Given we are in the midst of one of the warmest spells in Montana history, it seemed like a good time to get some 'rat traps set out. In this part of Montana, when it starts freezing in November, the muskrats head for open water, abandoning their ponds and backwater areas that have a tendency to freeze, possibly freeze solid or dry up under the ice. So, if you can find open water, you will find rats in a density that is hard to describe.
Got a few traps set out earlier in the week, then checked them each morning. First day of checking was just twenty traps. That first morning had nine rats.
Later that day I was able to get another thirty traps set. The following morning had 32 musquash (what they call them in Canada).
Given the gettin' was so good, I invited Lawnboy and his wife to tag along and see what this rat trapping was all about. The yield that morning was 19 rats.
Yesterday had 15 more. Crittergetter has been taking his boys out to look over some traps I set in their part of the valley and report was they found five traps holding rats this afternoon.
That gives me 80 rats since I started checking them on Tuesday. Pretty good for the few traps I am able to service in the morning hours. If the warm weather continues and more water opens, I expect rats to move away from the areas I am trapping and take up short-term residence in some of the smaller open waters. Not much I can do about that.
Unfortunately, Russia is a big buyer of muskrats, only second behind Korea. The turmoil in the Russian economy and their currency struggles has dropped rat prices to half of what they were last year. But, as most who know me and my passion for rat and beaver trapping, I would do it for free.
Last year I was talked into getting back into trapping by my Uncle Elton. The biggest reason for the big effort last year was that his struggles with brain cancer made it obvious the days of Elt and me running a trap line were quickly coming to an end. He is still with us, but is under a very experimental process that requires him to carry a large computer and battery around at all times to provide electrical charges to the tumor. That cumbersome device makes it almost impossible for him to walk the creek banks and give me his advice. Here is the thread from last year's endeavor. http://onyourownadventures.com/hunttalk/showthread.php?t=257903&highlight=Elton
Here are a few pics of what the sets look like.
Muskrats eat primarily roots, which makes them so damaging to dikes, creek banks, etc. The biggest root I know of is a carrot. And boy, do 'rats love 'em. I've watched rats swim up to a trap, step in it, then with the trap on their foot, sit there and eat the carrot before trying to swim off into the deep blue yonder.
The next two pics are of a colony trap. These small channels in feeding areas are deadly on rats. This one had two in it the day Mr. and Mrs. Lawnboy came with. Had another one yesterday.
I prefer to use a size 1.5 double coil on these platform sets. But, as you see here, a #1.5 long spring will do very nicely.
I prefer to see just off the bank, eliminating shrews from eating the carrot. I also set them right in front of the small feeding pockets that show sign of rats feeding in those pockets.
First check of these three traps provided three rats. I have another spot like this where I have three traps at the mouth of a smaller feeder creek. In that spot I have checked the three traps three times, resulting in eight rats out of nine possible.
I also use these 110 Conibears where the water is too shallow to drown the rats.
Got a few traps set out earlier in the week, then checked them each morning. First day of checking was just twenty traps. That first morning had nine rats.
Later that day I was able to get another thirty traps set. The following morning had 32 musquash (what they call them in Canada).
Given the gettin' was so good, I invited Lawnboy and his wife to tag along and see what this rat trapping was all about. The yield that morning was 19 rats.
Yesterday had 15 more. Crittergetter has been taking his boys out to look over some traps I set in their part of the valley and report was they found five traps holding rats this afternoon.
That gives me 80 rats since I started checking them on Tuesday. Pretty good for the few traps I am able to service in the morning hours. If the warm weather continues and more water opens, I expect rats to move away from the areas I am trapping and take up short-term residence in some of the smaller open waters. Not much I can do about that.
Unfortunately, Russia is a big buyer of muskrats, only second behind Korea. The turmoil in the Russian economy and their currency struggles has dropped rat prices to half of what they were last year. But, as most who know me and my passion for rat and beaver trapping, I would do it for free.
Last year I was talked into getting back into trapping by my Uncle Elton. The biggest reason for the big effort last year was that his struggles with brain cancer made it obvious the days of Elt and me running a trap line were quickly coming to an end. He is still with us, but is under a very experimental process that requires him to carry a large computer and battery around at all times to provide electrical charges to the tumor. That cumbersome device makes it almost impossible for him to walk the creek banks and give me his advice. Here is the thread from last year's endeavor. http://onyourownadventures.com/hunttalk/showthread.php?t=257903&highlight=Elton
Here are a few pics of what the sets look like.
Muskrats eat primarily roots, which makes them so damaging to dikes, creek banks, etc. The biggest root I know of is a carrot. And boy, do 'rats love 'em. I've watched rats swim up to a trap, step in it, then with the trap on their foot, sit there and eat the carrot before trying to swim off into the deep blue yonder.
The next two pics are of a colony trap. These small channels in feeding areas are deadly on rats. This one had two in it the day Mr. and Mrs. Lawnboy came with. Had another one yesterday.
I prefer to use a size 1.5 double coil on these platform sets. But, as you see here, a #1.5 long spring will do very nicely.
I prefer to see just off the bank, eliminating shrews from eating the carrot. I also set them right in front of the small feeding pockets that show sign of rats feeding in those pockets.
First check of these three traps provided three rats. I have another spot like this where I have three traps at the mouth of a smaller feeder creek. In that spot I have checked the three traps three times, resulting in eight rats out of nine possible.
I also use these 110 Conibears where the water is too shallow to drown the rats.
