Mink Trapping

of young prairie trappers, on trapping mink, says a Minnesota trapper. In the first place the steel trap is

n look around. Close by I will find a small dump of trash made by muskrats, where the mink go to dung. I set two or three traps so when set and covered with fine brush they will be even with the surface and looking natural. I will then go

mink that gets on that swamp, if it is not over two or three miles long, will visit that place in one or two nights. At a place like that

isit. It may be a hole in a bank or an old muskrat house. You can tell it by the

inches long, turn one end when hot over the ring of trap chain, sharpen the other end. I only lost one mink last winter by gnawing his foot off.

ps and lose enough fur the firs

were stretched 6 inches wide at tail tapering to a point at nose, being 8 inches long, when they should have been

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ubject, says an Illinois trapper. Sometimes I find methods that I have used with good success, methods that I think would be good, and methods that I think would never work in any locality. Not like the muskrat, the habits of the mink are almos

ht here to all young trappers, and also to some older ones--learn the habits of the animal you wish to trap, and if you are half a trapper, success will be yours. I have learned many things that I never knew before I trapped for him, b

he dry season all the tile ditches and small creeks have very little water in them, and no better places can the m

n or out of the tile. Always see that the jaws of the trap rest firmly on the ground and that there is no danger of dirt or sticks or even grass getting in between the jaws of the trap, for if it does you will lose yo

ap and will not make too great a contrast to the surroundings, will be good to cover the trap. Always be careful not to dis

ways if possible to set any other. In setting at an old rat den, if possible always set the trap a couple of

n old rat hole leads down to the edge of the water from the top of the bank, a trap set in the lower end of this hole will catch nearly every mink that comes along. They very seldom miss the chance to explore a hole of that kind. The old trapper that told me abou

e tiles. A mink is a great lover of water and will play in a place of this kind for half an hour at a time, and two traps will almost catch him. Whenever there is a small air hole i

low the same hole, will come into and go out of the water at certain

se rat, but I prefer the blind and water sets, and do not use the others until these two have failed only in

s in traps and four taken by thieves and dogs. But my success has been so much above that of others who have tried to duplicate my

quite a hunter with nothing to hunt, I conceived the idea to trap a mink, and before I got through I found the sport more enjoyable and profitable than hunting. I had no trappers guide to help me, and it took me three weeks and mo

cannot be used at, or for sure catch when you know mink to be in. See that your traps have strong springs, and that when set fine the pan is on a level with j

ligent but superstitious and shy of animals. I kept one at my house for a while and found him more intelligent than a cat or dog. They get bold and careless some times, but not very

traps. The next choice is where he goes in and out of the water. Next in dry path and last at his hole where he is the m

n. Now see that pan is set just about right, not too easy, and now you are ready for the most important part--to cover--so it will stay covered and spring regardless of freezing, thawing, snowing, or blowing, and not to clog the jaws with rubbish. It is too tedious to get the mink over the trap

apper. A hole set trap should not be approached unnecessarily. Mink w

was a steam visible at the mouth of the hole, and I got her. I have used scent to some advantage, not to draw but to detract the mink's attention, but as to baits I hav

largest mink I got stretched 42 inches from tip to tip, and his hide on a five inch board was 24 inches. He was light brown.

is a science which few trappers understand, and can learn only by long experience and close study. Any one taking two or three dozen traps and stringing them out, setting in holes and ditches, c

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shipping at the same time of trapping. Counting ten hours as a day's work, I have cleared from five to twenty dollars per day. Now as I said se

better than any other I think. In ditches or streams where the water is shallow enough to set your traps in where the current runs against the bank; then scoop out a hole 8 inches into the bank. I have used a butcher knife to dig the mud out wi

the hole so the mink can't get the bait without stepping on the pan of the trap. The current should run strongly over the trap so as to keep the water from freezing, for there are very few nights after

chet cutting a hole in the bank; use ice or chunks of wood to make a lane to set your t

warm the skunk were out of their burrows, and I was tracking one going southeast course. All at once it turned square to the left going some thirty feet and came to an