Need help for marten

[COLO High Country]

Hopefully someone can help me out. I live in Colorado, which has the same laws governing trapping as Washington. I haven't trapped since 1996, the last year traditional methods could be used. I am thinking about running a line next season for marten and some mink. It is tough to find information concerning those two and using cage traps. I am looking for some set ideas. I live at 7400' in S.Central Coorado and have both furbearers available  in the area, and 1000's of acres that is not being worked.

Any info would be great - thanks in advance.

[400out]

I wish I could help you! There are some guys on here that will be able to get you what your looking for  Good luck and welcome to the site 

I have to ask! How is it living my dream?   

[COLO High Country]

I am not sure ----- Just what is your dream?

[Special T]

Lots of ELK! Duh! 

[Machias]

I'm not speaking from experience, but I believe the most effective sets for martin are cubbies and leaning poles?  Correct?  If I was going to target them I think I would lean a 6 to 8 inch pole against a tree, 6 or 7 feet off the ground, give it a roof of boughs and set a box trap on the leaning pole and staple it to the leaning pole.  I could be wrong but I don't think martin are particularly trap shy, but I could be wrong on that.  I imagine a snowmobile with a pull behind otter sled and you could run a decent martin line.  Mink can also be caught in cubbies built along the edge of water ways, I'd look into the spray proof skunk traps, the pvc pipe traps, if I was targeting mink.  A slab of muskrat meat in the back and you probably catch just about every passing mink.

[Hannibal]

Mink are easy.......I like to use the coon sized cages but 8x8 work also
they do mot need to be covered,but It helps with the freezing rain and snow

Marten cages can be set up on a leaning pole just like a "normal" set...John Schrouder makes some cages designed for marten

[Humptulips]

No experience here but Mike Matney said they were easy to catch in cage traps on lean poles. They didn't fair well in the boxes apparently. I think he used beaver for bait. Lure I'm not sure. You might ask over on trapperman on the wilderness trapping forum. They could probably give you some tips.

[one more]

In Alaska we used fresh or frozen meat, fish or fruit jam to bait Marten.  One of the best is sardines.  Put the trap next to a log or windfall, somewhat covered, more for protection of the captured marten than to hide the trap.  They are very naive and will readily enter a trap.  They search windfalls for mice and squirrels.  Some people use an attractant lure in a tree near by.  It's best to set on sign.  The males run ridges and saddles in the forested hills.  Females have fairly small home areas.  PLEASE release the females.  They are smaller than the males and more delicate.  The only problem doing that can be having the same animal get caught more than once to eat the bait.  Move the trap.  Leave her some goodies, covered where the trap had been.

Some marten are very aggressive and others will eat jam from a spoon while they are still in the trap.  I tried to breed them many years ago and think the nice ones could be bred as house pets like ferrets.  We had one indoors for several years.  They are all beautiful.
Diane

[COLO High Country]

Thanks for the info. To be fair, and with full discloser. A friend and I trap for 3-5 weeks a year in So. Wyo for marten. Of course it is all Bridger 455's. I am trying for something alot closer to home, and have never delt with live traps before. So, sounds like a few treeks in the system and I should be good to go. On the marten boxes would inside dia. of 5"x5"x18" work, or do they need to be longer? I was thinking on the mink traps 4" PVC with a drop-down door with the unit being 15" long. If you guys want to way in on this please feel free.

Thanks

[wingnuts]

A friend did a flying squirrel study they enclosed the back of the cage with a paper milk carton, and added quilt batting so they did not die before checking.That would probably work for marten so the females could be released.Just an idea.

[Skyvalhunter]

In the "good Ol Days" they would notch the tree place the trap in the tree attached by a nail then put in a chunk of meat.