Best way to get rid of a mink??

[wwbirds]

West pen got hit again last night but this does not appear to be the work of a skunk as before when we trapped and shot some. Only the heads were eaten and bloody on the birds so my internet search suggests strongly the culprit was a mink. I have a trail camera set up in front of the pen door where I discovered about a 4 inch dig under the door where the two doors meet. Now there was a 1 or two inch crack between the door so the animal that did the killing was obviously larger than a weasel or they would not have had to dig under the crack between the two doors. I have reset a #2 but heard mink are very hard to trap and just in case it is a skunk I want to be prepared. I have run 1 inch mesh wire all along the inside bottom of the door and weighted it down with 2 cinder blocks, any other suggestions. When I was convinced it was skunks and badgers a week ago I ordered some heavier #3 leg hold coils. if it is a mink perhaps a conibear body grip 120 box set would have been a wiser idea??

At $1-$200 worth of birds a night (every second night) I want this critter gone yesterday.

[Badgoodguy]

From what I see the best way is with a live trap.

What bait should I use for mink?

Fish, fresh or canned, honey or sugar covered vegetables, smoked fish, watermelon, sweet corn, cooked fatty meat, crisp bacon.

[krthegunslinger]

I use box traps made of plywood or a 6" piece of pipe. Block both ends and cut a 2" hole for it to get access. Put a trap near the entrance inside and put your bait at the other end. Using sardines I have trapped lots of mink this way. It works best with a square wooden box with a lid and put finer mesh 3-4"from the bait end to keep mice off your bait.
Hope this helps.

[walking buffalo]

Were the heads missing?

If so, then it probably was an Owl.

Been there....

[wwbirds]

Then I find headless birds in pen as they take them through the netting and cant pull body through so head detaches. These were killed at ground level in pen and only heads had blood and in a few cases the heads were nearly chewed right off or at least the brain area. bill was mostly intact and they ate around it. Another dead skunk on highway in front of my place this morning. Caught something in leghold trap two nights ago but after making a semi circle area flattened in grass it pulled out. Also shot a skunk in another trap this morning so maybe what we thought was a mink last week was one of these skunks.
Traps are reset and trail cameras set on super sensitive.

[KegRiver]

Mink are not hard to catch, but they can be hard to hold.

I gave up on leg hold traps for Mink back in the seventies. Now I use 120 Conibears or the equivalent.

They are much easier to make a set for Mink, then a leghold. And Mink don't pull out of a body trap. It either gets them clean or just knocks them for a tumble.

Any fresh meat will do for bait but fish works far better in warm weather.

However, if the Mink is wanting to get into a pen or building, no bait is necessary. Just set the trap over any opening they are using or that they might use.

I'll see if I can draw a picture of what I would do, and post it for you. But it might take a while. I'm not much of an artist and less so with the tech stuff.

I'll do what I can.

[wwbirds]

I have the mag 110 body grips coming from Halfords as of thursday. I ordered what I thought was replacements for the #3 coyote traps I sold earlier this year but these duke 3CS are at least the size fo the number 4 wolf traps I used to own. I have a box trap plan from the internet which I can make lifestock friendly and more mink (weasel) specific by the use of 4 inch sewage pipe on each end of the 6 X6 X18 inch box.

Didn't have any trap dye left so might have to place another order soon
Rob

[walking buffalo]

Originally Posted by wwbirds

Then I find headless birds in pen as they take them through the netting and cant pull body through so head detaches. These were killed at ground level in pen and only heads had blood and in a few cases the heads were nearly chewed right off or at least the brain area. bill was mostly intact and they ate around it. Another dead skunk on highway in front of my place this morning. Caught something in leghold trap two nights ago but after making a semi circle area flattened in grass it pulled out. Also shot a skunk in another trap this morning so maybe what we thought was a mink last week was one of these skunks.
Traps are reset and trail cameras set on super sensitive.

So you've been there before too.

I couldn't confirm details of the head from your first post, but would have been surprised if you haven't been through owl issues before.

Hope you get the little buggers soon.

[wwbirds]

yeah owls always hang around and take the returning birds. Seeing all kinds of raptors we hardly ever used to see.

[wwbirds]

Last weekend and since catching the skunk in October have had no losses until this week. Tracks in snow looked like mink and front an back feet in same place jumping a considerable distance (18-24 inches).

Noticed a partially eaten chukar something tried to take under the metal wall but body of bird would not fit through 1 inch crack. Moved chukar away and 5 hours later it was partially under wall again. Set box trap with remains of chukar in box with mag 110 at either end and large white weasel frozen to trap next morning.

Leaving them set with oil sardines for winter in case any other weasel family visitors show up.
Thanks for the help

[Pincherguy]

Maybe just hang up a picture of a coat. Put it where they can't missit LOL
PG

[KegRiver]

Good to hear! But if it's weasel this one won't be the last.
Expect at least one or two a year as long as you've got birds.

[REPO]

Our little farm cat (female) caught and killed two of the little buggers this spring on our farm!! (same night) I couldn't believe it! Would have loved to see that fight.

[Red Bullets]

Sounds like a big prairie long tail weasel to me. Could be any of the animals or birds mentioned in other replies too.

A good winter attractant is to mix anise seed oil with gylcerin and put it on cotton batton in the back of your set or in the live trap. The gylcerin doesn't freeze as quick and keeps the smell strong even in very cold weather. The anise seed oil will attract weasels, mink, skunk, cats, fox and most creatures with an appetite. even fish.
You still bait a live trap with food tidbits along with the anise oil balls.
Sounds like the animal responsible has a liking for chicken heads so they'd be you best choice of bait.

[wwbirds]

I had forgotten about Glycerin from the old days when I made my own lures for coyotes and stil had a bottle on the shelf. My wife still had a bottle of crushed anise seed for cooking and I mixed in a bit of vegetable oil.

Seen lots of weasels on the farm and never had a problem with the birds although we have seen weasels as close as 50 yards from the pens. Also seen the little short tail ones looking for mice in the pens and they never bothered the birds either. This one was the biggest we have seen. Hopefully he was a loner and didn't move in with his whole family.
Meet the trapping expert for farm predation tomorrow at F & W to critique my internet "mink boxes" and make suggestions. Appreciate your input.
Rob

[heat seeker]

SKUNKS HIBERNATE probably mink or weasel, pipe trap killer idea , live trap yes but need touchy trip pedal .Try to get a small wooden box cut smal hole 4" dia., then place three gopher traps foot hold ( muskrat traps) stagger traps to your liking place can sardines at oppisite end of hole sprinkle sardine juice on bottom , yhis will make a set like no other whatever comes in the box aint leave'n, have caught many a mink and weasel by this method( when spreading juice place juice in first let freeze then set traps on top of juice this will prevent trap misfire due to freezing)box should be approx. 2ft by 2ft by 2ft.i think they really enjoy just being able to sneek into places and just the thrill of killing.trap====single spring foot hold --can get at any co-op or peavey mart

[Red Bullets]

FYI-
A long tail weasel will have a winter routine that usually takes ten days to complete. If you don't notice him for a week, could mean he will be back soon. The minks routine is about 7 or 8 days. They typically will use the same trails and alot of times they will use the same tracks they left the last time they were in the area. I thought this might help you 'capture' the creature.
Using single spring traps not knowing your target animal might result in injured animals too large for a single spring trap. A conibear box trap or conibear trail set is more efficient and effective.

A mink or weasel would be relatively easy to live trap with live traps. Neither animal is afraid of metal and once a mink or weasel scent is in a location, other animals will be more attracted to the area. Mink like a minky smell. Weasels musk is actually more pungent than a skunks at close range. (3 inches from your nose.) Other weasels like the smell too. So if you catch one animal , you may catch more.

The weasel is a solitary animal by nature but they can have large litters.

[CaberTosser]

Originally Posted by heat seeker

SKUNKS HIBERNATE probably mink or weasel, pipe trap killer idea , live trap yes but need touchy trip pedal .Try to get a small wooden box cut smal hole 4" dia., then place three gopher traps foot hold ( muskrat traps) stagger traps to your liking place can sardines at oppisite end of hole sprinkle sardine juice on bottom , yhis will make a set like no other whatever comes in the box aint leave'n, have caught many a mink and weasel by this method( when spreading juice place juice in first let freeze then set traps on top of juice this will prevent trap misfire due to freezing)box should be approx. 2ft by 2ft by 2ft.i think they really enjoy just being able to sneek into places and just the thrill of killing.trap====single spring foot hold --can get at any co-op or peavey mart

You should tell that to the already flattened skunk I ran over near Brooks on the way back from Medicine Hat two days ago. There was no mistaking what it was and yes it took a while to air out the vehicle afterwards.