we will talk more about foxs during the week.
Keep us posted on the traps tommorow.

Capercaille

Tawny Owl wrote: »

I am using live catch baited traps, I check the traps every morning at 6.30am before I head to work and again that evening, and if any animal is trapped other than the Mink they will of course be released, I am very aware of what is protected and what's not.

Calm down.
You asked about bait and I suggested anal gland (mink scent glands).

.1.2 Baits It has been shown that traps baited with mink scent
glands, which can be extracted from culled
animals or procured commercially (mink scent gland;
Kishel scents and lures, Saxonburg USA),
provide a catch success far greater than traditional fish baits (Figure 4, Roy
et al.
2006). There is also increasing anecdotal evidence that using predator scents may reduce the capture of non-targets (I.Macleod, pers. comm.). This has the added advantage
of leaving a greater proportion of traps
available for mink capture. Advantages of using scent gland baits are both that only a little is
needed which makes transport easier and bait viability remains effective for several days after baiting, while food based baits often decompose

From the NPWS website on mink control
http://npws.ie/publications/irishwildlifemanuals/IWM40.pdf

Tawny Owl

Capercaille wrote: »

Calm down.
You asked about bait and I suggested anal gland (mink scent glands).

From the NPWS website on mink control
http://npws.ie/publications/irishwildlifemanuals/IWM40.pdf

Thanks for the link made very good reading, a bit technical but to the point, I was not jumping up and down with my last post it's that there are so many with there view, and they have never experienced the damage these animals do we lost over 90 birds two years ago in the same pen. And all they do is just kill one bird after the other, Thanks again for the link and it was nice to read I had my traps set over 300 Mtrs from each other so I might just be doing this right.

goreyhead

Hi , best of luck catching the little buggers , we got 100 young pheasants early july and 4days later one night mink killed 87 of them ,they were lying dead everywhere in pen and it buried about 10 of them,got sent gland in from kishals and use it in cage traps but no sign of mink since , had another mink kill 47 one night in 2008 but we caught her using the sent gland first night we got it , was told it very hard to catch them with fish close to a pen full of pheasants but to set traps upstream and down stream from pen , but best of luck getting them as i know the damage the do in a pen

Eddie B

Using gland lures can be very efective in the breeding season but not so much this time of year and can actually deter some mink from entering a cage! Stick to using fish baits and handle the cage as little as possible changing bait once a week at most! Also make sure and keep your cages as tight to the pen as possible! Most mink that raid pens this time of year are young mink and wont be at all trap shy.

Tawny Owl

Well got a mink last night a female so I am delighted, If you can bear with me I will up load a few photos of the fecker before, and 1 or 2 after with her having a long lie down. I am having problems with the internet at home at the moment, I can only use the Computer in work.:D:D:D.

Tawny Owl

Here are a few photos as promised.;)

One shot on kill

Jasus she was small enough is that the size of them.

Tawny Owl

No they can be bigger, and if she got the pheasants so would her extended Family:D yeah only small but the hissing from her, getting close to the 1st now not long;)

Cheers.

One shot on kill

No not long to the first now.

Keep the traps set up because she does have family and there is definitely 1 more out there. Which trap did you catch her in.

dodderangler

I missed a mink tonight with the shotgun.
Wasn't paying attention and I just caught a glimpse of his head as I lifted the gun he managed to jump and I took the shot but didn't get him. Quick little fcukers.
There is a pheasant pen about 2 hundred yards away and I'm not sure if the owner knows there is one about. I've never seen one around these parts. But anyway he wasn't at home so should I leave a note or knock in to tell him?

ace86

dodderangler wrote: »

I missed a mink tonight with the shotgun.
Wasn't paying attention and I just caught a glimpse of his head as I lifted the gun he managed to jump and I took the shot but didn't get him. Quick little fcukers.
There is a pheasant pen about 2 hundred yards away and I'm not sure if the owner knows there is one about. I've never seen one around these parts. But anyway he wasn't at home so should I leave a note or knock in to tell him?

tell him as soon as possible and let him get a trap going if he gets into the pheasants well sin sin as they say

Tawny Owl

One shot on kill wrote: »

No not long to the first now.

Keep the traps set up because she does have family and there is definitely 1 more out there. Which trap did you catch her in.

The one beside the main entrance to the Pen.

Tawny Owl

dodderangler wrote: »

I missed a mink tonight with the shotgun.
Wasn't paying attention and I just caught a glimpse of his head as I lifted the gun he managed to jump and I took the shot but didn't get him. Quick little fcukers.
There is a pheasant pen about 2 hundred yards away and I'm not sure if the owner knows there is one about. I've never seen one around these parts. But anyway he wasn't at home so should I leave a note or knock in to tell him?

By all means call into the person and explain what you have seen you might be called on to help out you will get great experience watching someone bait a trap as they will destroy any birds and not for food they just kill.

4200fps

dose you bait with anti freeze. They won't live long

Capercaille

4200fps wrote: »

dose you bait with anti freeze. They won't live long

Illegal and irresponsible.

Tawny Owl

4200fps wrote: »

dose you bait with anti freeze. They won't live long

Cant do that as I have a live trap, there is a possible chance of catching a Pine Martin and other animals which I can release , as I check the traps before work at 6am and again at 7pm.:eek::eek: I know we want rid off the Mink but I don't bait poison anywhere.

Tawny Owl

Just caught another Mink at 9pm over the moon posting this from my phone Computer off for repair will post next batch of photos tomorrow

One shot on kill

Savage well done tawny

ace86

well done keep it up

Tawny Owl

Mink number 2 photos attached;) just have to keep the traps going.

Tawny Owl

Missed going to the Pen tonight I was sorting out Memberships cards and tickets for a draw. Anyway got a text with photo from two of the club members, and yes another Mink bit's the dust we are getting great results on this one trap. the photo is on my phone I will try and upload.:D:D

Tawny Owl

Mink number 3 tonight

One shot on kill

No way

Are you rareing mink or pheasants down there.

Wildsport

You could try spreading liquidized fish for scent around the traps, but I would put a few more traps 300 metres on any water course leading to the pens as well.

Wildsport

Great stuff, you'll sleep better knowing there gone

Tawny Owl

Just an update on the Mink count, I got another one male in a trap last night about 7pm bringing the total so far since I started this thread to 6:D the one from last nights trap was a little heavier than the previous one's but like all the rest dead now.as I said in the first post these Mink are in great condition so there eating very well.

Cheers Tawny Owl;)

dodderangler

Are they like foxes in a way that if one mink is gone another will move in to the area??

Eddie B

Tawny Owl wrote: »

Just an update on the Mink count, I got another one male in a trap last night about 7pm bringing the total so far since I started this thread to 6:D the one from last nights trap was a little heavier than the previous one's but like all the rest dead now.as I said in the first post these Mink are in great condition so there eating very well.

Cheers Tawny Owl;)

I've never seen a mink in bad condition with no disease to speak of, and such good hunters, they never loose condition!

Eddie B

dodderangler wrote: »

Are they like foxes in a way that if one mink is gone another will move in to the area??

Yea once you catch a mink on a waterway, or close to a waterway, another will take its place! But if every gunclub does its mink controll properly, then mink numbers will be kept to a minimum. I trap each area starting this time of year, till im not catching anymore, and go back over them again in Dec and Jan to catch the odd mink that took up residence over the couple a months!

kfod

I'd say that trap has more than paid for itself! well done! Its great to see the mink numbers being reduced.

Tawny Owl

kfod wrote: »

I'd say that trap has more than paid for itself! well done! Its great to see the mink numbers being reduced.

Yes 25 euro each trap so this one trap has caught all 6 so I reckon we as a Club are ahead.