austinp
#3 Newhouse
the next fur season is never far from our minds :)
Posts: 3,008
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Post by austinp on Jan 29, 2013 7:34:47 GMT -5
Jim S / Austin p / Bill B Do you or anyone else know of a NY trapper that has passed the 200 mark on Mink in 1 season? I know guys who've routinely caught 100+ but never heard of any 200 mink catches in NY, myself. That said, I don't live in the eastern or northern parts where big mink catches happen so I don't know a lot of guys who might have.
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austinp
#3 Newhouse
the next fur season is never far from our minds :)
Posts: 3,008
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Post by austinp on Jan 29, 2013 7:44:19 GMT -5
At that risk of being considered argumentative, I understand that catch number may not be the absolute end all as to reflection of numbers, but can you offer up any more scientific means to measure catch numbers? I am not a scientist, biologist or wild life expert, or trapper with a bunch of books and or DVDs to my name. I am just a dub trapper that has been beating around the game for well over forty years. It would seem logical on most every level that catch numbers would in deed be a good indicator to most obseverers, or common folks. Thank you for your insight. Mac Discussions such as these are not argumentative in any way... we're sharing opinions and comparing notes. This is what message boards exist for in the first place In order for big catches to be recorded, a lot of other factors come into play besides animal numbers. Weather, seasons and trapping pressure play a role. For example, if PAs fox season was same as NC, how many big catches would happen there? None. The animals are there, the weather is favorable and the seasons are ample, including a firearms deer interruption that is minimal. Southeast Alaska absolutely crawls with mink... but relatively few trappers, harsh weather and limited access makes big catches impossible. I have friends who commonly hunt and fish in Maine, they all report back on seeing multiples of mink near water every day. Here in NY, you'll see live mink once or twice a day, fewer days than not when on the water. Either the mink in ME are way more active during daylight hours OR there are more mink existing there then here... based on that observational comparison. Look at waterline catch photos from southern MN or IA and see how many of the longliners there pull 20, 30, 40 mink catches per day while the weather holds out. I've hunted southern IA, spent time in MN, ND, SD and NE looking under bridges and inside culverts. NY guys absolutely cannot fathom what mink hotspots out there look like when it comes to droppings and tracks. Unless you've seen it there, your mind cannot grasp the difference. All trappers everywhere should get the chance to see other parts of the country for what exists elsewhere. It is beyond eye-opening in certain places.
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austinp
#3 Newhouse
the next fur season is never far from our minds :)
Posts: 3,008
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Post by austinp on Jan 29, 2013 7:59:12 GMT -5
I am not a scientist, biologist or wild life expert, or trapper with a bunch of books and or DVDs to my name. I am just a dub trapper that has been beating around the game for well over forty years. Now I'll address this one separately. The difference between me with 40 years of trapping and you with 40 years of trapping is none. There is no difference. If one of us opted to write some articles or books, record a dvd OR share nothing and keep it all in our head, that's totally irrelevant to experience and skill. I don't look at trappers as any different whether they have some sort of name recognition, or none. I've met a lot of trappers thru the years, none were more intelligent and savvy when it came to animals, scents and equipment than Pete Leggett was. If you spent a lot of time with him, you would appreciate just how vastly and intricately knowledgable he really was. That's why men like Russ Carmen rode with them and hung out with them, and why jealous men like Craig OGorman despised what the Leggetts could accomplish when they set their minds to it. But if you had the pleasure to visit with Pete then and/or Ron today, you're biggest impression would be what normal, everyday, fun-loving average guys they are. My fondest memories of Pete have nothing to do with trapping... it was the walking library of jokes that he was. The man could literally recite jokes for hours on end... and never repeat the same one twice.
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austinp
#3 Newhouse
the next fur season is never far from our minds :)
Posts: 3,008
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Post by austinp on Jan 29, 2013 8:53:15 GMT -5
It's a lot like suburban deer populations - can't touch them, they know it, and they're at vermin population levels lol! Anyways, just my take on it. To the OP's question, though, I can tell you only that I have no idea whatsoever and I'm not sure that ANYONE can positively, accurately answer that one. If I could hunt big deer anywhere in NY, my choices would be... Letchworth Park admin area Mt Hope Cemetary Ontario Cty Jail property Groveland Correctional Facility property medians of I-390 between Rt 36 and Rt 63 exits All those places commonly harbor 170" or bigger bucks. Same hunting pressure in each place: zero
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Post by whartonrattrapper on Jan 29, 2013 9:16:17 GMT -5
@ austin.
Green Lakes State Park.
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austinp
#3 Newhouse
the next fur season is never far from our minds :)
Posts: 3,008
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Post by austinp on Jan 29, 2013 9:32:25 GMT -5
@ austin. Green Lakes State Park. sounds good... grab your bow, let's go!
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Post by whartonrattrapper on Jan 29, 2013 10:03:03 GMT -5
I wish.The last I knew shed hunting was the only method. There was discusion of a bow season but I have'nt heard anything lately.
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Post by trappermac on Jan 29, 2013 10:05:52 GMT -5
mink near me are pretty dense...even I can catch them so they must be pretty stupid
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Post by pettit877 on Jan 29, 2013 11:10:04 GMT -5
I agree with you mac, trout fishing last summer on two different streams not far from you i observed 3 different litters of mink in the same day. Two of the litters had 3 pups and the other had 2, none of these were the same family group they were a good ways apart.
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Post by bballou on Jan 29, 2013 18:41:05 GMT -5
Years ago I knew a trapper who ---each year went over the 200 mark almost every year---- today I know 3 guys who have went over the 200 mark---several years. What amazes me is they also trap other animals whale trapping mink.
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Post by mole on Jan 29, 2013 20:17:39 GMT -5
How attractive is Skunk to mink. ?
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Post by jsevering on Jan 29, 2013 20:35:29 GMT -5
out of curiosity ... was that the gentleman that called you to give you his family mink recipie and the tooth pick trick, before he passed away bill...
ed know i have and plenty others caught mink on running poles... but i also have the pole rubbed up to the bait pretty good... hard for me at least to say one way or another... not gonna say its not thats for sure... they found the set... know the skunk smell sure didnt stop them from climbing the pole... jim
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Post by mole on Jan 29, 2013 20:42:55 GMT -5
my thought is mink, otter, fisher weasel skunk are all cousins so to speak. and if one finds an odor attractive does the rest or if not why not.
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Post by jsevering on Jan 29, 2013 21:04:02 GMT -5
don't have an answer for you... me... like you were i imagine were taught mink hate weasels, otters hate mink... fishers probably hate all of them...
the same school of thought pretty much went along the same line of thought for k9's... coyotes and fox.... know with our pen foxes and checking out certain lures some of the best responses were with lures that contained coyote glands in them... so... i don't know the answer other than the curiosity factor more than likely sure is there... hopefully someone else will have a better response... in regard to the skunk odor... jim
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Post by bballou on Jan 29, 2013 23:50:49 GMT -5
ED---dont know the answer to your question----Yep they are all in the same family----but do they all respond to skunk--- ---do they all like the same foods? ---(we all know that answer.)------Like you guys I also have cought many mink in fisher sets----with skunk being used as an attracton ----- so I guess Jim is correct ---mink are not turned off by the skunk smell ---BUT are they attracted to the smell ---------- .Jim you are correct----a trapper did call me a day or so before he died ----he wanted some one to give the family mink lure formula to---- and the way the lure was applyed. IT is one of the few lures that I have used that IMO attracts mink.
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Post by nyerluvs2trap on Jan 30, 2013 1:40:14 GMT -5
I have a good mink population up here in the northern Dacks .I also know that I trap a lot of locations that take only 1 mink and I leave that trap there as long as i can keep it working .I also have spots that usually will take 10 -12 mink each year.I run a large area 100 + miles with a good number of traps to cover it . I get about the same amount of mink each season. There is a lot of factor that determin population. Habitat has to be the main one.The more there is to eat ,the more criters can live there.It can be hard to judge your area if you only put out a handful of traps and run them a couple of weeks .As always some of the best area is off limits which also makes it tuff to judge population.
Just my 2 cents.
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Post by jsevering on Jan 30, 2013 21:22:46 GMT -5
libinfo.uark.edu/aas/issues/1982v36/v36a40.pdfhers an interesting study i had book marked on how diets and mink densities change up some... wish it was longer than two years... kinda found the female small mammal preference interesting... kinda figure it fits in somewhat with what we've been discussing... jim
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Post by jsevering on Jan 31, 2013 6:40:03 GMT -5
or hitting the seven eleven on the way to the other- other girl friends place...
i never really understood how they came to the conclusion of the females being less of a fisherman than the males... been lucky enough over the years to watch a few mink catch fish... talking females or maybe small males... who knows... what i do know is if the pool held fish they had one and back out in no time... also got to watch a few work the small brook pools when there wasn't a larger concentration of fish to be had... pretty methodical... lol... way better fisherman than me... but that ain't saying much.... jim
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Post by chappy on Jan 31, 2013 6:42:59 GMT -5
Jim
That study was interesting, but as you stated not very lengthy. Rodent populations can vary drastically even within the same year. I also believe snow depth would greatly effect that study. On the fisher line this year my wife brought up a great point and so far have not found a greater reason for more variance in the diet choice of this mustelid which could carry over to mink as well. Females don't have the liberties to be as choosy with food. Hence their apt to climb poles more readily for handouts, put there heads in smaller holes and such. They have to eat for themselves and there litter. Find food and get back. A male mustelid is a ranging bachelor free to go as the wind blows. Ohh those days.....memories.....lol.
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Post by jsevering on Jan 31, 2013 6:56:57 GMT -5
im with you chappy... wish the study was at least five years worth... ten would of been real nice... jim
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Post by jsevering on Feb 1, 2013 8:05:12 GMT -5
kinda along the line of the drought and snow thoughts ... was wondering how much normal seasonal changes could effect densities some also... like some of those early run off marsh swamps that are loaded with polywogs and frogs but tend to dry up mid summer... they say that a female will move her core area or have one or two maybe more core areas within her general home area based on the prey availability...
guess what im asking is... seeing how the average life span is about three years give or take.... wonder how much of those shifts other than prey availabilty and the mating drive of the males is actually instictual or do you think its strickly prey based...
kinda get head scratchin over them some when thinking on other things like fighting off the mouse invasion that comes with the fall... jim
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Post by bballou on Feb 1, 2013 8:44:04 GMT -5
Jim-----I cant get on the studdy you show in one of you posts on this topic-----this is nothing new for me-----The intresting thing that I see with you and the other trappers talking here (about the studdy) is most of what you are saying is in some way 180 degrees out of sink with what I have learned about mink over the years---- especially about there feeding habbits. VERY GOOD JOB GUYS-----I rely enjoy the reading----and can rely relate to it.
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Post by chappy on Feb 1, 2013 10:25:31 GMT -5
Bill,
I'd like to hear more about your 180?? I've always found things tend to be more in the middle then left or right. I'm sure a combination of habits that were speaking of is more inline. As a squirrel may plan for the season with food stores, a mink is short term, requiring him to be much more reactionary to his habitat.
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Post by bballou on Feb 1, 2013 11:50:15 GMT -5
Chappy----This is a great topic----wish we were face to face rather than on a computer---- You see I belive --- mink boath male and female do store food for the winter----but not like a squirrel-----I belive the mink will go to beaver ponds----man made ponds---or anywhere else they can find large cashes of food--- ( Deer Yards) and a faveriot (IMO) Acorn and Beach--- groves that are over run with all kinds of mice and other such rodents. ---BUT this is in the area where I trap----it may not be the same where you live---- or any one else who may read this----- ( as a side story)----I knew a trapper who trapped a big resivore---each year----the owner kept fish in the resivor---and constantly put more in ---- each fall usually around the 2nd or 3rd week of Nov. he would take---great catches of mink off that water way. He always told me ---the mink were comming to spend the winter and get fat off the great amount of fish in the water .---Now that is density----and it could probably happen about any where there are mink --- lots of water and lots of food---(especially if the water and fish are regulated.
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Post by jsevering on Feb 1, 2013 19:03:01 GMT -5
bill... do you think the mink can tell the high concentration areas... volume of fish from the flow.. know particals dispearse quicker in and on water, but if there constant... also know a lot of people give them little buggers a bad rap for having a cold nose... jim
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