PLACES TO SET.
There is one place on my line of traps where I have caught six mink,
says an Iowa trapper. I have no doubt but what this particular place
is on their regular crossing place in going from one stream to
another. I have a few good places but they do not equal this one. At
these particular places I do not remove my traps during the entire
trapping season. I find a man gets fooled quite easy at times by
putting in traps at places that look extra good, when, in fact, it
proves to be no good at all for mink. I often read of trappers who
say to set traps at hollow trees, in hollow logs, and every place
where a mink is liable to go. Well, a mink is liable to go any place.
Also just as liable not to go, too. Now if you should place a trap in
all these places you would have traps strung all over creation.
In my locality after a mink leaves a ditch or stream you cannot tell
what direction he will go. Perhaps he will start across some farmer's
field down between two rows of corn. Now I expect some of these
nights Mr. Mink is going to take a run down through Farmer Jones'
cornfield. He is liable to. Shall I place a trap between every row of
corn? In my locality with snow on the ground they travel through
fields more than any other place. I will tell you boys, I have three
pet sets that I use, and which I stay just as close to the streams
with as I possibly can, for the condition of the weather is such at
most times that it would not pay to change the location of traps.
Some trappers will tell you that if a mink will throw his scent where
he is caught you will get another one soon at the same place. Well I
do not believe it, except from the female at mating time. I think
when an animal throws a scent it is a danger signal.
Many trappers have told me that a warm night was the night to catch
mink, because that was the time they ran most. That don't go with me
either. It is just because mink can smell bait better on a warm
night, as the old trappers around here hardly ever set without bait,
and think it is a wonder that I can catch mink without bait. In fact,
mink run well on cold and disagreeable nights, just as well as on
warm nights. I make it a point to have my traps in the very best
condition previous to a change in the weather, no matter what the
change may bring, there will be lots of mink on the move during the
change.
Now boys I am not going to advise you to make any particular set, but
if you have two or three good ways, stay with them. They will bring
good results. A man can spend lots of time trying to do something
with some fake set and perhaps neglect some better sets during this
time. A few good sets, well handled, will surely bring good results.
If I am to judge results from the conditions in my locality, I will
say that fifty traps are too many. Twenty-five gives a man plenty of
work here. During snowy weather you can set your traps with northeast
east, or southeast protection and it is all right, until the wind
gets to the northwest, then look out, for you will have some digging
to yet your traps in good condition. By that time the wind is in the
south. Then it begins to thaw, then the water soaks through on your
traps, then by the time you get around again they are frozen up
solid. Then how a fellow wishes for more weather with a "sameness"
about it.
An Eastern trapper says: My favorite set for mink is the water set. I
find a place where the water don't freeze up, and if there are any
stones around I lay a stone on each side of the stream, and then I
get a flat stone and lay it over the two stones. I place these
alongside the stream, making a hole like when the water comes out.
Then for a bait I use fish, brook trout if I can get them, or most
any kind of fresh water fish. I put a piece of fish back in this hole
so it lies in the water and set traps in entrance, and you are sure
to get most every mink that comes along.
[Illustration: A GOOD MINK STREAM.]
This set is for November, December, January and February until about
the last part, when running time begins. Then I like the runways
best, and you will find them under driftwood and along banks where
the water has washed the bank so the trees standing on the edge have
leaned over and made a hollow under the bank. I have taken a good
many mink this way and also with the water set. I took twelve mink
last year that I kept, and had six get away by gnawing off their feet
under the jaws of the trap.
The following is from an Indiana trapper: Here is one of the many
mink sets I have been successful with: Go along a creek, find a log,
one that is somewhat crooked will be better, as some part of it will
sink below the surface of the water, roll same into the creek and tow
along to a place where the water is two to three feet deep, take a
strong wire 6 or 7 feet long and fasten to the under side and to one
end of the log, fasten the other end of the wire to a stout stake and
drive down solid near the middle of the creek.
Now find a place where the water stands above the top of the log, and
chop out a place for the trap deep enough so the trap will be 1 or 2
inches under water. Now take some mud and smear over the fresh cut
place so it will have an old appearance. Now set your trap and cover
with a few water soaked leaves and a few pinches of mud. This set
should be made where the water does not run too swift. Muskrat will
bother this set some, as long as there are any near, but they are
troublesome about most any water set for mink.
The fur bearers here are fox, mink, skunk, opossum, raccoon and rats,
and none of them plentiful, writes a Tennessee trapper.
[Illustration: WHERE SIGNS ARE PLENTY.]
I will tell you how I captured a shy old mink that had run my line of
traps for two years. I had made up my mind to catch him or trap on
the balance of my days. I set my trap in the spring where he had been
wading; the first night he threw the trap and that seemed to make him
shy of the spring.
I took a piece of muskrat and nailed it to a root above the trap, and
the second morning I visited my trap I had a crow, not mink, and the
mink had killed the crow by biting him through the back of the head.
That made me more determined than ever to get that mink. I arranged
my traps all nicely, and the third morning I found a muskrat and he
was cut up badly by the mink. I took the fresh carcass of the rat and
rebaited again, and the fourth morning to my surprise I had another
crow.
It seemed from the amount of tracks that they had fought a duel and
the crow had come out ahead, for he was still alive. I fixed my trap
all back again and the fifth morning had a fine muskrat.
Well, I had about given up all hopes of catching him at that place so
I decided to move my set 200 yards up stream, where there was a log
projecting out over the water 2 feet above the water, where he
traveled under. There I gouged a hole back in the bank one foot back
so the water would flow back in enough to cover the trap, and I
baited with a fresh partridge, and the next morning I found my mink.
Now boys, this does not look as if they were very shy of human scent,
does it?
First find a den where they have been going under the ice or where
they have been eating a dead rabbit or chicken say an Iowa trapper.
Next I select my traps, Newhouse No. 1 or 1 1/2 or Hawley & Norton 1
1/2. I examine them to see if they are in good order. When setting at
a den or where they have been eating some dead animal, cover with
leaves, feathers or snow; fasten to a stick that can be dragged a
short distance. I bait with chicken, rabbit, birds and mice. Fish is
also good. Brush away your tracks and do not approach too close. If
the traps are undisturbed, I leave them for a week. Frequently mink
do not come out every night.
When setting where they go under the ice, I use a No. 2 Jump Trap. If
the water is not too deep, lay two sticks in the bottom of the stream
about two inches apart. Between these I lay bait, generally mice. Set
trap, and fasten it to a stick on top of the ice. Cover trap with
moss and leaves and you will generally get him, or, at least, that is
my luck.
I will always remember my first mink. I found the den. They went
under the ice and the hole was below the water. I set my trap
carefully, baited with sapsucker and the next morning I had him. Set
trap back and caught another one.