Small Trickles are Great Places to Catch Mink and Muskrats

Narrow areas along small waterways offer a great opportunity to pick up traveling mink and muskrats as they move in search of food and/or shelter.  The location below was the outlet of a small culvert, with a trickle of water leading to a canal.  There were limited locations to set conibears in the canal, but this waterway allowed the perfect opportunity to put in a 110. 

I like to support my small conibears by running a lathe through the spring and pushing it into the ground until it’s sturdy (something I picked up from an old Fur-Fish-Game video).  I find it to be the quickest and easiest way to support a 110 conibear.  I made this set with the intention of catching a traveling mink, but a muskrat beat the mink to the punch!

Set Wingwalls for Traveling Mink and Muskrats

Concrete wingwalls are common features at road crossings that can help you catch more critters on your trapline.  Mink and muskrats are constantly traveling along waterways, and their paths tend to be funneled through bridges and culverts at road crossings.  Below is a location where I noticed animals moving along a the concrete wall, and entering/exiting the water right at its edge. 

A simple 110 conibear set at the edge of the wall has resulted in my catching numerous muskrats and a mink this season.  Finding places to put in quick wingwall sets can certainly increase success on the trapline.

Skunk in a Culvert

It looked like critters were traveling along this dry wash, and the culvert made a perfect spot for a set.  I placed the rock and some other sticks along the sides to funnel down the travel way, and set a 110 conibear with some bait and ‘magnum marten’ lure.  The next day, I was greeted by this guy, a good sized striped skunk.  Luckily he had already sprayed and was expired when I arrived on the scene.