Just a note for the trappers that are not old veteran minkers, the purpose, value and added response of weasel musk in mink lure formulation is known as an 'enrager'. Mink and weasel are natural enemies and when a mink smells the odor of weasel emitting from a pocket he thinks there is a weasel inside, becomes 'enraged' and dives right into a pocket. Anyone who who baits pocket sets for mink will find a noticeable increase in harvest if they use a lure containing weasel musk in its formulation. Ace

Guys I appreciate your objections. I am a very experienced minker and Gary I really appreciate your reply. I understand trapping conditions are different and if I had grown up with the kind of terrain you trap, I am sure I would feel the same way. This is just the way I trap around here and my experiences with mink trapping. As for Salt telling me to pay attention, I beg to differ with ya. I didn't get to trap much last season and only caught 16 mink in three weeks but the season before I caught 102 mink, so I think I do have some experience with mink. As far as learning more about mink trapping, I can always learn and willing. I just simply stated my methods and experiences. There are refusals and that you can't convince me otherwise.lol I have seen it and know what I am talking about. Many things I may not know but I feel very confident in talkin mink trappin with anyone.

Hey, Asa if I used some weasel musk/glands in a pocket where there weren't any weasels around would the mink still be "enraged" or would it turn into a curiosity smell. Just curious.

Netrapper asked...Hey, Asa if I used some weasel musk/glands in a pocket where there weren't any weasels around would the mink still be "enraged" or would it turn into a curiosity smell. Just curious.

Never thought about it before but i'm sure it would still work the same way as the mink would still likely inherently recognize the odor as a natural enemy. I have scores of customers everywhere who use my mink lures containing weasel musk and weasel gland lure at mink sets year after year with added success. Ace

Asa, are you going to Evart to the MTA?

Adc, Great topic! I dont use any mink lure, However I use the mink I catch for bait & allways cut the glands open on them when I use them. Sometimes Just use the fresh glands in my pocket sets. They have a place on my trapline

Have you got all your traps ready for opening day?

Minnow

Freepop asked...
Asa, are you going to Evart to the MTA?

No, I only go to the U.P. conventions at Escanaba and Kinross.

Good post salt hunter. Sure many mink have been taken with blind sets but I would venture to say many more have been taken in baited or lured pockets. When a mink comes through a blind set you have one chance to have its foot find the pan. If your off a little or the mink happens to bounce differently this time through you miss him. When using a bait or lure or both that a mink is readily interested in and you have confined the area in which it can place its feet on the approach to the pocket your odds are greatly increased for a catch. Mink have much better noses than people give them credit for. I see absolutely no advantage to the use of mink musk in any amount in a mink lure. They do not mark their territory with it any more than a skunk does with its musk. Both are in the weasel family and both use it as a defence and fear response. lures are only valuable when they provoke a strong response in the target animal to investigate the odor. Every bottle of "Maquoketa River Lure" that I formulate does just that.

I agree with Dave P! Ace

What are ground and aged mink glands good for?

I think there is a place for mink glands in mink lure formulation so long as its not too strong and overpowering so as to scare off females and timid male mink as well as overpowering milder ingredients in the formulation.
I have experimented with mink glands in canine lure formulation and they are a good attractor to bring fox and coyote up to the set. However, I have seen many times where fox and coyote seemed hesitant to stick their nose into a hole that smelled like mink. I concluded from the number of times this happened (tracks in sand and snow)that some canines are reluctant to take a chance on getting bit on the nose by a mink in the hole. I noted tracks many times attempting to look into the hole from the side and back of a set, way more often than when lures without mink glands were tested. Ace

i agree with ya on that one asa ..... "conditioning" .... those ones that refuse to work those holes have had run ins with mink in their lifetimes and dont want that tender nose bitten ... but there was a reason they were bitten to begin with .... before the nose bites they had gained food either from stealin it from a mink or findin a mink cache ... this post keeps gettin better and better

In my opinion their best aplication is when used in a canine formulation and to a lesser degree for otter. I prefer to use them fresh with a few other enhancing ingredients for coyotes. Mink musk is quite volitale and requires the use of a few other ingredients to hold it down and keep it in the animals scent zone. I would highly value Aces input on the subject

I understand what Gary is saying about how a Coyote's past experiences with a mink might play a roll in if he investigates a set with mink musk or not. But, what about the young Coyote/Fox/Bobcat that has never had a run in with a mink before. Now, any furbearer must smell numerous scents on a daily basis, but I'm sure they do not go around investigating all of those scents. So my question is what would pull a furbearer to a set with mink musk if that furbearere has never had an experience with that scent?

K-9 I got plenty of 3 and 4 year old weseal gland ground up.

That's what I wondered, is how a guy can get any quantity of weasel gland. Is it straight up gland or is anything done to them to stretch them out a bit?

I mean we are atlking some pretty tiny little pods and there just can't be THAT many weasels killed every year can there? I'm guessing some of you guys got an in with some pretty good weasel trappers.

They work good on fox, great on coyotes.
I was messing with bobcats in Washington state, but not enought to say it was as good as castor

k9...

forieghn glands your reccon?

i mean, from over seas to?

Okay, I was curious as I wanted to purchase some lure. I can order from F & T though. It would've been nice to meet you and talk for a bit also.

Netrapper writes...
So my question is what would pull a furbearer to a set with mink musk if that furbearere has never had an experience with that scent?

Canines are curious about scent gland of most all other animal species and recognize them as animal even though they have never had experience with them. For example, a desert animal never smelled castor but it attracts animals attention wherever its placed. Also, I think some canines when smelling mink musk recognize mink as being potentially dangerous to stick their nose in a hole even if they have never had any experience with mink. Just an example of danger recognition, I once had an Airedal that would shiver and shake when it smelled bear poop even though he had never had a confrontation with a bear. Ace