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Mink (Mustela bison)
Mink pelts are usually rich glossy brown, but pale brown or nearly black mink occur. Mink can be distinguished from weasel by their white chin patch and brown belly. While weasel are light undemeath, mink will only occasionaliy have white on their bellies. The bushy tail is usually a bit darker than the body. The short, dense underhair of the mink is pale brown.
Reproduction
Mink mate in late winter, from January through March. Litters of 2 to 6 young are born in April or May after a variable gestation period averaging about 42 days. Only a single litter is born each year.
Dens may be in debris piles, hollow logs, rock piles, or abandoned muskrat burrows or houses near water. Females usually remain near dens, while males wander over considerable distances.
Habitat
Mink are most often found near streams, lakes, marshes, or swamps; but they may travel considerable distances from those wetlands.
Habits
Mink are primarily nocturnal (active at night). Feeding mainly on fish, frogs, birds and small mammals, these predators hunt primarily along watercourses.
They are equally at home on land and
water, but most of their traveling is done along stream or
lake edges. Like raccoon, they enter the water readily to
avoid obstructions. Mink are curious and thorough in their
search for food. Nearly any hole, brush pile, hollow log, or
other potential food-producing cover along their route will
be visited. They are creatures of habit, visiting the same
places on each trip through an area.
Males tend to travel longer distances and near larger bodies of water than do females. Headwater areas are frequently the denning areas of resident females. Mink scats are generally abundant in such areas. Males will visit small feeder streams, spring runs, and even drainage tiles in their rounds. During the winter mink travel extensively under the ice, particularly shelf ice.
Disease
Mink are not troubled by many diseases. However, they are susceptible to distemper and pollutants such as PCB'S.
Trapping Tactics
Mink fur is best from about mid-November until the beginning of January. Fur from animals taken later in the season is likely to be singed (curling of guard hair) or discolored.
Mink are taken in a wide variety of sets, Water sets for mink are less easily detected than are dry-land sets. Since mink are reasonably trap shy, caution in making all sets is advisable, Blind sets where mink tracks enter or leave the water, at bank holes (pocket sets) or in small spring runs or drainage tiles are also effective. Cubby sets, particularly artificial bank hole cubbies using mink lure, are good mink sets. Dirt-hole sets for fox or raccoon occasionally take mink.
Mink are strong and quick, so traps for them should be strong and fast-acting. Coilspring or under spring traps in sizes 1 or 11/2 are preferred. Small body gripping traps (especially with double springs) will take mink. Drowning sets should always be used with foot-hold traps.
Baits and Lures
Muskrat musk, mink musk, scats and urine and beaver castor are all attractive to mink. Fish oil alone or in corral bination with the above ingredients is also a good lure. Many commercial lures are on the market.
Mink much prefer fresh flesh; therefore, baits should be strictly fresh. Fish, poultry, or muskrat flesh will work well as mink baits; but more mink will generally be taken using good lures and blind sets.
