help needed

[christy]

Need some advice folks. Just got a call from an old mate. He lives in the sticks and has a pond in the garden. Quite a big one 60-70 metres in diameter, 9' deep in the middle. The pond is close to the house and a stream runs close by. He bought some Grass Carp and put em in.

 

Easy know what's happening now-mmm Mr Mink turns up regularly and whips them out.

He has tried a trap but from the description I can not say what type. Apparantly it is triangular and has a plate at one end that trips the door. Anyway, no sucess with that.

Any ideas what to do next?

 

He has shotties so I says blast it. Time it takes to run upstairs, get gun...he's gone.

 

It visits around 10.30 pm. Obviously on it's way home from the pub, decides on a take-away. We've all done it!

So, to trap or some other method? If trap, what trap and what bait-Kebab?

 

Seriously any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in anticipation-Chris...

[al4x]

sounds like he needs to sit out a bit, I'd place money on it being there at other times of day as well.

[Bleeh]

Firstly, make sure it's a mink, and not an otter.

 

The easiest way to do this (apart from obviously seeing it), is to find one of it's scats. Break it open and give it a sniff. If it smells like musky and rather unpleasant, it's a mink, where, if it has the slightest smell of lavander, it's an Otter.

 

 

Now, with the trap you can use your standard mink traps, either the Fenns, but I'd recommend a cage trap. Bait it with smelly, oily fish like ancovies. Even better is a trap placed on a floating raft, which has a better chance of getting your mink.

[christy]

Firstly, make sure it's a mink, and not an otter.

 

The easiest way to do this (apart from obviously seeing it), is to find one of it's scats. Break it open and give it a sniff. If it smells like musky and rather unpleasant, it's a mink, where, if it has the slightest smell of lavander, it's an Otter.

 

 

Now, with the trap you can use your standard mink traps, either the Fenns, but I'd recommend a cage trap. Bait it with smelly, oily fish like ancovies. Even better is a trap placed on a floating raft, which has a better chance of getting your mink.

 

It is defo mink they have seen the little black bug...floating trap sounds good. What type?

Edited March 12, 2010 by christy

[Bleeh]

It is defo mink they have seen the little black bug...floating trap sounds good. What type?

 

 

Get something that will float with a bit of weight on it. I used to use a wooden pallet with a couple of drums underneath it, but that was really overkill, I think just a good solid wooden pallet would do fine.

 

 

Now, attach the cage trap onto the base using some cable ties or something. If a mink gets distressed he will kick up a fuss and push the thing into the water, drowning him and loosing your trap. You will also want to place some wire mesh on each side of the trap, this will let our minky friend get a good grip while trying to mount the pallet., as it can get very slippy.

 

Cover the top of the trap with some cut reeds or something, and bait it with some smelly fish, this will stop birds interfering with it, but Mink are very inquisitive like ferrets, and will soon find the trap entrance and go venturing inwards (you can also surround the intire of the trap with wood, if you wish to make it extra dark)

 

 

 

The trap should be tied to the shore so It can't float off (or get stuck in the middle) and can be left anywhere between 1m from the bank, to the middle of the lake.

 

You'll be aiming to end up with something like this:

 

 

 

(the wooden bars are placed infront of the trap to stop otters comming in)

Edited March 12, 2010 by Bleeh

[christy]

Get something that will float with a bit of weight on it. I used to use a wooden pallet with a couple of drums underneath it, but that was really overkill, I think just a good solid wooden pallet would do fine.

 

 

Now, attach the cage trap onto the base using some cable ties or something. If a mink gets distressed he will kick up a fuss and push the thing into the water, drowning him and loosing your trap. You will also want to place some wire mesh on each side of the trap, this will let our minky friend get a good grip while trying to mount the pallet., as it can get very slippy.

 

Cover the top of the trap with some cut reeds or something, and bait it with some smelly fish, this will stop birds interfering with it, but Mink are very inquisitive like ferrets, and will soon find the trap entrance and go venturing inwards (you can also surround the intire of the trap with wood, if you wish to make it extra dark)

 

 

 

The trap should be tied to the shore so It can't float off (or get stuck in the middle) and can be left anywhere between 1m from the bank, to the middle of the lake.

 

You'll be aiming to end up with something like this:

 

 

 

(the wooden bars are placed infront of the trap to stop otters comming in)

 

Sounds good to me, what type of trap would you recommend???

[Bleeh]

Sounds good to me, what type of trap would you recommend???

 

 

Just a bog standard cage trap, but big enought to accomidate a mink.

 

Other baits I would recommend is rotting pigeons, or some of that fish-sandwidge paste you get in supermarkets that has been prepared by taking the lid off, and leaving it to heat in the sun or behind a raidiator for 24hrs intill it stinks the house out.

[christy]

Thanks for the help guys. We are going to build the trap tomorrow.

[Dekers]

I've caught one of these in a live rabbit/squirrel trap before, baited with peanut butter, so who knows, and one of my farmers caught one right nex to his house in a live Rat trap with cat food!!

 

Funny old world, all sorts can happen!

 

Shot a few to, but only a few!!