February - Muskrat month
- Thread starter Big Fin
- Start date
Hunter&Huntress
Active member
Awesome thanks for the ideas! Might have to try the wedges for now.
Had to pull the last half of the traps on Sunday. Wish I could have kept them soaking, as the rats were really starting do a lot of traveling. In the final 11 traps I pulled, I had 9 rats. The total for that day was 13 and the total for this little line over the two weeks it was out came to 157 muskrats. They are all skinned, fleshed, and dried.
Thought you guys would get a kick out of this letter crittergetter's son wrote for his school work. Having kids along was surely one of the highlights of that two week trapping gig. Gonna have to give him a little pocket change when these furs get sold. Might even have him tag along when the beaver become my target in a few weeks.
Gerald Martin
Well-known member
- Joined
- Jul 3, 2009
- Messages
- 8,643
Muskrat in a trap- $8. Trapping in a young man's blood- priceless. Well done Big Fin! You're making a big impact on a lot of young kids. My daughter took her Hunttalk hat, the pellet gun and one of my calls back in the woods yesterday on her own to try and call in a coyote. She called in the neighbor's dog. 
At least she knows she making the right sounds.
At least she knows she making the right sounds.
Uncle Mike came out from Minnesota on Wednesday and joined me as I went on beaver patrol. First day check was pretty good - 26 rats. Second day check was not as good, only 13 rats. No pics from either day. Had left the camera at home.
Third day check was really good; 28 rats and one lunker beaver.
Beaver set - Before
Beaver set - After
On his way back from Idaho, Uncle Mike was able to tag along for the check on Day Four. Two big beaver, one mink, and eleven rats.
Beaver set - Before
Beaver set - After
So far this year I am at 235 rats. These landowners keep asking me to trap their beaver, which maybe I should charge for, but given they let me trap their muskrats, that is fair enough. Not sure if this skinning work is worth the fun of catching them.
Third day check was really good; 28 rats and one lunker beaver.
Beaver set - Before
Beaver set - After
On his way back from Idaho, Uncle Mike was able to tag along for the check on Day Four. Two big beaver, one mink, and eleven rats.
Beaver set - Before
Beaver set - After
So far this year I am at 235 rats. These landowners keep asking me to trap their beaver, which maybe I should charge for, but given they let me trap their muskrats, that is fair enough. Not sure if this skinning work is worth the fun of catching them.
backsmasher23
Member
Awesome pics! 235 is crazy, how long to skin one?
Skin - 5 minutes. Brush, flesh, stretch - 5 addition minutes.
Smell of my shop right now - priceless.
roadhunter
Banned
- Joined
- Jul 28, 2013
- Messages
- 719
Wow. They must have gone down quite a bit as they were going for quite a bit more than that just a couple of years ago.
shoots-straight
Well-known member
My family says it's the smell of winter.
RobG
Well-known member
Uh, yeah, about that smell... "Priceless" wasn't the first thing that popped into my head yesterday.
bobbydean
Well-known member
Always remembered the mountain men eating beaver tail. Is it worth eating?
johnp
Well-known member
Years when the price for fur is down like this year ,I will send some in for tanning . Always able to sell nice tanned beaver,coon and coyote furs. when I am skinning small beavers I often flip the carcass over on its belly and fillet out the backstraps and thighs . They can be pan fried like venison steaks or slow cooked . The big ones can be kinda tough . Also the castor glands are way up in price this year , some consolation for low fur prices is less competition on public land. Thanks for the cool pics Fin. Turning kids on to trapping is awesome.
John
John
Bwana
Well-known member
Man oh man does that ever look like fun!
Used to trap fox and coon when I was growing up but have never gotten back into it since moving away. I would LOVE to tag along with someone again some day.
Thanks for sharing yet another of your adventures with us Randy!
Used to trap fox and coon when I was growing up but have never gotten back into it since moving away. I would LOVE to tag along with someone again some day.
Thanks for sharing yet another of your adventures with us Randy!
backsmasher23
Member
A lot of my conversations with my wife regarding my hunting/fishing trips end up like a MasterCard commercial.
