Just read my latest outdoor news publication.

I see that the Biologist John Erb states that rats and mink "aren't doing all that well". I find that head scratching as we are in our 5th year of good water levels...and I'm seeing more rat ponds popping up anywhere I've been.

Erb did reference back to 20 or 30 years ago. Not that we have to go back that far, but wondering if people agree with his statement...or are we seeing a good rat and mink population these days?

Erb is out of touch, and temporarily forgot the cyclic nature of predators and prey.


Seems to be a lot of mink around, and you can see a rat about anywhere despite the drought we had. They are flipping on every water way.

A bunch of ponds and ditches that I normally trap in Sherburne County are dry. Haven't seen a rat house in the last 2 years.

Lots of water here but not many rat huts this year but there seems to be an abundance of mink have seen a good doz or so cross the road and stopped counting at 50 the ones that did not make it across

Up untill last year there were a good number of huts everywhere but this year there are only a handful

By visual survey only this summer I believe mink are up in my area, otter and rats may be down a bit.

Osky

Rats have been down for many years but I have been seeing more the last couple years. Pretty wet late summer and fall around here which means there should be more rat huts in the marshes.

It's actually been dry here all summer, but every time I stand still at a beaver control job, I'll see a swimming rat. For years we hardly had a rat very far from the lake.

Around SW MN, we had so much rain and flooding this Spring and Summer. Skrat numbers are way down. With the 4" of rain the past couple of days, it won't get any better either. Skrats don't like rising and falling water level's period. The marsh's around here had three big Douches of water come thru them in the last 6 month's. A lot of Mink and Skrats died with their young. While trying to shoot some carp this spring, I seen numerous dead Skrats and a couple of Mink. What else could kill water dwellers and not eat them. Floods don't mix well with any critter.

If we get any more rain here I will need to start exploring coyote and fox floaters.

Looks like rats are down here, we have had a gradual slide the last 4 years.

Rats seem to be down in my small area and have been for the last two years..... mink as well. Otter populations seem to be up, though.

From what I'm seeing around here Is that the rats have been flooded out of their normal haunts and are building In these shallow water ponds. When the water goes down and It freezes up they are going to be In world of hurt.

Better kill them all then Beav.

It's In the plans. colony traps In the runs. In and out In 2 days.

I had a big drop off last year in rat numbers in my ditches. Mink were far and few between from what I could tell. We've flooded at least 5 times this year, but we have plenty of good habitat around for them yet.

we don't have many rat huts around this area at all. But most of the rats I have trapped in the past were all in the bank. I don't trap a lot of rats so I am not the one hurting the population. Haven't really looked for much mink sign with the low mink prices I don't bother chasing them.

Seen marten and mink running here today when I went out in the bush.When you see animals running in the bush in daytime it usually means its going to be a good year.

Dang narrow leafs

I keep my feet dry and trap canines. As wet as it has been this year i am really glad I spent time making waxed dirt this summer

Les,...Interesting on the Mink as Erb said mink are down, particularly in the northern part of the state.

Trapstickman Doesn't surprise me your seeing both higher otter and lower mink and rat populations. Otters eat em like popcorn I suspect.

Also makes sense with you guys who live in stream country. The floods this year are never good for either rats or beaver.

Nightlife.... Not sure what part of the state you're in, but they aren't even building here yet. Hopefully some get building for you soon.

Nimzy, I see the MN DNR are now spraying wetlands in an attempt to control (or knock back) the narrow leafs. According to their reports, they are making progress. Not sure if it's just a drop in a bucket or not, but maybe a good start to controlling the narrow leaf. Any idea if WI is doing the same?

Thanks for the replies, guys. I have more confidence in our own observations, personally.