Trapping Mink

[james-t 5]

Hello just curious if anyone in here traps mink near Derbyshire as I'd like to study their behaviour in captive surrounding trying to understand them more for possibility of training. 

Any help or advice would be greatly appreciated. 

 

Thank you in advance 

 

[terryd 8,423]

STick a cage trap up against the side of the bank on most streams or rivers. Have a look in the mud for tracks to see if any about. Don't even need to bait it just cover it up a bit like a tunnel though bait won't hurt lol. Legally I suspect you have to kill it no clue though as not my thing now days. But back in the days of cobbledick you could get 5-6 quid a pelt. They scream and let off right stink  

[Ken's Deputy 4,459]

9 hours ago, terryd said:

They scream and let off right stink. 

Sounds like my last wife, when I'd piss the bed

[james-t 5]

10 hours ago, terryd said:

STick a cage trap up against the side of the bank on most streams or rivers. Have a look in the mud for tracks to see if any about. Don't even need to bait it just cover it up a bit like a tunnel though bait won't hurt lol. Legally I suspect you have to kill it no clue though as not my thing now days. But back in the days of cobbledick you could get 5-6 quid a pelt. They scream and let off right stink  

Could you recommend any good traps don't want one that would fail on me and I'd probably bait with some fish I use for pike fishing. 

I wouldn't be killing it I know I'd need to get a license to keep them as technically they are dangerous wild animals. 

Been watching the mink man on youtube looks like it would be a better use for them then a new coat

[EDDIE B 3,166]

It'd be easier tame a lion  than one of them James

[james-t 5]

2 hours ago, EDDIE B said:

It'd be easier tame a lion  than one of them James

Might have to give it a try I like a challenge

[EDDIE B 3,166]

3 minutes ago, james-t said:

Might have to give it a try I like a challenge

Just keep in mind, that yer man on youtube gets kits from mink farms. So he's dealing with very young kits, and their not even wild. Even at that, he still gets latched on to quite a lot.

 Why even farm bred mink ain't handled without a big pair of heavy duty gloves on.

[james-t 5]

Yeah I've looked at that but not sure if there's any mink farms here in the UK. I am planning on getting his book too as much info as possible before I get one. The gloves are welders gloves that he uses I've used before with aggressive snakes and iguana. 

Got to look at the bases that wild mink aren't handled at all and farm ones aren't handled on a regular bases  got to earn their trust enough if all goes well it's what I've learnt with most animals. 

I know a stretch of river ran by a angling club that has a lot of mink around their fishery so will talk to them see if they can help they have to dispatch them as can't be released back in to the wild. 

 

[Ken's Deputy 4,459]

James; 'I am, therefore I think'. Descartes before the horse.

Might be worth trying to get the license, before going to the trouble of looking for a mink.

Mink are there. Ye know that. They'll still be there is ye ever manage to convince anyone to let ye have one.

And, saying that? This isn't the 1960's any more. Do you really think they'll grant you a license to take your " Dangerous Wild Animal " for walkies? Like, if ye had a Gaboon Viper;

" Just off for a couple of pints, love. Yeah. I've taken 'Gabby' out of the sealed room. Taking them with me. "

I can respect ye determination. But, seriously; Beware tunnel vision.

 

[james-t 5]

4 hours ago, Ken's Deputy said:

James; 'I am, therefore I think'. Descartes before the horse.

Might be worth trying to get the license, before going to the trouble of looking for a mink.

Mink are there. Ye know that. They'll still be there is ye ever manage to convince anyone to let ye have one.

And, saying that? This isn't the 1960's any more. Do you really think they'll grant you a license to take your " Dangerous Wild Animal " for walkies? Like, if ye had a Gaboon Viper;

" Just off for a couple of pints, love. Yeah. I've taken 'Gabby' out of the sealed room. Taking them with me. "

I can respect ye determination. But, seriously; Beware tunnel vision.

 

Thank you for pointing out I admit that I did have some tunnel vision also I'm going to contact the local council to discuss possibilities regarding the licence and conditions all they can do is say no. 

All exercise and enrichment would be in an enclosed area with no possible escape points on private property. 

[Welsh_red 4,645]

Catch one in a live trap . Stick a sausage through the mesh and see what happens 

I genuinly wish you all the luck i really do but all i can see is it ending in disaster. 

Personally id take on board what eddie b has said as he knows a fair bit about mink . Their a mental animal , id want the suits they wear for attack dogs with them lol. I reckon the longer you have it caged the more deranged and crazy it will become 

They are amazing animals but imagine this prikc decidinh he wanted to run up you and chew you haha 

 

 

Edited September 30, 2021 by Welsh_red

[james-t 5]

I'm taking everything said on board even more if it falls through it's a great animal to try to understand more.

Would certainly get me moving lol but I think the most important part would be how to design the enclosure with a divider of some sort to prevent that happening 

[EDDIE B 3,166]

51 minutes ago, james-t said:

I'm taking everything said on board even more if it falls through it's a great animal to try to understand more.

Would certainly get me moving lol but I think the most important part would be how to design the enclosure with a divider of some sort to prevent that happening 

Well you certainly seem to be determined anyway

Ok James. Would you not, at least wait till next summer till you at least have a proper set up. Maybe an enclosure within an enclosure, Incase it escapes. No point in having a mink, with no where go put it. Also, gives you time to get the proper licence, if that's even possible. But most importantly, you might at least get a young mink, that has the possibility of being tamed. Getting one from a den is ideal, but how you gonna achieve that? Next best thing, would be to catch one when it's just big enough to follow the mother. You would have to gang set two or three cages to achieve this. You'll catch the mother,  and some kits. That would be your best bet, but timing is the key 

[james-t 5]

59 minutes ago, EDDIE B said:

Well you certainly seem to be determined anyway

Ok James. Would you not, at least wait till next summer till you at least have a proper set up. Maybe an enclosure within an enclosure, Incase it escapes. No point in having a mink, with no where go put it. Also, gives you time to get the proper licence, if that's even possible. But most importantly, you might at least get a young mink, that has the possibility of being tamed. Getting one from a den is ideal, but how you gonna achieve that? Next best thing, would be to catch one when it's just big enough to follow the mother. You would have to gang set two or three cages to achieve this. You'll catch the mother,  and some kits. That would be your best bet, but timing is the key 

More then happy to wait the enclosure I'm planning to do is basically a brick shed with a welded mesh door and concrete floor. 

The licence is a blurry area as they need to be able to inspect the enclosure and animal. 

Thank you very much for the advice regarding trapping a kit. 

The determination comes from looking at wild caught animals that have been tamed over time for the pet trade so it may take breeding a few litters to get that natural fear/aggression down. 

[Welsh_red 4,645]

17 minutes ago, james-t said:

More then happy to wait the enclosure I'm planning to do is basically a brick shed with a welded mesh door and concrete floor. 

The licence is a blurry area as they need to be able to inspect the enclosure and animal. 

Thank you very much for the advice regarding trapping a kit. 

The determination comes from looking at wild caught animals that have been tamed over time for the pet trade so it may take breeding a few litters to get that natural fear/aggression down. 

If your having a brick/block shed i would have the internal walls rendered or at least battern then ply . Ive done the ply option on my ferret shed . My ferrets can climb the old brick wall so they will need smooth surfaces to stop it climbing .

This is what ive got in my ferret shed , excuse the mess ive been sorting out my sheds and at the minute its a store room . I can lock myself in there with the mesh door , let the ferrets out running around me and they cant get out or climb . Ive also got a flap that lifts up on the mesh so that ferrets cant climb the mesh further than that . 

If you had a wild mink i would assume you will need better than this as my ferrets would only try to get out out of exquisitivness unlike a wild mink that would want get get out back to freedom