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How should I set this pond for muskrats ? #6400131 12/16/18 03:07 AM 12/16/18 03:07 AM
Joined: Jun 2013 Posts: 1,311 Indiana K kyron4 OP trapper
kyron4 OP trapper K Joined: Jun 2013 Posts: 1,311 Indiana	I'm not the most experienced rat trapper, so I need some advice. Got about a one to one and half acre pond to trap for rats. Only about 1/3 is easily accessible due to the heavy brush. The banks have a lot of rip rap type rock or the water just tapers off to the land, no reeds , cat tails etc.. Either way I could find no bank dens or huts, but the shore line is littered with small chewed up sticks, this is the only sign I have found. There was about 1/4" of ice on the surface except the first 6" around the bank and I saw no bubble trails. Do I just put out floats and stools ? Make pocket sets with carrots and apples ? -Thanks

Re: How should I set this pond for muskrats ? [Re: kyron4] #6400150 12/16/18 06:01 AM 12/16/18 06:01 AM
Joined: Dec 2008 Posts: 1,658 lincoln co mo jonesy trapper
jonesy trapper Joined: Dec 2008 Posts: 1,658 lincoln co mo	yes that's what I would do..

Re: How should I set this pond for muskrats ? [Re: kyron4] #6400446 12/16/18 01:21 PM 12/16/18 01:21 PM
Joined: Dec 2006 Posts: 23,849 Wisconsin T The Beav trapper
The Beav trapper T Joined: Dec 2006 Posts: 23,849 Wisconsin	I might set a float or 2 but I wouldn't get to carried away. If you can dig a pocket or 2 I would go that way first. Have you noticed any rat toilets around the bank edges? The forum Know It All according to Muskrat

Re: How should I set this pond for muskrats ? [Re: kyron4] #6400952 12/16/18 09:30 PM 12/16/18 09:30 PM
Joined: Nov 2011 Posts: 334 NW Pa Backwoods USA JDTRAPPER trapper
JDTRAPPER trapper Joined: Nov 2011 Posts: 334 NW Pa Backwoods USA	Chewed up sticks? If they are really sticks not grass clippings. Your muskrats are beaver. Just saying... IMPROVISE,ADAPT, and OVECOME USMC 20YRS+ "SEMPER FI"

Re: How should I set this pond for muskrats ? [Re: kyron4] #6400978 12/16/18 09:50 PM 12/16/18 09:50 PM
Joined: Jan 2015 Posts: 3,446 Houghton Lake, MI strike2x trapper
strike2x trapper Joined: Jan 2015 Posts: 3,446 Houghton Lake, MI	No air bubbles under ice normally means nothing swimming there. Wish I had more time to trap....

Re: How should I set this pond for muskrats ? [Re: strike2x] #6401001 12/16/18 10:28 PM 12/16/18 10:28 PM
Joined: Feb 2015 Posts: 2,400 Morgantown, WV D Dfabs trapper
Dfabs trapper D Joined: Feb 2015 Posts: 2,400 Morgantown, WV	Originally Posted by strike2x No air bubbles under ice normally means nothing swimming there. X2^^^^^^

Re: How should I set this pond for muskrats ? [Re: JDTRAPPER] #6401090 12/17/18 12:28 AM 12/17/18 12:28 AM
Joined: Jun 2013 Posts: 1,311 Indiana K kyron4 OP trapper
kyron4 OP trapper K Joined: Jun 2013 Posts: 1,311 Indiana	Originally Posted by JDTRAPPER Chewed up sticks? If they are really sticks not grass clippings. Your muskrats are beaver. Just saying... The are sticks 1/4" to 3/8' in diameter and 6" to 12" long and are sticks not grass. All round the edge of water, wind may have blown them to shoreline. Some beaver sign with some 1" tree stumps chewed off by beavers. went back today still saw no broken up ice or bubbles. most of the sticks appear "fresh". I found what I thought was bank dens but they only went about 12" to 16" into the bank and stopped. No toilets found. If the ice melts I'll get the canoe in there and check out the far side , might find more sign there. The pond looks to be bigger than I first thought, more like 2 to 3 acres . -Thanks

Re: How should I set this pond for muskrats ? [Re: kyron4] #6401112 12/17/18 01:20 AM 12/17/18 01:20 AM
Joined: Dec 2006 Posts: 23,849 Wisconsin T The Beav trapper
The Beav trapper T Joined: Dec 2006 Posts: 23,849 Wisconsin	Rats chew up sticks like that. Sounds like there Is marginal food at this site and rats will make do. The forum Know It All according to Muskrat

Re: How should I set this pond for muskrats ? [Re: kyron4] #6401118 12/17/18 01:46 AM 12/17/18 01:46 AM
Joined: Jun 2013 Posts: 1,311 Indiana K kyron4 OP trapper
kyron4 OP trapper K Joined: Jun 2013 Posts: 1,311 Indiana	I did also find some well worn dry land trails going from the waters edge into the brush. Looked like a softball had been rolled back and forth making a small ditch like trail. Could this be from rats ? where it went into brush looks to tight for coons.

Re: How should I set this pond for muskrats ? [Re: kyron4] #6401473 12/17/18 04:06 PM 12/17/18 04:06 PM
Joined: Dec 2006 Posts: 23,849 Wisconsin T The Beav trapper
The Beav trapper T Joined: Dec 2006 Posts: 23,849 Wisconsin	Sounds like rats to me. I've seen It before. The forum Know It All according to Muskrat

Re: How should I set this pond for muskrats ? [Re: kyron4] #6401689 12/17/18 09:22 PM 12/17/18 09:22 PM
Joined: Sep 2007 Posts: 376 Northwest T Trapper155 trapper
Trapper155 trapper T Joined: Sep 2007 Posts: 376 Northwest	Just Gona put this here: works well under the ice

Re: How should I set this pond for muskrats ? [Re: Trapper155] #6401937 12/18/18 05:45 AM 12/18/18 05:45 AM
Joined: Feb 2015 Posts: 2,400 Morgantown, WV D Dfabs trapper
Dfabs trapper D Joined: Feb 2015 Posts: 2,400 Morgantown, WV	Originally Posted by Trapper155 Just Gona put this here: works well under the ice Just make sure if you are using green sticks, there aren’t any beaver.

Re: How should I set this pond for muskrats ? [Re: Dfabs] #6402115 12/18/18 12:02 PM 12/18/18 12:02 PM
Joined: Sep 2007 Posts: 376 Northwest T Trapper155 trapper
Trapper155 trapper T Joined: Sep 2007 Posts: 376 Northwest	Originally Posted by Dfabs Originally Posted by Trapper155 Just Gona put this here: works well under the ice Just make sure if you are using green sticks, there aren’t any beaver. Yeah I probably should have mentioned that lol

Re: How should I set this pond for muskrats ? [Re: kyron4] #6402179 12/18/18 01:21 PM 12/18/18 01:21 PM
Joined: Dec 2006 Posts: 23,849 Wisconsin T The Beav trapper
The Beav trapper T Joined: Dec 2006 Posts: 23,849 Wisconsin	It doesn't seem like there Is any water born feed and the rats are going over land to get their groceries. The forum Know It All according to Muskrat

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