I'm not much of a under ice rat trapper but I do catch a few.
The other day my buddy talked me Into going out on the ice again It took a lot of convincing on his part. LOL

We used a chain saw to make our openings. It's In my opinion the way to go. We set some colony traps and some baited 160s. For the most part It was a toss up between 2. We had bubble runs to set they were very evident.

So my question Is do rats when leaving the huts and going out to forage swim on the bottom or do the swim right under the Ice? Most of our colony traps were In about 2 to 3 feet of water. The only rats caught In the colony traps were caught when they were actually shoved Into the entrance. so are the rats swimming over the traps that are just placed In the bubble run?
I'm a person that questions every thing I do and I try to improve my catch rate.

I'm working On a system to hang the trap right under the ice. Do you think It has some merit or Is It just a waste of time?

I think they swim just under the ice...unlike beaver.

I have watched them swimming under the ice many times and they are usually just below the surface... usually. I have thought about hanging a colony just below the ice too just haven't done it yet. What I have done is stack colony traps in bubble runs and passage ways if it's only a couple feet. Catch the most just under the surface but I have caught some in the lower ones too.

I’d imagine any trap set right against the ice would freeze and be inoperable. At least that’s what happens to mine!

I know beaver follow the bottom on runs, why wouldn’t rats do the same?

Also, you can make the funnel opening as big as you want on a colony, but it would take a lot of hardware cloth to cove an entire 2 ft water column.

6" minimum opening In WI. " I meant maximum"

If you hang the trap just under the Ice you would be Ok. I thought about cutting the hole then cutting a slot away from the hole and sliding the trap along the slot with some hangers. But that won't work since the hangers would freeze up In the slot.

A couple of wires to hang the trap right In the hole would work. But it would be of some benefit to have a access door on top so you wouldn't have to open the whole opening.

I'm more sure that rats are just swimming under the Ice since they are bubble breathing as they go.
One trapper Pmd me and said he has watched rats doing this as they swim.

By funnel I mean the part around the door. You could fit your colony with vertical fencing flaps to cover more water and funnel them down in, or up into the door (if you hang it below the ice).

A Baited Conibear with Baby Carrots just under the Ice Surface is a Killer

From what I know is they swim under the ice and that is why you normal try to find a run that is not too much deeper then the trap you will use. Also have to watch out for if the trap too close to the ice will freeze in .

I have used a colony trap on the run on the bottom under the ice. I watched a rat swim into a culvert which had some beaver dam material partially blocking it. I was very successful at this location. Water depth was 5 feet. Not sure how it would work without the beaver dam material. I wonder do rats have theses tunnels or runs thru all beaver dams ?

I always thought the bubbles was coming from the fur being dried out when they left their den.

Ive thought about doing floating colony traps under the ice but that is a ton more chopping in ice that I want to do when baited bg's are a lot less work.

Tried placing colonies on the bottom only to watch rats swim right on top <_<

We In WI can't bait a colony trap nor can we use any type of guiding material to guide the rat Into the trap.

Just trying to find another use for the colony trap. I like to make more then one catch If possible.
so with the chain saw and lets say 2" to 3" of Ice It's pretty fast work.

So a new thought comes to mind. Drive two laths down on each side of the hole then slide trap over the lath through the wire openings In the trap . Make sure your not going to stop the doors from opening. Then once the trap Is about 2" under the ice shove In a couple of wedges to keep the trap In place.

I'm thinking that the rat must be swimming close to the ice to leave such a narrow straight line bubble trail. You would think If the rat was on the bottom the air bubbles would drift off of center. I know to much thinking can get one In trouble. LOL

Beav, let me help you out. A 1 or 2 inch thick piece of Styrofoam or "celotex" the same size as your colony trap attached to the trap will "float" the colony trap just under the surface and I have had good luck with them not freezing to the ice. Give it a shot.

We are not allowed to use the colony trap here in New York (along with alot of other things) but your topic and observations are very interesting. Bubble dispersion under water is a great observation maybe it has to do with quantity. If water is shallow a 160 or 220 does the job quick. I trap alot of beaver ponds and the rats will run those beaver channels for quite a distance, we have caught quite a few in 330 even with the trigger off to the side.The solution for me was to set a 220 dead center of the bubble run just under the surface but then I will have an under ice bottom edge set where 2 runs come together clocking rats and mink on a regular basis. Another situation is where an old beaver run is grassed in or has a canopy of grass over it, these are usually found while walking in the old pond an sinking to the top of your hip boot, they do produce rats: no surface sets there. As far as floating your colony maybe a couple slabs of styrafoam attached to the bottom of the trap would hold it to the correct height.Watching a Thorpe beaver video he would suspend a 330 from a deadman and adjust the height by rolling and unrolling to the needed position maybe 2 of these one on each end of the colony would work. Anyway I enjoy your posts as they are very educational.Thanks

You can answer that question by watching them swim under the ice. The question is: at what distance from the hut is there no more cloudy water in runs? It's a combination of depth and distance from the hut.

OMG! Can we get this statement archived?

I'm thinking as soon as the rat leaves the hut It's on the bottom then once it gets X amount of feet from the hut It swims right under the Ice.
Talking to those that use baited sets under the Ice the trap and bait are just below the ice. Is that because they are hoping that the rat sees the bait or Is It because the rat Is actually swimming just under the ice. Is the rat using the bubble run to find It's way back to the hut?

So I'm thinking that If one would just suspend some 160s or 220s just under the Ice in those bubble runs a guy just might catch a few rats. Sure would be a lot easier then cutting those big holes In the ice for colony traps.

I like that Styrofoam Idea.
Know all I have to do Is find someone to test out all these theory's. LOL

Anyone ever try snarepole sets for rats?

Not that I know of. How many snares would you hang on a poplar pole?
If you hung them right under the ice would the rat float up and freeze Into the Ice?

Use a dry pole with bait attached where your snares are(a green pole might get taken away by a beaver).Even if a rat froze under the ice it would be no problem chiseling around him.How long are you going to wait to check them a week?I think a day or two you wouldn't have to worry about that.
I have never done it but let us know how it works beav-you might get several on one pole.I would use picture frame wire not cable.

There are no beaver In this marsh. I might give It a try but I think a body grip placed the same way would be a bit more efficient.

So I have some Hagzs brackets for body grips. I should be able to cut a slot with the saw and place 2 160s close together so I could cover the bubble run a bit better. Do you think I should bait them or leave them bait less?

I said I would never do this Ice trapping thing again. LOl Now we just need some safe Ice.

See the weather forecast for next week Gary?

I don't believe In the weather forecasters Mike. But It doesn't look good for Ice conditions.

Well, let's just say you won't need your snow shovel for awhile. And high of 44 projected for Thursday. But after that cold again.

I just about have my buddy convinced he should go out and try all these ideas.

These journeys are always fun. Thanks for taking us along, but be careful out there. I thought CableAble was swimming the other day and he was likely north of you.

Rats tend to cut the side that they are working and bubbles in the marsh can come from many things. The answer to your questions reminds me of what I was told by another fellow on here...depends.

Keep us posted!