mink trapping

Question for all ye trappers. Why are gin traps illegal where as fenn traps are legal.

Caught a fine 1lb + trout last evening. First 1lb trout I have caught where I fish in maybe 10 yrs. Further proof in my mind that mink predate heavily on trout when they are available. Been trapping mink now for a lot of 10 yrs where I fish.

The fish was released again.

minktrapper wrote: »

Would otters get caught in them? Have you any pictures of your snares? And how they are made up.

The loop is only three to three and a half inches wide. There is no chance of an Otter getting caught in one. Even a young Otter is two big to get his head into one.

Would otters get caught in them? Have you any pictures of your snares? And how they are made up.

minktrapper wrote: »

Just looking at your concrete pipe and snare Eddie. Is there any need to bait the pipe?

No need to bait any of those run through set ups. It's all about location. If you can spend a bit of time looking for spots where mink are likely to pass through, then you can set them up with a pipe, wooden box, rocks etc, and then just use them each year. You could leave them as permanent corridors for mink to use, and then set a trap in them whenever you want.

Some places I don't need to do anything except stick in a pipe, box, etc and it's good to go. Other places, I may need to block off gaps/openings, at the location with rocks, brush etc, so as to leave your set as the easiest route for a mink to get from A to B.

Nine times out of ten, a mink will take the easiest route.

If using plastic pipes, I usually cover with soil or rocks, so's it stays in place all year, incase of flooding. Little bit of work involved, but they make one hell of an enticing tunnel for mink.

I'll visit that concrete pipe location, come September, see if there is any sign of activity. Didn't trap that spot at all last year.

Just looking at your concrete pipe and snare Eddie. Is there any need to bait the pipe?

Eddie B wrote: »

That is a pitty, but good to know there are decent fish in the river again.

Not worried about losing the fish as all fish are returned anyhow. Really good to see sizeable fish there again. Next year should be better.

Asus1 wrote: »

Nothing wrong with either,both fine for me good information in all your vidoes and the 1 you linked to of the lad making the trap is great.What was the air-rifle you were using.I use to use the air rifle too now I use cci 22shorts in the 10/22 not as safe as the air-rifle but if you put the cage on a soft piece of grass it cuts down the danger a bit.
Also your beard is epic must be a b1tch to keep clean.

Its a Norica .22 spring loader. Nothing special, but does the job. Yea beard can be annoying, but herself likes it lol

Asus1

Eddie B wrote: »

Sorry about the quality. The weather wasn't the best. Wet and windy. As i said, nothing set in stone. Just how i set em.

https://youtu.be/-PRENioJ2HI

https://youtu.be/IHFLekWYcy8

Nothing wrong with either,both fine for me good information in all your vidoes and the 1 you linked to of the lad making the trap is great.What was the air-rifle you were using.I use to use the air rifle too now I use cci 22shorts in the 10/22 not as safe as the air-rifle but if you put the cage on a soft piece of grass it cuts down the danger a bit.
Also your beard is epic must be a b1tch to keep clean.

minktrapper wrote: »

Lost a good trout last night. First good fish I hooked in maybe 8 years. Due to intensive trapping of mink in the spring fish numbers and bigger fish are more abundant.

That is a pitty, but good to know there are decent fish in the river again.

Lost a good trout last night. First good fish I hooked in maybe 8 years. Due to intensive trapping of mink in the spring fish numbers and bigger fish are more abundant.

Double post

Asus1 wrote: »

Any links to videos,thanks.

Sorry about the quality. The weather wasn't the best. Wet and windy. As i said, nothing set in stone. Just how i set em.

https://youtu.be/-PRENioJ2HI

https://youtu.be/IHFLekWYcy8

Asus1

Eddie B wrote: »

Yea agree. Mink aint too bothered bout human scent. I dont bury my traps but often peg it down with tent pegs. Apart from that, i cover as you do. I done a couple of youtube video's last year on how i set cages, but nothing is set in stone. Whatever works well for the individual is the way to go.

Any links to videos,thanks.

Thanks for the replies gents

minktrapper wrote: »

I don't anyhow. They don't seem to mind human scent. Bury the cage into the side of the bank.Place some mackerel under the cage behind the trigger mechanism Cover the cage with vegetation then some earth. Put smaller pieces of mackerel in along the cage. They will try to get at the bait if you don't cover it and set the trap off.

Yea agree. Mink aint too bothered bout human scent. I dont bury my traps but often peg it down with tent pegs. Apart from that, i cover as you do. I done a couple of youtube video's last year on how i set cages, but nothing is set in stone. Whatever works well for the individual is the way to go.

I don't anyhow. They don't seem to mind human scent. Bury the cage into the side of the bank.Place some mackerel under the cage behind the trigger mechanism Cover the cage with vegetation then some earth. Put smaller pieces of mackerel in along the cage. They will try to get at the bait if you don't cover it and set the trap off.

Eddie B wrote: »

Yea sorry lads, probably worded it badly. As above, i meant that door mechanism on the 29 euro trap. Yer man said its a good mechanism, and hasn't had anything escape from them.

I've ordered 4 of these from MacEoin's, thanks for the advice.

Does anyone know anything about the best way to get rid of human or other scents from traps, or is it necessary?

J Mysterio

minktrapper wrote: »

Any chance someone could spread Covid 19 to Irish mink. I have that trap that Eddie is talking about. The single entry one with the double locking mechanism @ €29. They just can't get out.

We have some old, ****ty rusty ones. I'll try post a photo tomorrow. We should really catch the ones we have been seing. They follow an obvious route.

Funny thing is they can look super cute, especially when young, but I can't imagine the devastation they cause

Any chance someone could spread Covid 19 to Irish mink. I have that trap that Eddie is talking about. The single entry one with the double locking mechanism @ €29. They just can't get out.

oleras wrote: »

I know squat about catching mink, but as i understand it, one post is talking about double entry traps the other is a double locking mechanism ?

Yea sorry lads, probably worded it badly. As above, i meant that door mechanism on the 29 euro trap. Yer man said its a good mechanism, and hasn't had anything escape from them.

oleras wrote: »

I know squat about catching mink, but as i understand it, one post is talking about double entry traps the other is a double locking mechanism ?

That could be it, thanks oleras

oleras

I know squat about catching mink, but as i understand it, one post is talking about double entry traps the other is a double locking mechanism ?

Eddie B wrote: »

Yea, a few years back i met the guy who had/has the contract for trapping mink on the Shannon. His boat was stacked up with those traps. He said they were very good. I was tempted to get some at the time, but i had far too many traps as it was. What i like about them, just frim looking at them, is that double door locking mechanism. I do have a rat trap with the same type door mechanism.

Hi Eddie, in your first reply you said you thought the single-entry traps were better, but here it seems the other way round, or is it just me getting mixed up? (Very likely!)

Can you clarify, thanks a mill!

Is it the double entry he said were very good?

I have been trapping my local river for a number of years now. Trout seemed to have almost disappeared from the river. There seemed to be a bit of a recovery last year in fish numbers. This year a major recovery seems to have taken place. A good few fish rising. All around 1/2 lb. Maybe next year numbers might increase again with heavier trout more abundant. No mink caught this year. No fish with bite marks. I am convinced that mink predate heavily on trout when fish are abundant.

SakoHunter75 wrote: »

There's my answer, cheers mate

Yea, a few years back i met the guy who had/has the contract for trapping mink on the Shannon. His boat was stacked up with those traps. He said they were very good. I was tempted to get some at the time, but i had far too many traps as it was. What i like about them, just frim looking at them, is that double door locking mechanism. I do have a rat trap with the same type door mechanism.

Eddie B wrote: »

The NPWS are using that first one for 29 euro, so that would be my choice. I dont like double entry traps, and the few i do have, ive wired closed one of the doors, and just use them as single entry baited traps.

There's my answer, cheers mate