Weasels - Day hunters?

[wafflechicken]

Well, I asked at the local gun shop and they hooked me up with a guy who does some trapping. They came out yesterday and set traps in several locations (looks like the conibear ones), looks like they might have the same problem I had - the one trap I can see right now has been sprung... but is empty. There's tracks all over the place out there, though, so hopefully one of the others nailed a couple of the jerks.

Still not sure if my drake is going to make it but he's hanging in there so far.

 

[wafflechicken]

OK does anyone have any idea how to trap a trapwise mink?

He keeps tripping them or circling them but refuses to actually get caught in them. Last night we had fresh snow and they could see where he'd circled and investigated EVERY trap (they're conibear) that was set. Tripped one of them, left the others alone. It's been a week of traps set and the dang thing just seems to be toying with us.

Fortunately no more attacks on birds and the wounded drake is almost back to normal, so at least there's that.

 

[centrarchid]

Make so mink must walk through pipe / tunnel to get to trap. Also deploy a couple baited live-traps Occasionally they can be caught in those as well.

 

[Campine]

I caught a weasel that was killing my quail last month, I caught it by putting one of the dead birds in a live trap.

 

[wafflechicken]

Crud, that's what we've been doing. 7 conibear traps, 6 inside tunnels that we could see his tracks running through one in what it looks like he was using as a den of sorts. 2 live traps with porkfat dipped in catfood.

So far in a week he's:
- tripped one, didn't follow the rest of his route
- walked right through one of the culvert traps but it had been a warm day and cold night and the trap froze open and didn't trip
- tripped one and investigated the openings of all the other trapped tunnels without actually going in them.

And basically ignored the live traps.

 

[chickengeorgeto]

I hope this helps.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ca-bEjqnPo4

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ia_h7JcSn9Q


　

 

[heronz]

I also had one here at 2:00 in the afternoon.

 

[centrarchid]

If it is out that often, then get a dog out; that already tried then get a good dog and try again. With traps, see about removing scent of you and metallic smell by boiling them. Also bait them with smashed crayfish / crawfish parts. If crayfish hard to come by, then use store bought shrimp.

 

[Campine]

A dog might be a good idea, weasels stink almost as bad a skunks. If you can get a dog to follow the scent, you might be able to find out where he's sleeping and take care of it.