Irish Hunting Forum

pip · New Member Joined: 16 Apr 2007 Posts: 15

I m into the mink trapping now to keep the wee buggers down ,place is alive with em,anyone else trap them and what ways do yous find best,ie location ,bait etc

EOGHAIN · Posted: Tue Apr 17, 2007 9:04 pm Post subject:

Dont know much about trapping mink Pip i was told by an old man once that he used to catch them by placing a few feet of soil pipe vertically below ground level with a smelly fish in ,is this pub talk and was he pulling my leg

DitchShitter · Posted: Wed Apr 18, 2007 6:13 pm Post subject:

I'm always hearing the pipe trick, mate. Mostly in pubs, granted! 'Mind you; I only tend to meet other people in the pub, so that might have some bearing on it?

Way I hear it though - and several people have told me - is that ye drive the pipe into the bottom on a river. It's actually under the water.

Same principle applies, I expect? Mink, supposedly, gets in and can't get back out. Water would possibly drown him before he managed it? Vile way of taking out any creature, in my view.

But then, everyone I speak to here suggests chucking a cage trapped mink into the river anyway! FFS! Not f*cking likely, I wouldn't!

EOGHAIN · Posted: Wed Apr 18, 2007 9:15 pm Post subject:

It sounds like a lot of hassle to me Ditch when there are plenty other traps about ,maybe im wrong

DitchShitter · Posted: Wed Apr 18, 2007 11:33 pm Post subject:

Yeah. Not something I've ever thought to put to the test myself, mate. When ye actually sit and think about it; Pile driving a bloody pipe under the water? Then how to ye check it? Shove ye hand in there? F*cked if I would!

Actually, I'm quite sure I did hear of someone who got a rat! So, on that basis I suppose ye are supposed to just reach in and pull out what ever's there?

Need smallish hands, wouldn't ye? And no room for manouvre? Sod that! I'll stick with me Juby's!

pip · New Member Joined: 16 Apr 2007 Posts: 15

I ve heard lads on shoots up the country use the pipe trick but they baited and left it there was no mention of getting them out,which i personally don t like the idea of im happy enough checking the trap and killing the wee buggers then you know their dead job done.Sometimes the odd one would miraculously escape on an open bit of steam which always puts a bit of time in,although last time this happened with a silver coloured one he escaped into a field of silage and we lost him .We ve always had the best luck setting the trap about 1 ft above water level pegged in,so badgers and foxes dont doze it into the stream while trying to get the stuff out and using mackeral or rabbit guts and cover it with sawds got about 15 last summer and the fellas on the shoot further up the stream got 40 they said.The thing i was wondering ,theres burrows we do on the same stream about 6 or 7 mile up from the river and im nearly sure i seen a mink while walking to them ,the stream passes through 3 bogs ,i was wondering do they live this far up?

EOGHAIN · Posted: Fri Apr 20, 2007 12:46 am Post subject:

I have been told that its not uncommon for mink to follow a river to its source which i believe as i have seen them myself even high up in the mountains

sounder · Posted: Fri Apr 20, 2007 11:41 pm Post subject: mink

well boys the pipe waste of time,it is well knowen that mink are everywhere. they will travel up stream but won't stay near rivers they go were they want,but try and trap them early before they move out i trapped 5 at one part of a river in one week useing fish heads or eels. leave cage so that it touchs the water so scent will be better. good luck

EOGHAIN · Posted: Sat Apr 21, 2007 10:59 pm Post subject:

You have educated me there Sounder ,i though that they always lived in close proximity to water,or could it be that they can get easier meals elsewhere.

johnsevena · Posted: Fri Jun 08, 2007 8:29 am Post subject:

I aggree with sounder about the pipe.
Tried it a few times and was only catching rats so i decided it was not worth the effort.
Much easier to use a live trap or a fenn trap in my opinion.
Have caught mink in old dykes and ponds and even strange places like outside a busy public toilet in a town and in a friends back garden where there is not water for a mile so it seems like this creature go where they please
As for baiting the trap i use any type of fish i have in the freezer or some rabbits guts but as soon as i catch my first one i just empty the contents of its bladder inside the trap and around it and dont worry if it is baited or not and it seems irresistible to any other mink that is passing as they are a curious little devil and cant help but check out the other minks scent.