I’ll start off by saying that I catch about 1-2 mink a day every year when I take off for vacation and can set out 100 or so sets for them along with 3-5 raccoon and a couple muskrat. I have always night latched every trap I set.

However, I’ve got a ton of traps they are new this year and my dad used to long line back in the day and is telling me he never night latched mink/coon traps.

Is it worth the time and effort? Are there downsides to doing so I am not thinking about? I have caught some toes and that and I often wonder if it is because of the night latching being too sensitive (maybe that’s the coyote trapper in me).

Thanks for any input you may have!

i don't set any traps at night so i don't.

I don’t know anything about mink so take this with a grain of salt. In my opinion nightlatching muskrat and beaver traps is not really necessary, because they aren’t likely to pick their paw up and investigate if the pan creeps a little. I would assume that mink are the same way but like I said I don’t know a thing about them.

Coon and canines on the other hand get very curious about it and will investigate. That’s why I nightlatch my canine traps. If I’m in the mood and have time to tinker I nightlatch my water traps just because I like to push the pan down and hear the click and it just gives me peace of mind that it’s set correctly. I’m a little ocd that way. I will lie awake at night and stress over it if I don’t make sure every single variable is under control at every set I make.

I like to file the pan notch down to about 1/16 of an inch instead of having two notchs.

don't forget whatever you do to pinch the loop in the dog. back and forth travel is not good. should only move up and down.


before


after


before


after

Fast and easy to set. No fooling around with two notchs. Just set the trap. Don't forget to bend the dog post to level the pan when its set. It is worth the time to do. No fooling around on the line. Set the trap its ready.

^^I have done this in the past with good success as well. I call it short latching haha.

I night latch

I tried it and while I think it has merit, I had a problem using it- after a while, dirt, rust, wax and crud gets built up making the notch even smaller, causing slipping and misfires. Just keep a file handy to clean them every so often. Night latching comes in handy when you cant see close up (like me).

Do like Danny shows you no need for night latching your traps.

If you don't want to night latch traps, try Mike Kelly's wild river pans. I have both in my mink trapping arsenal.

First time I saw that little bubble on the dog was on the original pawsitrip pans. you can also just file a little notch on the end of your existing dog if your determined to make your trap go click for some reason.

I think they need that click for "blind setting" traps.

You have 100 working sets and are only averaging 2 mink a day. That should educate you about your system.

There have been systems around for years, but most of them for canine's involving filing on triggers. The original was angled notch, that became an angled dog with barely a trigger in the mid 1980's. That was for a full weight break on larger predators. That is not something necessary for mink, nor what you are fumbling around doing.
Personally, I would get an invention called an LED light to see what you are doing and find other ways to waste your time as I will assume you are a pocket hole set trapper and that is one of the biggest wastes of time and advertisements to have traps lifted ever devised.


Set in the dark, repent in the light.

Thanks for the advice there bud. Except I have a few things for you.

#1 approximately 95% of my sets are blind sets with the occasional pocket
#2 we don’t have numbers like you do where I am in PA...let’s trap the same waters and I can guarantee you I’ll put just as much fur in my basket as you do in yours.
#3 in setting 100 sets, I’m still only covering approximately 6-8 drainages, most are gang set (4-6 at a location) for a variety of weather conditions and critters.
#4 I’m not sure why you’re so arrogant or feel the need to be such a jerk, but talking to fellow trappers in such a demeaning way sure isn’t preserving the sport any.
#5 I’m going to assume you catch 50 mink a day with dog proofs because you’re just THAT good.

2 out of 100 sounds about right, maybe lower for rats here in PA LOL.