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Best spring out rat country #6161689
02/18/18 03:21 PM
02/18/18 03:21 PM
Joined: Mar 2011
Posts: 25,390
williams,mn
trapper les Offline OP
trapper
trapper les  Offline OP
trapper

Joined: Mar 2011
Posts: 25,390
williams,mn
Where is the best spring out/breakup rat country up there ?


"Those who hammer their guns into plowshares will plow for those who do not."
Re: Best spring out rat country [Re: trapper les] #6161731
02/18/18 03:50 PM
02/18/18 03:50 PM
Joined: May 2010
Posts: 2,686
Alaska
D
drasselt Offline
trapper
drasselt  Offline
trapper
D

Joined: May 2010
Posts: 2,686
Alaska
Breakup rats tend to be shredded messes. Best rats are now til breakup trapping pushups.


you can vote your way into socialism, but you will have to shoot your way out.
Re: Best spring out rat country [Re: trapper les] #6161903
02/18/18 06:33 PM
02/18/18 06:33 PM
Joined: Dec 2013
Posts: 127
wasilla ak
A
AK TRAPR Offline
trapper
AK TRAPR  Offline
trapper
A

Joined: Dec 2013
Posts: 127
wasilla ak
It has been a nightmare this year with the goofy weather still managing to get a few

Re: Best spring out rat country [Re: trapper les] #6161908
02/18/18 06:44 PM
02/18/18 06:44 PM
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 4,791
M.T.V. Alaska
Y
yukonjeff Offline
trapper
yukonjeff  Offline
trapper
Y

Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 4,791
M.T.V. Alaska
Originally Posted By: trapper les
Where is the best spring out/breakup rat country up there ?


Folks here used to camp all spring and hunt rats by the thousands. Its pretty much a big swamp.No closed season on rats and beaver here.

Re: Best spring out rat country [Re: trapper les] #6162216
02/18/18 11:40 PM
02/18/18 11:40 PM
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 3,489
Moved to Fbks, Ak.
M
martentrapper Offline
trapper
martentrapper  Offline
trapper
M

Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 3,489
Moved to Fbks, Ak.
Yukon Flats around Ft. Yukon were spring rat country back when folks needed an income source after regular trapping.
mt

Re: Best spring out rat country [Re: trapper les] #6163656
02/20/18 07:53 AM
02/20/18 07:53 AM
Joined: Aug 2013
Posts: 135
AK, Northwest Arctic Borough
C
Caribou Offline
trapper
Caribou  Offline
trapper
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Joined: Aug 2013
Posts: 135
AK, Northwest Arctic Borough
Kobuk River delta has hundreds of miles of river, lakes, sloughsand a high Muskrat population right now.

Now untill break up in May is good for Muskrats by the pound or by the ton. hung up and dried 2 days and then roasted untill the tail is crunchy....yep....

They were a form of currency around here, back in the old days.

When the Break up flood go's down and some pretty violent love making ruins 'em...LOL!

Last edited by Caribou; 02/20/18 07:54 AM.

What would the Founding Fathers do?
Re: Best spring out rat country [Re: trapper les] #6164680
02/20/18 11:35 PM
02/20/18 11:35 PM
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 1,262
Mt.
g smith Offline
trapper
g smith  Offline
trapper

Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 1,262
Mt.
Interesting ! Thanks to all


You can ride a fast horse slow but you can't ride a slow horse fast .
Re: Best spring out rat country [Re: trapper les] #6164744
02/21/18 12:58 AM
02/21/18 12:58 AM
Joined: Feb 2014
Posts: 3,263
NWT
Ryan McLeod Offline
trapper
Ryan McLeod  Offline
trapper

Joined: Feb 2014
Posts: 3,263
NWT
Mackenzie river delta. Over 40,000 lakes.


If you take care of the land the land will take care of you
Re: Best spring out rat country [Re: trapper les] #6165081
02/21/18 11:57 AM
02/21/18 11:57 AM
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 9,154
Alaska and Washington State
W
waggler Offline
trapper
waggler  Offline
trapper
W

Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 9,154
Alaska and Washington State
I've talked to friends who used to shoot spring 'rats out of Fork Yukon back in the late 70's, it sounds like a lot of fun.
Would that still be possible to do today? Are there still the number of 'rats they talk about?


"My life is better than your vacation"
Re: Best spring out rat country [Re: trapper les] #6165082
02/21/18 11:58 AM
02/21/18 11:58 AM
Joined: Mar 2011
Posts: 25,390
williams,mn
trapper les Offline OP
trapper
trapper les  Offline OP
trapper

Joined: Mar 2011
Posts: 25,390
williams,mn
Thanks for the replies. I wondered if anybody put up a few at ice out . It hadn't occurred to hang, dry, and cook and eat the carcasses. But I can see it .


"Those who hammer their guns into plowshares will plow for those who do not."
Re: Best spring out rat country [Re: trapper les] #6169956
02/25/18 03:04 PM
02/25/18 03:04 PM
Joined: Jul 2010
Posts: 1,435
saskatchewan/canada
lots of mink Offline
trapper
lots of mink  Offline
trapper

Joined: Jul 2010
Posts: 1,435
saskatchewan/canada
Southern Saskatchewan best rat country I've ever seen, we are in drought now so rats are down in numbers.

Re: Best spring out rat country [Re: Ryan McLeod] #6182709
03/09/18 09:06 PM
03/09/18 09:06 PM
Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 8,120
Manitoba
N
Northof50 Offline
trapper
Northof50  Offline
trapper
N

Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 8,120
Manitoba
Originally Posted By: Ryan McLeod
Mackenzie river delta. Over 40,000 lakes.


When I did work there in the 70s the numbers were incredible 5 rats per acre of water on the ice at on time

The air sun drying is befor the fly season

Re: Best spring out rat country [Re: Northof50] #6185742
03/12/18 09:25 PM
03/12/18 09:25 PM
Joined: Feb 2014
Posts: 3,263
NWT
Ryan McLeod Offline
trapper
Ryan McLeod  Offline
trapper

Joined: Feb 2014
Posts: 3,263
NWT
Originally Posted By: Northof50
Originally Posted By: Ryan McLeod
Mackenzie river delta. Over 40,000 lakes.


When I did work there in the 70s the numbers were incredible 5 rats per acre of water on the ice at on time

The air sun drying is befor the fly season


I love rat hunting. Its not uncommon to get a good lake with 100 rats or more. Baxk in the day a good lake could give you 500 rats.


If you take care of the land the land will take care of you
Re: Best spring out rat country [Re: Northof50] #6185835
03/12/18 11:21 PM
03/12/18 11:21 PM
Joined: Jul 2013
Posts: 1,859
Northwest Territories
M
muskrat411 Offline
trapper
muskrat411  Offline
trapper
M

Joined: Jul 2013
Posts: 1,859
Northwest Territories
Originally Posted By: Northof50
Originally Posted By: Ryan McLeod
Mackenzie river delta. Over 40,000 lakes.


When I did work there in the 70s the numbers were incredible 5 rats per acre of water on the ice at on time

The air sun drying is befor the fly season

Flys are the best flashers in the business. Leave your rats out in the Flys in the afternoon and they are meat free by evening. No fleshing required.

Re: Best spring out rat country [Re: Caribou] #6185876
03/12/18 11:54 PM
03/12/18 11:54 PM
Joined: Mar 2011
Posts: 25,390
williams,mn
trapper les Offline OP
trapper
trapper les  Offline OP
trapper

Joined: Mar 2011
Posts: 25,390
williams,mn
Originally Posted By: Caribou
Kobuk River delta has hundreds of miles of river, lakes, sloughsand a high Muskrat population right now.

Now untill break up in May is good for Muskrats by the pound or by the ton. hung up and dried 2 days and then roasted untill the tail is crunchy....yep....

They were a form of currency around here, back in the old days.

When the Break up flood go's down and some pretty violent love making ruins 'em...LOL!
Sounds like an interesting place to be for spring rats. Rats are good here for a week or so after open water, in late April, but not legal to keep. If I up there, and that was the thing to do at the time, I'd do it.


"Those who hammer their guns into plowshares will plow for those who do not."
Re: Best spring out rat country [Re: trapper les] #6186300
03/13/18 11:34 AM
03/13/18 11:34 AM
Joined: Dec 2012
Posts: 245
Alberta, Canada
T
The Spruce Offline
trapper
The Spruce  Offline
trapper
T

Joined: Dec 2012
Posts: 245
Alberta, Canada
Pretty good spring Ratting to be had where I live. Huge numbers can be put up in the first week after ice out, after that they start fighting.
There is 10 times more water than a person can trap where I live....was thinking about cutting into a few huts this week.

Spruce

Re: Best spring out rat country [Re: trapper les] #6186683
03/13/18 06:39 PM
03/13/18 06:39 PM
Joined: Dec 2012
Posts: 245
Alberta, Canada
T
The Spruce Offline
trapper
The Spruce  Offline
trapper
T

Joined: Dec 2012
Posts: 245
Alberta, Canada



Now I wanna go Rat trapping!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Re: Best spring out rat country [Re: trapper les] #6186984
03/13/18 11:13 PM
03/13/18 11:13 PM
Joined: Mar 2011
Posts: 25,390
williams,mn
trapper les Offline OP
trapper
trapper les  Offline OP
trapper

Joined: Mar 2011
Posts: 25,390
williams,mn
Me too ! That's a nice pile of rats right there .


"Those who hammer their guns into plowshares will plow for those who do not."
Re: Best spring out rat country [Re: trapper les] #6193548
03/20/18 12:36 PM
03/20/18 12:36 PM
Joined: Mar 2018
Posts: 8
Lower Yukon Delta, AK
C
conniboxer Offline
trapper
conniboxer  Offline
trapper
C

Joined: Mar 2018
Posts: 8
Lower Yukon Delta, AK
Anybody ever trap through the ice before breakup? I'm in the Yukon kuskokwim delta right on the Bering coast and there's tons of rats down here, but they dont use push ups so I'm not sure how to locate them under the ice. Was thinking about just busting a few holes to see if any rats started using them. If that doesn't work I think I'll just have to mark the bank dens and runs in the fall as it starts freezing over

Re: Best spring out rat country [Re: trapper les] #6193963
03/20/18 07:04 PM
03/20/18 07:04 PM
Joined: Aug 2011
Posts: 45,271
james bay frontierOnt.
B
Boco Offline
trapper
Boco  Offline
trapper
B

Joined: Aug 2011
Posts: 45,271
james bay frontierOnt.
Don know if it would work in your area,but you could try the colored puck set(baited trigger) that was shown in the nafa magazine last year.


Forget that fear of gravity-get a little savagery in your life.
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