Author Topic: Not again.... I am so sick of frigging mink! (Read 14473 times)

lokidog · « **on:** December 13, 2015, 06:43:15 PM »

Went out today to check on the chickens... apparently another mink found one of the three 1X2 inch holes in the chicken wire. The coop door was wide open, but it will open if a chicken comes down on the handle when freaking out in the coop.

20 of 33 hens - DEAD, one of two roosters injured and may not make it.

Time to get my trapping permit so I can go after more than just the ones in the yard.

If anyone has any good ideas on what to use for bait/setups, please let me know. Many of my sets will be on shorelines as that is where the mink forage between their trips across land looking for rabbits and chickens.

carpsniperg2 · « **Reply #1 on:** December 13, 2015, 06:46:58 PM »

That sucks so bad!!! 2 times in one year is just crazy. Little rotten buggers!!!! I hope you hammer them!

lokidog · « **Reply #2 on:** December 13, 2015, 06:48:00 PM »

Also, if anyone has any traps they would be willing to loan me, I would appreciate it. I currently have five but could use more, though I cannot afford to buy any right now.

JimmyHoffa · « **Reply #3 on:** December 13, 2015, 06:56:58 PM »

That bites. Those things are horrible for their size.
I think you know a good bait...

lokidog · « **Reply #4 on:** December 13, 2015, 06:58:15 PM »

Quote from: JimmyHoffa on December 13, 2015, 06:56:58 PM

That bites. Those things are horrible for their size.
I think you know a good bait...

I'll be saving the guts, but the mink just don't seem to be as much into scavenging as raccoons, unfortunately.

Boss .300 winmag · « **Reply #5 on:** December 13, 2015, 07:02:10 PM »

Ever think about putting in a listen device, like a crib monitor or something?

lokidog · « **Reply #6 on:** December 13, 2015, 07:14:33 PM »

Quote from: Boss .300 winmag on December 13, 2015, 07:02:10 PM

Ever think about putting in a listen device, like a crib monitor or something?

Might be a bit annoying when the rooster crows at 2 in the morning, which they do frequently.

TheHunt · « **Reply #7 on:** December 13, 2015, 07:18:12 PM »

MAN, trapping license or not. I would be putting down traps.

Boss .300 winmag · « **Reply #8 on:** December 13, 2015, 07:20:42 PM »

Quote from: lokidog on December 13, 2015, 07:14:33 PM

Quote from: Boss .300 winmag on December 13, 2015, 07:02:10 PM
Ever think about putting in a listen device, like a crib monitor or something?

Might be a bit annoying when the rooster crows at 2 in the morning, which they do frequently.

Better look into some rooster obedience classes.

lokidog · « **Reply #9 on:** December 13, 2015, 07:22:47 PM »

Quote from: TheHunt on December 13, 2015, 07:18:12 PM

MAN, trapping license or not. I would be putting down traps.

Plenty around the coop. I don't worry about the trap when I see them though.

I try to be legal with the traps off of my property though.

Timberstalker · « **Reply #10 on:** December 13, 2015, 07:40:16 PM »

Damn! Sorry to hear Loki. Best of luck serving justice.

Boss .300 winmag · « **Reply #11 on:** December 13, 2015, 07:42:12 PM »

What's mink taste like?

lokidog · « **Reply #12 on:** December 13, 2015, 07:50:27 PM »

Quote from: Boss .300 winmag on December 13, 2015, 07:42:12 PM

What's mink taste like?

Don't know, most of the time there's nothing left of them after I'm done taking my frustrations out on them.

Gobble Doc · « **Reply #13 on:** December 13, 2015, 10:02:42 PM »

Good luck. I hope you nail them soon.

Special T · « **Reply #14 on:** December 13, 2015, 10:33:03 PM »

Egg factory took a good hit.

syoungs · « **Reply #15 on:** December 13, 2015, 10:49:59 PM »

I've got some duke doles traps I could send your way later this week.

Smossy · « **Reply #16 on:** December 13, 2015, 11:12:13 PM »

Ed. I got a few traps u can borrow if we can meet up somehow. I live in yelm and work in seatac. I got 8 orn so colony traps for mink and muskrat if u have any water by the house. + a few other trap door traps.
Don't think ill be doing much trapping this year.

lokidog · « **Reply #17 on:** December 14, 2015, 04:41:57 AM »

Thanks Guys. I will get in touch with you both, I'd like to saturate the island with traps.

So, I went out before bed last night and my small trap was dragged about four feet and the chicken head I was using for bait was pulled halfway out the side, I guess it was close enough for the turd to reach through.

I woke up a bit ago and couldn't get back to sleep, so I figured I'd check out the traps... got the little (*&%*&$#* !!

It looks like a small female, I'll see after I whack it later.

Old Dog · « **Reply #18 on:** December 14, 2015, 05:06:26 AM »

I feel your pain. I had a family of raccoon hit me about a year ago. I lost over 50 chukar in one night! The carnage was unbelievable.

jackmaster · « **Reply #19 on:** December 14, 2015, 05:18:40 AM »

A cheap rat trap , like the regular old over sized mouse trap and a wooden box with a hole big enough for the rascal to get In will work fine, I think they cost about 3 dollars each

lokidog · « **Reply #20 on:** December 14, 2015, 05:34:37 AM »

Quote from: jackmaster on December 14, 2015, 05:18:40 AM

A cheap rat trap , like the regular old over sized mouse trap and a wooden box with a hole big enough for the rascal to get In will work fine, I think they cost about 3 dollars each

Some of the mink out here are way too big for a rat trap. We have mixed stock of wild/native mink and fur farm mink (from way back when) which are a lot larger. But, I might try a couple.

Has anyone had any luck using a scent lure for mink?

BOWHUNTER45 · « **Reply #21 on:** December 14, 2015, 06:31:16 AM »

The best bait is before your eyes ,,,That really stinks ..Doubt I would be worrying about how I was going to kill them ...That's your dinner they are killing ...

wolftrapper · « **Reply #22 on:** December 14, 2015, 06:37:43 AM »

Once you get a mink, cut out the anal glands and put them in a small bottle. To attract mink, just take a small twig and stir the contents, and place the twig where the mink has to be caught getting to it. Add glands to the bottle with each catch.

In forty years of trapping in Alaska, this is all I ever needed.

Good luck!

seth30 · « **Reply #23 on:** December 14, 2015, 06:39:29 AM »

I have a raccoon trap you can borrow

lokidog · « **Reply #24 on:** December 14, 2015, 08:22:10 AM »

The only good mink is one that looks like this... 18 inches nose to tail tip.

WapitiTalk1 · « **Reply #25 on:** December 14, 2015, 08:39:30 AM »

Loki, I haven't trapped for many, many years (mink used to be one of my favorite critters to trap in NW MT). They are generally not a furbearer that is easy to bait into a trap. Are there streams by your place (a pond will work well also)? My all time favorite set was to find a water covered shelf on a stream (just covered with an inch to two of water). I'd wade in the steam in my hip waders, wearing rubber gloves (mink have good noses and do not like human scent in the least), I'd place a foothold trap (probably illegal nowadays in WA so check what is legal to use here) under water on the shallow bench with a 4 foot piece of wire attached to the trap, and the long end of the wire staked to the bank. This is a drown set. The mink would get caught and start fighting and once they were off the shelf, the weight of the trap would pull down and drown the mink. Bait? I only used Hawbaker's #1 Mink Scent. Just dip a dry stick in it and shove it into, up underneath, the bank the shelf borders (if there is an old muskrat den/hole, that's a plus... I'd put the scent stick back in there a bit with a tuft of dry grass in the hole). Mink love running the banks of streams/ponds looking for food. At any rate, good luck on your trapping adventures!

lokidog · « **Reply #26 on:** December 14, 2015, 08:46:21 AM »

Thanks Phantom, we are stuck with live traps.

There are no streams, but the island is surrounded be "bank". We see tracks on the beach all the time, especially at low tide. I'll be working the driftwood piles and there is one marshy area that has lots of trails in the grass around it.

I have a bottle of Hawbaker's #1 in my cart on another site.

WapitiTalk1 · « **Reply #27 on:** December 14, 2015, 09:05:22 AM »

Quote from: lokidog on December 14, 2015, 08:46:21 AM

Thanks Phantom, we are stuck with live traps. There are no streams, but the island is surrounded be "bank". We see tracks on the beach all the time, especially at low tide. I'll be working the driftwood piles and there is one marshy area that has lots of trails in the grass around it.

I have a bottle of Hawbaker's #1 in my cart on another site.

Ya, just ran through the trapping regs real quick.. Wow. I'm sure trappers that have been in the game more recent than I will chime in but I'd recommend attempting eliminate as much human scent as possible from the box/live traps (boiling in a big old tub perhaps), handle them with clean rubber gloves, and yep... put a stick with the Hawbakers on it back in the trap, covered by a bit of dry grass or moss. Good luck and please keep us informed of your trapping adventures!

h2ofowlr · « **Reply #28 on:** December 14, 2015, 09:05:28 AM »

Do they just kill to kill? Surprised they just don't grab one.

lokidog · « **Reply #29 on:** December 14, 2015, 09:09:25 AM »

Quote from: h2ofowlr on December 14, 2015, 09:05:28 AM

Do they just kill to kill? Surprised they just don't grab one.

YES!

It wouldn't be so bad if they would just take one down. The last episode was 16 in one night and before that was 14 young ones.

Special T · « **Reply #30 on:** December 14, 2015, 09:37:54 AM »

They suffer from blood lust... just like wolves I. A pen of sheep!

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I547 using Tapatalk

LDennis24 · « **Reply #31 on:** December 14, 2015, 09:52:18 AM »

How about some homemade live trap's using a piece of PVC pipe? Make the door's and the trip plate the same as a havahart live trap using high tensil wire? They could be placed over holes and look like a tunnel yet when they enter and hit the lever the doors fall shut. Seem's like any easy thing to build with some wire, a few springs, and holesaw to cut the trap door's out of something. Then again I don't know how good they are at chewing through stuff so they might get out of it?

Birdguy · « **Reply #32 on:** December 14, 2015, 01:24:36 PM »

Know what you are dealing with as a guy who raises birds that absolutely sucks. Had them here a couple times over the years. Was never lucky enough to have them get the chickens they always go for the more expensive things. First time I lost three impyean pheasants, 2 pair of tragopans, and lots of cheaper pheasants 27 total. I caught that one the next day in the pen and we danced for a bit pretty sure I won! Next time was 53 young chukars (out of the brooder 2 days, killed every one) a few more ringnecks and some quail. Never got that one but it moved on to the neighbors house a couple days later.

Good luck in your quest to prevent future issues. Sure does ruin a guys day and takes any fun/pleasure out of being a farmer for a while.

lokidog · « **Reply #33 on:** December 14, 2015, 04:23:22 PM »

That's a bummer on the Chukars Birdguy.

This is just a reminder to keep up on the enclosure maintenance.

Birdguy · « **Reply #34 on:** December 14, 2015, 09:59:26 PM »

Quote from: lokidog on December 14, 2015, 04:23:22 PM

That's a bummer on the Chukars Birdguy.

This is just a reminder to keep up on the enclosure maintenance.

So true, but you never know you have a problem until it is too late with those guys. I do not live around any water, I am not on any regular travel path for critters like that. Two mink in 10 years was expensive and more mink then I care to see again. I am working on putting up a 2' metal sight guard all the way around my ground pens, pain in the butt and not very cheap but I am hoping it will help to prevent another time even though I have really downsized my operation.

Eagles have gotten more of my chickens than anything else, the chickens all get locked up in the portion of pen with the roof as soon as the salmon runs are over in the fall

, learned that last year.

lokidog · « **Reply #35 on:** December 14, 2015, 11:40:42 PM »

We've been lucky as we have only lost three to hawks through the years and none to eagles, oops, forgot about the four silky chicks that got eaten by the sharp-shinned hawk that flew into my little portable coop vent before I screened it. We have lots of overhead cover though for when they are out free-ranging.

Duckslayer89 · « **Reply #36 on:** December 15, 2015, 12:21:58 AM »

Quote from: lokidog on December 14, 2015, 08:22:10 AM

The only good mink is one that looks like this... 18 inches nose to tail tip.

That thing is huge. I thought I saw a mink this year elk hunting it must have been a baby it was only like 6 inches long plus a tail. I was thinking how many of those it must take to get a coat but I guess they are a lot bigger

Jonathan_S · « **Reply #37 on:** December 15, 2015, 09:08:49 AM »

Good job Loki!

Sorry for the loss of the hens

Quote from: Duckslayer89 on December 15, 2015, 12:21:58 AM

Quote from: lokidog on December 14, 2015, 08:22:10 AM
The only good mink is one that looks like this... 18 inches nose to tail tip.

That thing is huge. I thought I saw a mink this year elk hunting it must have been a baby it was only like 6 inches long plus a tail. I was thinking how many of those it must take to get a coat but I guess they are a lot bigger

You likely saw a weasel, a small one at that. That mink that Loki posted looks small/average. Large mink are the size of a half-grown rockchuck.

lokidog · « **Reply #38 on:** December 15, 2015, 09:31:42 AM »

Have to agree with Jonathon, weasel. This is actually one of the smaller ones out here.

Duckslayer89 · « **Reply #39 on:** December 16, 2015, 07:23:33 AM »

Roger. He was up at about 6000ft. There is an old trappers cabin up in the wilderness area where I saw it I heard he use to trap for mink. Maybe for weasel too?

Jonathan_S · « **Reply #40 on:** December 16, 2015, 07:26:52 AM »

Weasels are pretty much everywhere. I have caught them in Pine Marten sets at 5500 feet and have caught them near sea level too. They are all chicken killers.

Loki, your catch there was a double bonus with it being a female.

lokidog · « **Reply #41 on:** December 16, 2015, 07:50:13 AM »

I was watching a video about mink trapping, and the guy was talking about letting females go... I'm pretty sure he didn't raise poultry.

Jonathan_S · « **Reply #42 on:** December 16, 2015, 07:52:55 AM »

yeah definitely not. I've never had a mink set that wasn't a "playing for keeps" set anyway

wildweeds · « **Reply #43 on:** December 19, 2015, 11:48:51 AM »

No trappers license needed to protect livestock on your own property. And if that's not the case someone in this state is stupid. I had homing pigeons for dog training, two mink visit s fixed that, 40 of 50 kilt the first night. The rest got it the next.

lokidog · « **Reply #44 on:** December 19, 2015, 08:17:32 PM »

You are right, for this, there is no license needed. However, you are supposed to report the animals to WDFW and turn them over to them to be destroyed or otherwise not used by the landowner.

pd · « **Reply #45 on:** December 19, 2015, 10:06:23 PM »

Just shoot the darn things, Ed. I am sorry for the damage. As you know, I have struggled with the same problems, mink vs. chickens is not a fair fight.

Shotguns are good for lots of things, and minks are one of them. Winter holidays mean 2 weeks of free time for the boy. Buy his a box of ammo, make him stay up at night, and spotlight-em. Those big eyes glow in the dark, I assure you.

lokidog · « **Reply #46 on:** December 19, 2015, 10:30:49 PM »

Trust me, a few have been shotgunned. I had one once that killed a hen and ran off when I went to close the coop, a little late in the evening. I went out with the flashlight and .22 and sat in the dark. I heard it tugging trying to get the hen through the little hole, turned on the light and missed it, off it ran. Lights off, less than ten minutes, I hear him back again tugging, lights on bang, missed again. He came back a third time and I smoked him. The crazy thing was, there was a slice across his shoulder from one of the other two bullets.

I almost got one with a big rock one night on the beach, seriously, missed him by an inch with a softball sized rock at about twenty yards.

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Author Topic: Not again.... I am so sick of frigging mink! (Read 14473 times)

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