The mink is the only animal in my area that i havnt caught yet. this is my first year mink trapping and i was wondering if yall had any tips or pointers? it would be greatly apreciated.thanks

There are MANY resent post on Minking.......look though the forum or use the search button on the top...... Me I have to use a cage and i am sure you don't want to have to stoop to my level

everybody on here has told me Blind sets are the most effective

Pockets Are #1 then the blind set.

Well I have lots of sign on my line but I have not been able to connect either. Must be something I am missing, Best of luck

It takes awhile to learn how to think like a mink. After you have reached that plateau, the blind set is the most productive with mink as the deliberate catch.

The pocket sets can be equally as effective, but take more time and effort, and are attractive to mink, raccoon, muskrat - even an occasional otter, fox, skunk or opossum have been known to visit them. With that variety of catch potential at a pocket set for "mink," adequate staking is imperative to cover that range of possibilities.

Jonathan

in minnesota the pocket will always be the best, period. they respond well to bait here, better than in other areas ive trapped. yes the pocket will take the coon as well, but i cant afford to let 25 dollar coon walk by and try to just take the 10 dollar mink. i caught my first mink in a blind set, 40 years ago. made a few blind sets this fall, but caught every one of 490 mink in the pockets, and most of them in 2 1/2 weeks, and the nearly 600 coon and 300 rats helped out that fur check alot more than the mink did. for me its all line management for the most return i can get for my investment and time. and jonathans right, always stake for the largest animal in your area.

Fossil, That is a most admirable and impressive endorsement for the effectiveness of the Pocket Set, supporting it's value as a multi-species set to extend the rewards of one's efforts - validated with year's of experience.

I think many would envy your catches and want you nearby for a water trapping teacher. Yours truly would be the first one at the door to sign up for classes. I am not a "minker" in comparison to you by any stretch with numbers like that, but do know how to catch them if there are any around to harvest - have never been around habitats with populations of that magnitude to warrant the effort.

Over the years, what have you found to be the most effective bait/lure combinations at your pocket sets, primarily attractive to mink and raccoon?

Jonathan

490 Mink?!?! That's incredible. How many came from dry pockets?

You outta write a book!

I've found here in Mn that any kind of fish (i use mostly carp, bullhead and sucker they are easily available and work good), muskrat or fresh meat works good. Rotten meat or guts do not work very good here. At times the mink seem not too interested in the food but the pocket always seems to interest them. I like to put in a pocket and if there is a good spot for a blind set nearby I throw in one of those too. I reallly like where a low falt bank turns into a steep cut bank these are often good for a blind set at each end and a pocke in the middle. Sometimes you will also find a trail going up and around the steep bank which you may be albe to set up also.

490 mink! WAY TO GO Theres so darn many guys around here stacking up those mink like firewood aint no wonder I never break a dozen well that and the fact I'm a part timer.

you should do a mink demo for us guys in MN. that is incredible.

jonathan, like i said its all in the way you manage your time. none were dry pockets. our population of mink consists of one or two mink almost everywhere, but alot nowhere. run 250 to 300 miles a day and youll find access to alot of mink. i like to use the oiliest fish i can get, as they seem to decompose alot more slowly and give off a fresher odor longer. if i use lure, i use a pint of fish oil with 1 ounce of mink gland lure mixed in, simple and cheap. after every catch, i squeeze the glands and snap the water off the mink onto the bank all over the set. the whole area reeks of mink after that. now if they just bring a decent price,,haha. i havent sold anything yet, hope things improve on the mink, but im sure that as usual the coon will be the most profitable. hope this helps.

Fossil, Thank you for sharing that experienced knowledge. As a long time hobby trapper, my lengthiest long line was probably a 100 miles, round trip! I cannot imagine all of the daily hard work involved with running a professional, long line for mink to the extent that you do. That is most commendable. Bravo!

Jonathan

so fossil do you put up any of that or are they just froze whole, i think i would be hireing someone to do my skinnin at least. those are some pretty impressive numbers.

what section of MN are ya from? id just like to know.

same here. maybe you could shw me and skunker how do it at the same time.

jonathan, thanks for the kind words, and yes its alot of work. skunker, i hire the processing done on the early fur, til freeze up, then put up most of what we get after that point. i trap fun stuff after freeze up, and pick up a few coon beaver and otter weasels mink and rats, occasional skunk. will take another 200 coon in late jan and early feb when breeding starts, then spring beaver, hopefully 200-300 of them,,,thats the fur we mostly put up, as much as we have time for.

Good lord !! Your a busy boy,aren't ya ?

busy old man is more like it. 50 in a couple weeks. aint ready to slow down quite yet though. quit smoking after 33 years this fall, and that made alot of difference. didnt get so winded running up and down those banks after that.

wow that is awsome, i can't imagine 200 coon after freeze up, are you usin lots of conibuckets/boxes. so where are ya from? don't answer if its too personal.

skunker, i grew up in the st james area. live near pennock now. i use almost 100% 160 and 220 boxes that time of year. i dont know anyone from minnesota thats ever had what id consider a decent success rate with boxes much before feb 1st, on an average year, so we wait til then with the boxes. all the dogs are out of the field as seasons are closed, and we trap mostly private land at that time. we all need to be more careful with these sets. there have been multiple dog issues already this year in minnesota.