The Weasel - Never see them

[Bright Raven]

I have watched a family of mink playing along my creek. I have seen mink in trees. I have seen beavers, raccoons, red foxes, gray foxes, opossums, river otters, muskrats, coyotes, etc. But the only weasel I have seen in the flesh was ones I caught as a lad trapping.

The ones I caught and I never caught many were the Long Tailed Weasel. Mustela frenata. When I read trapping books in grade school, they referred to the weasel in its white pelage as Ermine. Anyone who trapped in those days knew all the great US trappers such as Adirondacks Daily (E. J. Daily). His pictures included the snow white Short Tailed Weasel or Stoat. Mustela erminea. The Long Tailed Weasel does not turn white here in Kentucky.

There is no outdoor sport that fascinated me more than trapping. I enjoy the shooting sports and catching large mouth bass in farm ponds occupied a lot of my summer evenings but nothing engages the mind like trapping.

Twice I have bought trapping equipment since I retired. Mostly to trap coyotes but when I get set to do it, I just cannot take the risk of catching a dog. So I thought about setting some mink sets but when the time comes, I think about the mink with its paw in a trap and I chicken out. If I had a creek with muskrats, I would trap. It is easy to make drowning sets.

 

[callmefence]

.......

 

[Farm Fence Solutions]

Use body grips for little critters, and you don't have to worry about any sore paws. Offset rubber jaws are the law in some states now. Not sure about KY, but TN doesn't allow a steel jaw foothold big enough for yotes/cats. I got my paw in a rubber jaw MB 450 once, and while uncomfortable, it wasn't unbearable.

 

[True Grit Farms]

It's a good thing we all look at things differently. Anything that causes me problems I want dead, otherwise I'm fairly easy going. Animals are the easy ones, because after all their only animals. You ever hear of bleeding heart liberals?

 

[Bright Raven]

Use body grips for little critters, and you don't have to worry about any sore paws. Offset rubber jaws are the law in some states now. Not sure about KY, but TN doesn't allow a steel jaw foothold big enough for yotes/cats. I got my paw in a rubber jaw MB 450 once, and while uncomfortable, it wasn't unbearable.

I ordered my supplies from Fur Havesters. I don't think Kentucky requires offset rubber. I never had much luck with the body grips for mink. BTW: They are abundant here. When you see them getting hit on the road, you know they are thriving.

 

[Jogeephus]

Minks are nothing compared to the thrill of trapping beaver. You really should take that up. I'll even help you out and let you trap all the beaver you want on my land at no charge whatsoever. I'll even help you build a trapper's shack because this endeavor will surely give you years of enjoyment.

 

[dun]

I've seen everything except mink and weasels. But about once a year I will find a weasel tail from the cats reject collection (the stuff they don;t eat, along with shrew spleens).

 

[M.Magis]

I've caught more than one dog, including my own, and they're none the worse for wear. I'd suggest having a catch pole to prevent being bitten, but there's no reason to worry about hurting them. I use offset and laminated jaws these days, there's no reason to use padded jaws.

 

[ga.prime]

The Garden Weasel, ever see that one? I have.

 

[dun]

The Garden Weasel, ever see that one? I have.

I tried one ONCE. In hard clay or rocks it will beat you to death.

 

[ga.prime]

The Garden Weasel, ever see that one? I have.

I tried one ONCE. In hard clay or rocks it will beat you to death.

Yes, very limited functionality. Mostly only work in well tilled, weed free soil.

 

[Bright Raven]

I've caught more than one dog, including my own, and they're none the worse for wear. I'd suggest having a catch pole to prevent being bitten, but there's no reason to worry about hurting them. I use offset and laminated jaws these days, there's no reason to use padded jaws.

Tell me a little more about the laminated offset. Does Fur Havesters stock them?

 

[frank boucher]

An MB 550 is a quality trap,made by Minnesota Trapline Products. Wide cast iron jaws,big pan,nitelatch built in,factory set tension,comes ready out of the box.Just dye and wax or whatever you prefer for treatment.Easy on the feet,right size for coyotes,bobcats,grey fox here in Missouri.I'm sure Furharvesters handles them,been 10 years since I ordered any,but the guys at MinnTrapProd are good to deal with.

 

[Ky hills]

Use body grips for little critters, and you don't have to worry about any sore paws. Offset rubber jaws are the law in some states now. Not sure about KY, but TN doesn't allow a steel jaw foothold big enough for yotes/cats. I got my paw in a rubber jaw MB 450 once, and while uncomfortable, it wasn't unbearable.

I ordered my supplies from Fur Havesters. I don't think Kentucky requires offset rubber. I never had much luck with the body grips for mink. BTW: They are abundant here. When you see them getting hit on the road, you know they are thriving.

Bright Raven, you are right, I have always heard about minks being rare, but I have seen several of them. Almost hit one running across the road, and 2 were killed on the road in front of our house. I figured they were coming for some chicken. Have only seen one weasel and it was getting out through a crack in the chicken house as I was coming in.

 

[Farm Fence Solutions]

I've caught more than one dog, including my own, and they're none the worse for wear. I'd suggest having a catch pole to prevent being bitten, but there's no reason to worry about hurting them. I use offset and laminated jaws these days, there's no reason to use padded jaws.

Tell me a little more about the laminated offset. Does Fur Havesters stock them?

FnT Post does.

 

[M.Magis]

I've caught more than one dog, including my own, and they're none the worse for wear. I'd suggest having a catch pole to prevent being bitten, but there's no reason to worry about hurting them. I use offset and laminated jaws these days, there's no reason to use padded jaws.

Tell me a little more about the laminated offset. Does Fur Havesters stock them?

Like FFS mentioned, F&T sells laminations and also sells traps already laminated, like the MB550. I'm pretty sure any trapper supply company sells them, they're pretty common now. I made my own. I just welded 3/16 round stock to the jaws. I like tinkering, so I bought some Bridger #2s and laminated them, added base plates, and double swiveled. Traps like the MB come pretty much coyote ready.