This year had shown that most the game under the bridge was on top of a dry concrete shelf adjacent to the stream about 18” above the water surface. It was post Christmas so I was not trapping coon. Come next year I would like to blind set this shelf. Anyone out there set footholds on a dry shelf this way?

I believe I'd put down some sod on the shelf to bed the trap in, then you should be good to go. Of course where that shelf ends you could/should be setting as well IMO. Also if the shelf is wide a block or big rock out from the edge with just enough room to pass behind it will sure help guide them. You may run into issues with staking, so be sure to consider that.

For mink I've put a conibear on a KB stabilizer and blocked it down with sticks and rocks on the concrete against the wall

Snare mink on it. Look close in second pic it is a double.

is the brick secured to a larger rock below or is the brick enough to keep them there by it's self?

Good stuff Eric.

Mac

First thing you need to consider Is can you use snares In Ohio.
You could always dig a pocket set on either end of the bridge.
The other thing you could do Is make some trap sized sand bags. Get some pant legs and cut them about 8" long. Sew up one end then fill will sand and then sew up the other end. Just put enough sand In so you can wiggle the trap so It's stabilized on the bag. I use this system when I trap mink on those rip rapped banks. Use something to narrow down the approach to the trap. Use something that they won't try to climb on.
But the most important part of this set up Is to get It set up months In advance of the season. This way the mink will get use to this set up. You can place the materiel your going to use to narrow the ledge and you can even place the sand bag.
If It were me I would have my trap anchor set In the water. You could also place that ahead of the season. You can just use some wire or cable hooked up to your anchor and the trap.
I always had Issues with refusals when using BGs In open areas. And we can't use snares In WI.

Nice looking set-up Eric. Looks pretty effective too. Thanks!!

Brick is weight to drown mink, (catch mink and he pulls brick off ledge into water) support wire is twisted to brick, holes in brick great holders of weeds and sticks for blocking. Notice I always put a small rock between snare and bridge wall. Better catch rate than if snare is set against wall on a larger bridge "step". Mink snares are legal in Ohio. No refusals of a snare like a BG.
Note to any states trappers association that does not allow a mink snare. Get on the ball and demand one.(don't ask, demand) You have to remember that the "God" of all DNR's or game commissions east of the Rockies is the whitetail deer. Anything that will not harm a deer is easy to get them to approve. Show them a mink snare that opens to a maximum loop size of 4 inches, breaks away at less than 100 pounds and it will breeze right thru the regulation process. It is obvious it will not catch a deer. Just have the gumpsion to push for it.

Unless you have to use snares by law or just want to try something for fun, I can't see many people utilizing the snare for that situation... but it is great that you have found something that works with your crappy regulations in NJ Eric. Too bad our regs will likely never change so I can give that a try myself. I don't think it'd hold many mink with a 2 1/2" loop for a deer stop that is required on all our snares.

ADC: have you tried to get the deer stop regulation changed for a mink snare? Don't wave a white flag without an effort.
Yes, in NJ we cannot use a foot trap. When DP coon traps came out (I think all will agree they hold a coon by the foot) the NJ trapping associations went to our Fish and Wildlife and said "We need this". Actually got it passed thru the legislature in the blueist of states so we can now use a DP. My point was most states associations don't try to get positive changes to their trapping regulations.
Back to the mink snare, don't knock them 'til you try 'em. In the situation obaugh originally outlined in this post a snare will out catch any other mink trap. It's no different than with fox or coyotes or beaver, some places a snare is the best option.

Wow awesome pic. Exactly what I was referring too. Same width

This is an awesome thread Several good examples of ways to put in some creative sets to increase your odds of catching fur Charles Dobbins often said Let the fur bearer show you where to put the trap . And for those that do not use cable restraints/ snares If they are legal in your state and you do not use them you are missing out on an easy and often inexpensive tool that will put a lot more fur in your sets l I resisted taking the training course in my state fora number of years Many of my younger trapping friends would tell me I was missing the boat on a lot of fur by not getting certified Finally after about close to 10 years of not taking on the challenge of learnig some thing new I made the effort to learn how to use CR'S All I can say is I doubled my best ever season total on foxes and the next year increased my fox catch by a large amount Learning to use new methods allows you to make sets that did not seem possible before Again lots of good tips from all that replied

Agree, if you want something changed you have to initiate the process. Only trappers really understand the challenges.

From my research Ohio law requires a deer stop, or a break away… anyone make a snare specific to these laws that have a history of successfully snaring mink?

Snares ARE allowed in Wi., as long as one half of snare is under water. Beav in his maturity has forgotten things....lol... also if he hasnt used snares for mink , lost a productive tool. At least 10 % of my mink catches are from snares.

My thinking.....if they're traveling under the bridge, then they're traveling on each side of the bridge where there's dirt and water and a trail, too, where it's probably easier to make sets. Id just make sets on each side of the bridge where it's easier.