How to Sport Trap a Mink

Humanely trapping mink for sport, fun or even food can be accomplished with a few household items. Mink are semi-aquatic carnivorous mammals found in many parts of North America and Europe. Trapping mink without harming them can be done with a box-fall trap, baited with small amounts of meat. When the mink smells and tries to retrieve the bait, the box will fall, notifying you with a loud thud when the trap has caught your prey.

Things You'll Need

  • Large wooden box
  • Wood screw hook
  • String
  • 6-inch Stick
  • Plywood sheet (slightly larger that the dimensions of the box)
  • Bait (chicken or bacon)
  • Pillow case
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Instructions

    • 1

      Screw the hook into the center of the inside bottom of the wooden box.

    • 2

      Place the plywood on a flat surface where you have spotted mink.

    • 3

      Turn the box upside down, and prop one side of it with the 6-inch stick.

    • 4

      Tie the string tightly around the bait; tie the other end to the 6-inch stick. You should have a length of string long enough to hang the bait from the hook, so that the bait is suspended over the plywood.

    • 5

      Listen for the thud of the box falling. When a mink comes to claim the bait, it will pull down on the food, displacing the 6-inch stick inside the box so that the box falls over the mink. To retrieve the mink, flip the box and plywood over, slide the plywood to the side, and place a pillowcase over the opening before turning it over and dumping the mink into the pillowcase.