# A different time indeed



## Larry (Dec 2, 2010)

Like so many of us that have lost loved ones we always are curious about the stories we hard throughout their lives. What was the basis for them? How did the originate? Was the story even real?

Yesterday at a my surrogates fathers visitation, I had such an opportunity to verify a story I had hear of a wild mink. A wild mink so perfectly brown, so large and with such a thick underfur it wood bring 5 times more then the average money for a mink in those days.

The man who caught it was there. I sat down next to him. As we peered over the casket from the pews in the funeral home, I said Jon, "you know I still have some of your old traps" Now understand Jon was Lloyds brother. And while Lloyd was a great trapper, Jon was "the trapper" of Linn County Iowa circa 1950 to 1959. Jon looked at me and replied "yeah that would be about right as Lloyd had them in the shed at the farm"

As we chatted we got onto my 51 seasons this year and Jon listened in amazement regarding my winter trap line in Nebraska. He would just pause me with detailed questions about canines and how do you catch one. No coyotes existed in our eastern side of the states when Jon trapped so even at 85 I had caught his attention.

Jon's only terrestrial trapping was dry culverts along the road, and his specialty was civet cats (spotted skunks) and striped ones. He would brag to me how in all of his years he never was sprayed, but always smelled like one. Other than skunks he caught muskrats and mink.

When I questioned why he smelled like one he laughed. It was because that darn Lloyd would always swap knifes. They both owned Identical Old Timers, and Lloyd would would dull them on bailing twine and cutting open bags of protein. Ultimately the one left on my dresser was the dull one because of Lloyd. "Its a terrible thing slipping with a dull knife around the tail" he said. You would always get that yellow goo somewhere on you, usually your rubber boots and pants legs. Even in the funeral home that day I think I could smell skunk.

I said tell me about this mink Jon. As he talked I became very interested. You see this mink was tearing into his dry land skunk catches. Ruining his $1.75 skunk hides. Now $1.75 was a ton of money in the 50's and that was Jons' Christmas Money

Jon told me he could never catch it though until one day when his Mom was cooking chicken. As he reached for some crust from the pie over her shoulder he saw chicken heart's and he asked her for just one. The next morning he carefully unwound some bailing twine and with just four strands he hung the heart from the culvert. Under the heart was his traps carefully concealed ten inches apart.

Next day in the Old Mercury he approached the culvert. He said at first he was disappointed as he saw a skunk tail laying in the snow. He then slid down the snowy bank to investigate. In his surprise the mink was in one trap and it was a monster. Evidently the mink was dragging part of the skunk, had smelt the the chicken heart and was caught.

After the quick dispatch he could not believe this mink. It was a hand an half wide, no white spots, shiny brown/black and was very long. At the farm on the carcass they measured it with a yard stick and it hung over the end. The minks body was full 38 inches long. Its tail added another 7 inches. "What a monster at 45 inches" proclaimed Jon to me.

Next day he took the green hide to Henry Katz in Marion. Henry examined it and offered $215.00 for the hide. He also offered to buy milkshakes at the Sun Mart malt shop. Jon could not pass it up.

Henry Katz passed away in the late 1980's. During the sale of his junkyard business, the mink stole made from that single hide was damaged because it had gotten so brittle. Word had it Mrs Katz would wore that Mink stole only to the finest events in town for more than 20 years after Jon had caught it.

So yes the story was true and like many others I had heard, it was a whopper!


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## 220swift (Mar 2, 2011)

I always did enjoy talking with the "older guys" when I was running hard in the 70's, their knowledge was vast and they always had time to share. Great write Larry!


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## azpredatorhunter (Jul 24, 2012)

That definitely brought back some memories. I guess I am one of the lucky ones whose father was a mink trapper and I was fortunate enough to have gone with him. I just wish I could remember all of his stories.

Great story Larry


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## pokeyjeeper (Sep 5, 2013)

Great story Larry I've never caught a mink myself but I've never set for them ether never had a mentor to show me going to have to try someday


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## Larry (Dec 2, 2010)

pokeyjeeper said:


> Great story Larry I've never caught a mink myself but I've never set for them ether never had a mentor to show me going to have to try someday


Think of mink as dachshund hounds. If there is a hole, a overhang or a crevice along a creek bank or stream they will investigate. Like weasels they a gregarious group and eat anything they can. Even each other if they find one dead in a trap. Of course I can't blame them, they use almost as much energy as horny hummingbird. So set some bind sets under root overhangs, culvert rock and concrete overhangs and where field tile dump into streams.

As great fisherman like their bigger cousins the otter, they are attracted to shiny objects in the shallows. They love creek chubs and fathead minnows as much as sweet muskrat flesh. So unlike many wifes tails of trapping this is one that works. Place a 1/2 strip of aluminum foil tethered to the pan no more than one inch away with 3-6 lb monofilimant on the east side or west side of the creek. East or west is important so you can get sunshine reflection or moonshine glittering. Don't ever place in the shade this is an open water set. Find a small pool or sandbar eddy where the water is 3-6 inches deep. That's it. When the mink comes to investigate the flash, it will realize the ruse and will push off from the pan and you got it. Keep the tether short no more than an inch.

For bait nothing beats muskrat heart or liver. The old victor traps were great because you could use a #14 wire and tie the bait directly to the trap through the " V "in the pan. .Mink like otters will use their front paws if the bait cannot be pulled by mouth. For some reason they always pull back with their heads, so you get very few miss fires from a mouth grab. When the mink cannot pull it with the mouth it will grab and work the bait with its front paws and you;ll get it.

Like in the story another weigh to catch mink is with bait handing. Hang it high maybe two feet above the pan. The idea is as the mink stands it will dislodge the bait and when it lands its caught by the front legs.

Another method is after you catch one. Cut out the musk glands under the tail. mash the glands in a cut down coffe can or a an old bowl. Add some corn meal or breakfast oats to make a paste. Grab some cotton balls. Now you just make a small hole in the bank with a stick. Any size of hole will work. Just shuv the stick in as far as you can go and start turning it. making a conical shaped hole. Wet the cottn ball in the stream and then wipe on some of your homemade musk lure. You'll thank me for the wetting part as the cotton ball will slide down the whole so much better, whilst using little lure. I don;t think this works so much because minks are territorial, I think it works because they like the company of other minks.

As for traps, don't go overboard. Even weak spring #1 long springs will catch these animals. My thoughts are because they are not true stalkers and they don't feel the ground like canines and cats. Instead they are opportunist and if something catches their eye they are on it like flies to a picnic.

One more thing, Mink often travel alone and are spastic as heck. So if your catches seem far and in between have no fear mink as each mink caught is a result of usually 6 sets made. Perhaps you just need more trap coverage. With traps like #1 long-springs and #1.5 long springs at $3 for used and $6-7 for new you can afford to buy a dozen. Again I prefer long springs for mink. They are heavier and more stable for water sets. As for pan tension.....I leave the pans so sloppy an occasional leaf flowing in the stream will set off the trap. But that's okay.

One last word on minks and trapping muskrats for that matter in streams. Owls are your worst enemy. Especially in today's world where owls out rank game bird populations 10 fold. Thus if your serious about mink trapping or muskrats, I would do a two times per day check. Yes both are very active all day long.

Last blab and this is a first time published, Mink and Otters can be called. Use bird and mouse sounds. Place the caller on a sand bar. Be careful though many states prohibit the use of shotguns and shooting across streams. Second, unlike Mark Steinman that can call in Lions on a whim. Calling mink and otters takes time, as they travel so much.


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## pokeyjeeper (Sep 5, 2013)

Thank you for the information Larry I didn't mean to hijack your thead


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## Mark Steinmann (Jan 28, 2014)

Larry said:


> Second, unlike Mark Steinman that can call in Lions on a whim. Calling mink and otters takes time, as they travel so much.


Hahaha, had me rolling Larry. Too funny! ????

- Mark

Sent from my SM-G935V using Tapatalk


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## Larry (Dec 2, 2010)

pokeyjeeper said:


> Thank you for the information Larry I didn't mean to hijack your thead


No hijack at all just thought if someone like yourself was going to try mink I'd blab about what I know.


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## pokeyjeeper (Sep 5, 2013)

Ok cool I'll take all the information I can get


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