Water Sets for Muskrat and Mink

Why start in the water

Muskrat are the classic first water species. They're common, their sign is easy to read, and they teach you how to look at a bank. Mink share the same water and the same edges, so learning one teaches you a lot about the other.

Reading muskrat sign

• Runs: worn channels in the bank or along the bottom leading to dens. On a clear day you can see them as darker trails underwater.
• Feed beds: small floating mats of cut vegetation where they sit and eat.
• Push-ups and houses: domes of vegetation on marshes and ponds.
• Den entrances: holes in the bank at or just below the waterline.
• Droppings: small, oval pellets on logs, rocks and feed beds.

Reading mink sign

Mink hunt the edges. Look for tracks in mud along banks, under overhanging roots, at culverts, and where a small stream enters a larger one. They travel close to the water and check every hole and crevice.

Pocket set (muskrat and mink)

1. 1Find a spot on the bank with fresh sign and water about 15–25 cm (6–10 in) deep.
2. 2Dig a pocket into the bank at the waterline, about 10 cm (4 in) wide and 20–30 cm (8–12 in) back, angled slightly up so the back is above water.
3. 3Put a little bait or lure in the back of the pocket, above the waterline.
4. 4Bed a small foothold in the water at the mouth of the pocket, a few centimetres under the surface.
5. 5Use a drowning setup if your regulations require one for water sets. It typically uses a cable and slide lock running to deeper water so the animal is dispatched quickly.

Run set with a body-grip

Small body-grip traps (the 110 and 120 sizes are common for muskrat and mink) work well set squarely in a run, a narrow channel, or at a den entrance. The trap should fill the opening so the animal has to swim through it. Stake it so it can't twist or be pulled out. Body-grip traps set in water are much less likely to catch dogs than the same trap on land, but still think about where pets and people go.

Blind sets for mink

A blind set uses no bait or lure at all. Find a natural narrow spot the mink must travel through, like a gap between a rock and the bank or a hole under a root, and place a small body-grip or foothold so the mink runs into it. Narrow the gap with sticks if needed. Blind sets are very effective because they don't depend on the animal being interested in anything.

Under the ice

Once water freezes, muskrat keep using push-ups and runs under the ice, and many trappers keep catching them through the ice season. Ice brings its own safety risks. Check ice thickness before you walk on it, never trap ice alone if you can avoid it, and carry ice picks.

Water safety

Cold water is the biggest risk in trapping. Wear proper waders and know how to get out of them if you go in. Keep a change of clothes in the truck. Tell someone your route.

Log your sets

Water sets can be hard to find again after a rise in water or a snowfall. Pin every one in Sprung Trapline as you make it, with a note on what's there. It's also the easiest way to make sure every water set comes out at pull-out time.

Check your regulations for trap types allowed in water, drowning requirements, and season dates for muskrat and mink.