How to Make Your Own Live Trap for Mink

Mink are members of the weasel family and are best known for their dark, soft coats. They're usually found near lakes and rivers and can successfully survive on land and in water. Mink are most comfortable in heavily covered areas, like grasslands, and build their nests in areas that provide plenty of protection. They are nocturnal creatures, so any traps should be laid for the night. Prepare the area in which you hope to trap the mink---consistently leave food out for it and plan what you're going to do after trapping it. Even though they're wild animals, mink should be treated humanely. The best option is to trap them and release them into a wild area outside of town.

Things You'll Need

  • Mink food (bacon, chicken)
  • Large wooden box
  • Plywood (roughly the size of the box)
  • Stick or pole (light)
  • String
  • Screw hook
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Instructions

    • 1

      Screw the hook into the center of the inside of the box, in what will be the roof.

    • 2

      Lay the plywood flat on the ground in a place the mink frequents. To ensure the mink's presence, prepare by having left food for the mink in the same spot for several nights in a row. If the mink is used to getting food in a specific spot, it will come back consistently.

    • 3

      Use your stick or pole to prop up one side of the box over the plywood (when the box falls, it should fall on the plywood, to form the fourth side). Make sure there's enough room under the lip of the box for the mink to get inside. There should also be enough room for you to reach inside the box and bait it.

    • 4

      Tie the string to whatever treat you're using to bait the mink trap. Make sure the food is tied securely and in several places, so the mink will have to pull it down it before eating it. Run the other side of the string through the hook.

    • 5

      Pull the string tight, until the treat is suspended near the roof of the box. It should be high enough that the mink has to pull it down. When your treat is at the desired height, tie the other side of the string to the base of your stick.

    • 6

      Leave the trap. When the mink enters and tugs at the treat, the string will jerk the stick out from under the box, and the mink will be trapped. Turn the box over, keeping the plywood in place. Take the mink to a preplanned holding place or release destination.