I have very few traps out, but last night I got 3 rats... and I believe it was a coon that helped me skin one last night. I had it in a #110. The trap was set in a run going to a feed up under the bank. The water was about 5" deep, and what ever got it had to be in the water. The top part of the rate hide was good with no cuts or marks on the skin. Just rolled the skin up as it ate … the tail was hanging by one little bit of sinew.

Garry-

Could've been a mink, too. They've gotten a few of the rats on my line in the past. None quite as destroyed as that one, though. So you could be right.

I am guessing coon as that is a lot for a mink to eat in one setting unless it was stockpiling for the cold snap. Also leave a note for the skinner, as it appears to me they made the wrong opening cut! lol

Bryce

Yea, I had help like that last year, or was it the year before.

'Coon helped himself right through 1"x1" wire.

Good reminder to throw some marsh grass on top the colony trap.

Everyone know that only Chupacabras skin and eat rats like that.

Crawdads.

In my case I don't think it was crawdads that pulled the hide up through the wire roof.

I have had Coon do exactly that to Squirrels that were caught in cage traps. One time we were losing Muskrats at a location, and thinking it was a coon or mink we set for it. Turned out to be a juvenile Red Tail Hawk eating them. We wrapped him in a coat and released him un-harmed.

I'm with the coon most likely done it too group.. I've had some rats look like that usually stops when catch a coon or two near by. This was on islands on river. I've also caught mink the next night in same trap reset where rat was eaten. Hawks and owls slice them up..

Mac

I ain't saying it was aliens but it was aliens.

Beat me to it!

Alien pig castrators to be sure!!

About 1968 my brother and I were nine and ten years old trapping muskrats and very inexperienced. Fur prices were good enough to bring out the Johnny Sneakums. We'd check our traps and find skinned carcasses in them. Being young and dumb it took us a while to figure it was a two-legged critter doing it. Turned out to be a neighborhood guy, a grown man. He was a real piece of work.