I am trapping a place full of deep ditches the beaver have floded I no its full of muskrat, I found some dens wen the ice was there and got one today but I no there's a lot more due to the bubble trails. How would yall set this? Its to deep to wade. PLEASE HELP


O yea I now there a bubble trail down the middle but its 6 foot deep and dosent narrow down. Wat should I do?

If the ice thickness isn't to thick to create a lot of work I would put down some muskrat submarine traps. Don't matter how deep it is. Muskrats and mink cannot resist investigating black holes. Sub traps can handle a lot of critters. My best has been 11 rats and one mink in one.

Right on the money. Drop a few of these in.



Collect your muskrats

Put them in the middle on the bottom? The ice is gone now.

Yes, or along either side probably best if it's a wide ditch.

If the water is clear and you can see the bottom just look for the "trail" along the bottom, you'll see a clean path along the bottom about 4 inches wide, it doesn't really matter how deep the water is. Find where the path runs in a fairly straight line for a few feet and plop down a colony trap right on the trail, no need for guide sticks. I didn't really believe this type of set would work, but it's pretty amazing how the 'rats will go right into the trap.

Its not clear tho its a white clay bottom and the water is constantly murky. The few rats I've got I figured out were a few dens were wen we had ice because they were not frozen but I now there's tons of rats there by the bubbles.do yall think floats would work? I don't have any colony traps or money to buy any, I wish I did.

Another question.. Why do yall think we don't have rat houses? I have never seen a hut I've read about em but all our rats are in bank dens, why is this

Probably aren’t any cattails for them to build huts?

In deep water with a fairly hard bottom I use a long stick that I drag across the bottom to feel for the rat run trench.

I duno I've lived here my whole life and even were there is cattails they go to the bank and dig. All WAYS I've got plenty of rats in my life, our beaver almost all ways do the same thing but I have seen 3 built lodges this year but they had a bank den beside it. Maybe floats?

This is what I would try. If you know what you are feeling, you should be able to find the run. Just feel for a "ditch" on the bottom.

I primarily trap ditches just like this. Never actually seen a rat hut. Setting foothold traps on any feedbeds works well. If there is vegetation growing in the ditch the rats will swim along the edges of that. You can set 110's along the edge and catch them that way.

If the water is open, and the depth is 6ft at the ditch edge I would use baited or scented pocket sets with either weighted #1's, 1 1/2's or 110/120/160's.
Floats would work well, also sleepy creek set ups.

If the edge gradually gets deep, jump in and feel around for there den entrances. If possibly put colonies at there den entrances. There may likely be too much slope for that though. You could try bottom edge sets, but pockets, floats, or sleepy creeks will be the fastest and most productive sets here IMO.

There will hardly ever be huts in these locations, just dens, occasionally a feeder.


Spruce

Rats prefer a bank den to a hut most times if they have a suitable bank. As you do.

Ok I see thanks everyone, what is the sleepy creek setup? Its deep right away. Thanks yall

Sorry, I must have had 1. 1/2 sleepy creeks on my brain. I meant to say sudden valley. They make bait holders, and trap holders that fit on 3/8" fiberglass rods. Very quick and efficient. I believe Hagz now makes a similar product as well. Just google them, they are quite easy to find. Work excellent.

Spruce

Thanks I no way ur talking about now I thought u had some secret method lol