Can muskrats be frozen whole for a couple of weeks until they are skinned? I want to put out some conis tonight at midnight, but I have to return to school tomorrow morning so I won't have time to get them skinned for a few weeks when I go on winter break. Anybody done this?

esf

Cut off the front feet prior to freezing, they seem to get caught on everything if you don't

The entire rat can be frozen.Make sure you do not pile them on top of each other--spread them out well in the freezer.
Putting a bunch of them on top of each other ,before they are frozen,can prevent total freezing---and they can actually rot in the freezer.
Tom

They stink a lot more after you freeze them. Their guts seem to rip out more too after they're frozen.

I usually dry mine as best I can and slide them in a cheap lunch sack. Then put them in a plastic bag (2-3) at a time. Then when I'm ready to skin, take them out amd thaw them. It"ll take a few hours. Put a fan on them will help.
Good Luck!

Wrap each one individually in newspaper and let the water wick away into the newspaper before freezing them. they will be much easier to dry before freezing than they are after.

What Horn said, the claws get pretty bad when frozen.

Good advice, just lay them on their back is all I can add. I wouldn't do it more than a couple of weeks by the way.

Thanks guys, exactly what I wanted to hear.. Great advice.

esf