Good story, Dave. Thanks for posting. I once sat in a skiff on the ocean, watching a big male mink fishing for herring. He was in a big boulder patch. Tide was low (about 20' to tide line). I watched him catch 17 herring, go up through the rocks with a fish, disappear into the vegetation, evidently cache it, then return for yet another herring. I watched him for probably 35-40 minutes, at about 15 yards. He was not spooked at all when a bald eagle alit in an overhead tree. On the other hand, he disappeared into the rocks when a raven flew by, very obviously scared.

Things that people do not know is the best way to put up mink for auction is to have a good inspection area. A grader has to go in that area at least 5 times during the process.
Two thumbs up is used many a time on inspections.

Mink oil is used for water-proofing boots and in WW1 the Canadian troops that were killed in the trenches the medics would check the boots for ID, always remember that from Great uncles that were in the body recovery telling a young 9 year old

Ah . . . . in the back of my mind I thought I saw this picture somewhere before. Been awhile. Nice work, sir.

There was one of those books go in a local auction for 40$CAN a few months back

Thanks Sharon for providing the nice pictures for my article on mink trapping in the" Trappers Post " last year. This is an interesting thread Gulo.

Think I have plenty around home. I have seen them chase rabbits many times. One day one tried a goose nest but got his butt kicked. That was after a otter had tried also. Figured the otter wasn't very hungry that day. Mink sometimes plug my otter traps. I prefer not to catch them.

My sistah in law sent me this pic of a mink she took ...while on a walk near the house

Nice photos everybody. Mink are one of the neatest animals on the planet.

X2 Trapper7. Whenever I am out about. If I see a mink hunting. I will watch them until they disappear. My grandfather taught me how to blind set for mink in cattail swamps.
Rabbits and mink have trails. Willow is a good place to set in. Fascinating creatures for sure.
My first catch was a mink. In an old dry muskrat den. Piece of rabbit for bait. A 1 1/2 long spring trap on a drag in December.
Thanks for posting this thread.

Trapper7 and stinkypete -

I would certainly agree, you guys, with your assessment of mink. They're a fascinating critter, for sure!

Thanks for contributing to the thread.

Jack

Any chance you have any of those chicken wire traps the locals used to use? Anyone still use them? Ray Waska in Emo gave me a few when I lived in Nome but I never found the right places to put them. Heard other elders in Emo talk about "mink camp" back in the day.

As a matter of fact, I do have a few left. Here is one I made. Most are still hung on a bush on my trapline. This was the main Mink, otter, and muskrat trap in this area. You do need the right size creek to set them, but sometimes just along the bank works good. They are set under ice. I catch fish in them too.

Thanks guys, for the photos of the fyke traps. They can be very efficient in some places.

Jack

We call them Talooyuk here.

Walt, it is always a pleasure to be asked to illustrate such articles for trappers.

Really like all these photos .

I went out with Ray, around Emo (Emmonak) once. He showed me the kind of places to set but never found any around Nome. I'll admit I didn't look that hard. With the right size mesh you could fill that trap with immanguks, (blackfish). Would need a pretty stout mesh to hold otter.

That is a Boone & Crockett mink Jeff !!

One time many years ago I was walking down to watch the river freeze .. Late October. No snow yet. I hear an awful racket of squalling and hissing. Also lots of leaf noise off in the distance.

The I notice a large mink chasing a small mink.

I stood very still and watched.

They ran right at me and the little one circled and hid behind my left boot. Rested her head on my toe while growling at the big guy. The air was thick with musk.
I figured they were going to chase each other around my legs like a barber's pole.

I was imagining my Levi's shredded and blood running into the tops of my boots. Eventually, they both took off into the trees still snarling.

Then my heart started again.

The story below is part of an article. I wrote 10 or 12 years ago . I have caught lots of mink in my life
But this one when I was still a young boy highlights the minks natural curiosity and a boys tendency for getting in trouble.
(Story) As a young boy, I would spend most summer weekends at my parents. Cottage on mud lake by Chetek wisconsin. Mink were often observed along the shore with one litter of young even being raised in our boat house. They would be seen swimming around our wire mesh live well which was attached to the dock. One evening while rowing our old 14 foot wood boat along the shore casting for bass I spotted a mink watching me from a log. Being young and not having acquired much common sense, I cast my wooden surface lure towards the log. The mink eyed it curiously until I gave it a twitch and then pounced on it . Now I had a real dilemma on my hands. I fought the mink back to the boat and set the rod down on the floor with one foot on it and rowed back to the dock dragging the hapless mink behind. My father came down to the dock after hearing my yells. With a mouthful of hooks , catch and release was not an option , so he dispatched the mink. After a firm scolding I never again used my Fishing lures for anything but fish.

For otter, you have to use the heavy gauge wire. The trap I posted above held otter. The thinner gauge they will tear right through. I have had them pull muskrats through to eat them before.


Great stories guys.

Back in the late 70's or early 80's, Irwin Goldberg (Seattle) showed me a pile of Kuskokwim mink skins. I've seen lots of mink skins since then, and nothing has even been close to the Kuskokwim when comparing wild mink.