Muskrat Trapping in Ditches
#6376853
11/18/18 10:50 PM
11/18/18 10:50 PM
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Joined: Dec 2017
Posts: 159 Indiana
Siegs
OP
trapper
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OP
trapper
Joined: Dec 2017
Posts: 159
Indiana
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I am new to Muskrat trapping this year and have been muskrat trapping in a small pond. There is a ditch behind this property I am trapping. I believe their are muskrat in there. Is there and signs I can look for and if so how should I trap a ditch? Thank you. PS. The ditch is very steep and is about 6-8 across in length. Some parts narrow and some parts open up. Also how should I go about trapping their for Mink? Thanks again!
-Bryce
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Re: Muskrat Trapping in Ditches
[Re: Siegs]
#6376876
11/18/18 11:34 PM
11/18/18 11:34 PM
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Joined: Jul 2016
Posts: 3,141 Michigan
Ditchdiver
trapper
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trapper
Joined: Jul 2016
Posts: 3,141
Michigan
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Pocket sets will catch rats, mink and coon. Look for rat toilets, bank dens, feed beds, trails under overhanging grass, etc.
When life gets me down..... you know hunting/trapping season is closed.
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Re: Muskrat Trapping in Ditches
[Re: Siegs]
#6376885
11/18/18 11:47 PM
11/18/18 11:47 PM
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Joined: Jul 2016
Posts: 3,141 Michigan
Ditchdiver
trapper
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trapper
Joined: Jul 2016
Posts: 3,141
Michigan
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Also (for mink), look for dry trails up on the banks. They FREQUENT the water but spend a lot of time on dry land too.
When life gets me down..... you know hunting/trapping season is closed.
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Re: Muskrat Trapping in Ditches
[Re: Siegs]
#6376985
11/19/18 08:29 AM
11/19/18 08:29 AM
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Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 2,333 Hancock Co., Indiana
Kart29
trapper
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trapper
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 2,333
Hancock Co., Indiana
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Those ditches can be really tough to trap. There is quite a bit of silt in the bottom of many of them and they can be very difficult to walk along. Sometimes the sides of the ditch are so steep you can barely climb up and down them.
The overhanging grass makes the bank dens pretty difficult to find and they can be hard to set also. I have the best luck setting 220 body grips in narrow spots in the stream. If the stream isn't naturally that narrow you can make your own narrow funnels on the stream using sticks, brush, or even wire fencing. It won't be long before the rats swimming the stream are accustomed to going through the narrow spots in the ditch. Colony traps might be effective in those locations also.
Of course, I will also set toilets and bank dens whenever I can find them. In the ditches I trap, those locations can be hard to find and sometime hard to access. I've also used foothold traps on boards shoved into the bank at a shallow angle - kind of like making my own toilet log. But I find all of these to be less productive than the 220's in narrow spots where the rats are already swimming through.
Also, I find ditches that have cornfields on the sides to be far more productive than ditches that go through bean fields.
Good luck, have fun, and don't get stuck in the mud!
What from Christ that soul can sever, Bound by everlasting bands? None shall take thee From the Strength of Israel's hands.
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Re: Muskrat Trapping in Ditches
[Re: Siegs]
#6377078
11/19/18 11:37 AM
11/19/18 11:37 AM
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Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 5,468 Wisconsin
Muskrat
trapper
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trapper
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 5,468
Wisconsin
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Question: Is there a culvert tube/pipe in this ditch somewhere, with perhaps a road above it? I trapped many drainage ditches where I used to live, and also had the steep banks and silty bottom to deal with. Here's how I made life much easier trapping 'rats, and even mink, in these ditches. Floats. So if you've got ditches, and there are culvert tubes connecting ditches, maybe to the pond, maybe with a road on top, you've got current, right? If so, take a look at these pics, and maybe you can work this into your trapline. The floats I made were V-shaped, to "ride" in the current. On the front end, the point of the V, I attached a nylon cord, sort of similar to trot line, and would wrap that around the float when not in use. I took a portable drill and drilled a small hole in the top center of the culvert tube on the upstream end. The float nylon cord was then tied to the lip of this culvert tube, and the float would be slid into the water and would position itself inside the tube once it floated downstream inside the tube just a bit 'til the nylon cord tightened. 'Rats and mink had no problem swimming through the tube then get up on the float for a break. You can even use a little 'rat lure or "the Beav's peppermint paste" to entice the 'rats up there. In longer tubes I would have a wagon train of two or even three floats all tied together. Looked like of line of destroyers riding in the tube if one leaned over the pipe and peeked inside. The picture should tell about all on building these, just a couple of 2x4s, plywood base, and Styrofoam under that for floatation. Drilled a couple of holes in the 2x4s for dead sticks to poke up. Marsh grass and whatever could be wrapped around these sticks real easy to make it more inviting. About any trap for 'rats will do, I used #1 and #1 1/2 longsprings. Less likely to tip over. Build up a little vegetation on the floor for coilsprings so if the 'rat steps on the lever it won't flip. And they do work. Might seem like a lot of hassle to build 'em, but once they're done they can easily store in the attic/rafters of your garage or what have you. Made the mistake the first year of leaving them on the farm I was trapping and the carpenter ants made homes out of 'em. Best stored high and dry. I don't trap ditches anymore since moving down here, but get them out when mother nature decides to flood the bottoms and most other sets are out of commission. Might look weird tied off in the middle of a flooded slough like this, but they do work!
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Re: Muskrat Trapping in Ditches
[Re: Muskrat]
#6378661
11/21/18 10:54 AM
11/21/18 10:54 AM
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Joined: Dec 2017
Posts: 159 Indiana
Siegs
OP
trapper
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OP
trapper
Joined: Dec 2017
Posts: 159
Indiana
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That would be great. There is no culvert that runs underneath the bridges it is just open with big rocks in the bank. I will look making some floats, how do you go about stakeing them down? Thanks all of you guys for the responses. I might have some pictures to upload here soon.
-Bryce
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Re: Muskrat Trapping in Ditches
[Re: Muskrat]
#6378711
11/21/18 12:01 PM
11/21/18 12:01 PM
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Joined: Dec 2017
Posts: 159 Indiana
Siegs
OP
trapper
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OP
trapper
Joined: Dec 2017
Posts: 159
Indiana
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I was looking at a 8x6x36 or maybe a 7x7x24?
-Bryce
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Re: Muskrat Trapping in Ditches
[Re: Siegs]
#6378736
11/21/18 12:39 PM
11/21/18 12:39 PM
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Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 5,468 Wisconsin
Muskrat
trapper
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trapper
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 5,468
Wisconsin
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Whichever is legal in your state, go with it. That 8x6x36 might do you real well with those long straightaways you have there. Looking at your second picture, here's where I'd stick that colony trap. That bank side that's sluffed off, probably from 'rats digging in , is real shallow, right? And if you wade to the opposite bank, where that red rectangle is should be deep enough to fully submerge your colony trap, right? With your boot, can you feel almost like a "groove" along that bank and the bottom? You should. The bottom edge. A right angle if you will. That's where I'd stick that colony trap, tight to the vertical bank and level on the bottom. You might have to dig some of it up with your boot or get debris out of the way. Now I see some brush in the foreground. Snap a dozen pieces off, say two feet in length, and on each end of your submerged colony trap, form an angled wall from the corner nearest the middle of the ditch to that sluffed off bank. Angled so it tends to funnel the 'rats into the colony trap. Six sticks on each end. That will insure your 'rats traveling up and down this ditch will swim into your colony trap. I'm not sure of your laws, but if all that's legal, I'd even add another colony trap, along side of that one. Your first one may fill up quickly. Anyway, there's a start. With no brush hanging over the ditch, traveling 'rats will more often swim on the bottom, hugging the edge, as will mink. Good luck!
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Re: Muskrat Trapping in Ditches
[Re: Muskrat]
#6378911
11/21/18 06:17 PM
11/21/18 06:17 PM
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Joined: Dec 2017
Posts: 159 Indiana
Siegs
OP
trapper
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OP
trapper
Joined: Dec 2017
Posts: 159
Indiana
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Everything you said is correct it is fairly shallow and very undercut. I also found a spot in the ditch where it funnels and Muskrat have dug into the side to get around the rocks in the middle. Thank you for your help! My Last question is, how and what do you need to stake down a colony trap?
Last edited by Siegs; 11/21/18 06:24 PM.
-Bryce
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Re: Muskrat Trapping in Ditches
[Re: mnsota]
#6379198
11/21/18 11:50 PM
11/21/18 11:50 PM
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Joined: Dec 2017
Posts: 159 Indiana
Siegs
OP
trapper
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OP
trapper
Joined: Dec 2017
Posts: 159
Indiana
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I have seen many signs of coon and mink, interstate I-65 is right next to it and many coons have been hit by running this ditch.
-Bryce
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Re: Muskrat Trapping in Ditches
[Re: Siegs]
#6379419
11/22/18 09:33 AM
11/22/18 09:33 AM
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Joined: Feb 2010
Posts: 19,719 pa
hippie
trapper
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trapper
Joined: Feb 2010
Posts: 19,719
pa
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I am new to Muskrat trapping this year and have been muskrat trapping in a small pond. There is a ditch behind this property I am trapping. I believe their are muskrat in there. Is there and signs I can look for and if so how should I trap a ditch? Thank you. PS. The ditch is very steep and is about 6-8 across in length. Some parts narrow and some parts open up. Also how should I go about trapping their for Mink? Thanks again! Yes, they will leave sign. Put on your waders and walk up through that ditch, looking at the banks closely. They will have dens somewhere that you can use a coni over. Also watch for their feedbeds. These are usually a small indentation in the bank with some cut grass, chewed roots or crab pinchers laying around. Watch for area's where they scratch at the roots under an overhang or sometimes it can be a small V scratched into the bank where they exposed the roots to eat. Once you learn the sign, you can avoid dead-water and keep your traps and time on productive water. Good luck!
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Re: Muskrat Trapping in Ditches
[Re: Siegs]
#6379425
11/22/18 09:38 AM
11/22/18 09:38 AM
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Joined: May 2010
Posts: 28,978 potter co. p.a.
pcr2
"Twerker"
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"Twerker"
Joined: May 2010
Posts: 28,978
potter co. p.a.
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good info hippie,i'll add to look at places where they can rest with protection from overhead.
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