No Profanity *** No Flaming *** No Advertising *** No Anti Trappers ***NO POLITICS
No Non-Target Catches *** No Links to Anti-trapping Sites *** No Avoiding Profanity Filter


Home~Trap Talk~ADC Forum~Trap Shed~Wilderness Trapping~International Trappers~Fur Handling

Auction Forum~Trapper Tips~Links~Gallery~Basic Sets~Convention Calendar~Chat~ Trap Collecting Forum

Trapper's Humor~Strictly Trapping~Fur Buyers Directory~Mugshots~Fur Sale Directory~Wildcrafting~The Pen and Quill

Trapper's Tales~Words From The Past~Legends~Archives~Kids Forum~Lure Formulators Forum~ Fermenter's Forum


~~~ Dobbins' Products Catalog ~~~


Minnesota Trapline Products
Please support our sponsor for the Trappers Talk Page - Minnesota Trapline Products


Print Thread
Hop To
Page 14 of 17 1 2 12 13 14 15 16 17
Re: WI 2019 to 2020 [Re: CableAble] #6704786
12/24/19 06:47 PM
12/24/19 06:47 PM
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 431
central wisconsin
D
deerfly Offline
trapper
deerfly  Offline
trapper
D

Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 431
central wisconsin
Nice pics to all! Checked some traps today. Merry Christmas!

[Linked Image]

[Linked Image]

[Linked Image]

Re: WI 2019 to 2020 [Re: deerfly] #6704824
12/24/19 07:28 PM
12/24/19 07:28 PM
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 11,292
East-Central Wisconsin
B
bblwi Offline
trapper
bblwi  Offline
trapper
B

Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 11,292
East-Central Wisconsin
Small catch today of 5 rats. Will probably pull sets some on Thursday and the remainder on Saturday. Looks like the end of the line for this season for me.

Bryce

Re: WI 2019 to 2020 [Re: CableAble] #6704864
12/24/19 08:22 PM
12/24/19 08:22 PM
Joined: Sep 2015
Posts: 391
southeastern Wisconsin
CableAble Offline OP
trapper
CableAble  Offline OP
trapper

Joined: Sep 2015
Posts: 391
southeastern Wisconsin
Only 5 ah well makes 191 for the year merry Christmas all


[Linked Image]

Re: WI 2019 to 2020 [Re: CableAble] #6705768
12/25/19 05:41 PM
12/25/19 05:41 PM
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 11,292
East-Central Wisconsin
B
bblwi Offline
trapper
bblwi  Offline
trapper
B

Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 11,292
East-Central Wisconsin
Took a shower today! Wanted to get out b4 our family Christmas gathering and got 4 rats and was pulling a set due to thinner ice and the whole area gave way! went in about shoulder high with the mud. With the fright hormone in full swing did like a seal and got out. Lost my spud. Got home and things are drying out well. Went to Christmas and yes my stupidity was the major topic during brunch. Got a silage fork and after 15 minutes of fishing in the mud got my spud back! Got two more rats. One section where I have to park on a busy road with a narrow shoulder I left as the fog in the low spots was thick. All is well, for now. I will pull on Saturday. Ice is getting rotten. Two pushups had live rats as they have thawed out and the rats chewed them all to pieces. Most rats in the push ups today. Merry Christmas to all.

Bryce

Re: WI 2019 to 2020 [Re: CableAble] #6705871
12/25/19 08:00 PM
12/25/19 08:00 PM
Joined: Apr 2013
Posts: 3,967
WI
N
nimzy Offline
trapper
nimzy  Offline
trapper
N

Joined: Apr 2013
Posts: 3,967
WI
Occupational hazard!

As well as conversation piece

Be careful out there

Re: WI 2019 to 2020 [Re: CableAble] #6706245
12/26/19 09:37 AM
12/26/19 09:37 AM
Joined: Sep 2015
Posts: 391
southeastern Wisconsin
CableAble Offline OP
trapper
CableAble  Offline OP
trapper

Joined: Sep 2015
Posts: 391
southeastern Wisconsin
I've been wading into horicon haha but the ice out in the marsh is still plenty good nice and rotten enough to make it easy to chop

Re: WI 2019 to 2020 [Re: CableAble] #6706442
12/26/19 01:51 PM
12/26/19 01:51 PM
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 11,292
East-Central Wisconsin
B
bblwi Offline
trapper
bblwi  Offline
trapper
B

Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 11,292
East-Central Wisconsin
Just got back from pulling. I was planning to pull Saturday but with nearly 40 last night and 50 today and another two warm days the ice was getting soft and around the rat areas thin and open. I got 8 rats on this last check so that was encouraging. One marsh with good rat numbers has 6 springs I know including the one I found yesterday for the first time. My goal was to catch 50 rats in these 3 locations and I wound up with 46 so I felt I was on target.

Bryce

Re: WI 2019 to 2020 [Re: CableAble] #6706443
12/26/19 01:51 PM
12/26/19 01:51 PM
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 11,292
East-Central Wisconsin
B
bblwi Offline
trapper
bblwi  Offline
trapper
B

Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 11,292
East-Central Wisconsin
Just got back from pulling. I was planning to pull Saturday but with nearly 40 last night and 50 today and another two warm days the ice was getting soft and around the rat areas thin and open. I got 8 rats on this last check so that was encouraging. One marsh with good rat numbers has 6 springs I know including the one I found yesterday for the first time. My goal was to catch 50 rats in these 3 locations and I wound up with 46 so I felt I was on target.

Bryce

Re: WI 2019 to 2020 [Re: bblwi] #6706483
12/26/19 03:01 PM
12/26/19 03:01 PM
Joined: Apr 2012
Posts: 2,885
new york
M
mike mason Online content
trapper
mike mason  Online Content
trapper
M

Joined: Apr 2012
Posts: 2,885
new york
Pulled traps today also.1 rat in a spring run and a good coon in a mink set.

Re: WI 2019 to 2020 [Re: CableAble] #6706530
12/26/19 04:15 PM
12/26/19 04:15 PM
Joined: Feb 2013
Posts: 2,771
WI
WIMarshRAT Offline
trapper
WIMarshRAT  Offline
trapper

Joined: Feb 2013
Posts: 2,771
WI
Hazel with the mink and an otter this morning.
[Linked Image]


Life isn't about waiting for the storm to pass...it's about learning to dance in the rain!
Re: WI 2019 to 2020 [Re: CableAble] #6706768
12/26/19 08:36 PM
12/26/19 08:36 PM
Joined: Sep 2015
Posts: 391
southeastern Wisconsin
CableAble Offline OP
trapper
CableAble  Offline OP
trapper

Joined: Sep 2015
Posts: 391
southeastern Wisconsin
5 yesterday and 7 today bring me up to 203

Good critters marshrat!

Yeah the ice is pretty soft in some areas out there Bryce at least you didnt have to swim today haha

[Linked Image]

[Linked Image]

Re: WI 2019 to 2020 [Re: CableAble] #6706821
12/26/19 09:10 PM
12/26/19 09:10 PM
Joined: Apr 2013
Posts: 3,967
WI
N
nimzy Offline
trapper
nimzy  Offline
trapper
N

Joined: Apr 2013
Posts: 3,967
WI
Hazel is getting big.

Re: WI 2019 to 2020 [Re: nimzy] #6706922
12/26/19 10:11 PM
12/26/19 10:11 PM
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 11,292
East-Central Wisconsin
B
bblwi Offline
trapper
bblwi  Offline
trapper
B

Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 11,292
East-Central Wisconsin
That is an armful for sure. Nice catches.

some thoughts for others to note and or discuss. As I pulled today with 8 rats I had mostly large rats. The first two checks I had mostly larger rats and a few smaller rats. Today I had one that is a medium or a small large.
I this was the 6th check for two of the marshes with only about 15% of the traps or sets changed during that time. Do most of you note that your catch is usually of larger rats early and smaller rats later? This was the case on these areas.

The larger marsh I trapped with a partner we had 75 rats and they average smaller all the way through but we caught more smaller rats early and larger ones the last couple checks.
This marsh was trapped from 12-12-12-18. There could be some reproduction issues going on as well.

Bryce

Re: WI 2019 to 2020 [Re: CableAble] #6707197
12/27/19 04:07 AM
12/27/19 04:07 AM
Joined: Apr 2013
Posts: 3,967
WI
N
nimzy Offline
trapper
nimzy  Offline
trapper
N

Joined: Apr 2013
Posts: 3,967
WI
I have caught more small winter rats this year then the last 10 years combined. A lot of boney, lean rats as well. Terrible winter run. Too many rats. High water.

Re: WI 2019 to 2020 [Re: nimzy] #6707205
12/27/19 05:42 AM
12/27/19 05:42 AM
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 11,292
East-Central Wisconsin
B
bblwi Offline
trapper
bblwi  Offline
trapper
B

Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 11,292
East-Central Wisconsin
We were surprised by the one marsh our first year trapping it how small, thin and thin skinned the average rat out of the roughly 75 we caught were for mid December. The place would not be trappable in open water and I guess that is a good thing as they would have been poorer then for sure. We trapped another combination lake/marsh about 4 miles from this marsh and the rats were small there too. There is a road culvert going into the one marsh I trap and I can judge the depth from that spot. Most years by late fall the area around that culvert is dry, this year the water level in the marsh is up about 18 inches over say 2-3 years ago.

Bryce

Re: WI 2019 to 2020 [Re: CableAble] #6707269
12/27/19 08:25 AM
12/27/19 08:25 AM
Joined: Apr 2013
Posts: 3,967
WI
N
nimzy Offline
trapper
nimzy  Offline
trapper
N

Joined: Apr 2013
Posts: 3,967
WI
I believe that rising water and the pressure it creates stimulates the muskrat mating ritual.

High water increases and disperses habitat.

The rodents instinctively want to fill every void. It’s nature.

Re: WI 2019 to 2020 [Re: CableAble] #6707446
12/27/19 11:53 AM
12/27/19 11:53 AM
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 11,292
East-Central Wisconsin
B
bblwi Offline
trapper
bblwi  Offline
trapper
B

Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 11,292
East-Central Wisconsin
That makes sense Nimzy regarding the frequent flooding events and the overall increase in the areas with water and deep enough water for rats. We do however see a huge drop off in rat numbers in our rivers near me as many run through areas with flatter flood plains and not much chance for rats to den up. I feel most that could migrated to these smaller sloughs all over and with the several 2-4 inch rains they may have kept reproducing later in the season.

Bryce

Re: WI 2019 to 2020 [Re: CableAble] #6707639
12/27/19 03:15 PM
12/27/19 03:15 PM
Joined: Feb 2013
Posts: 2,771
WI
WIMarshRAT Offline
trapper
WIMarshRAT  Offline
trapper

Joined: Feb 2013
Posts: 2,771
WI
Nimzy, they grow up way too fast, but I am guessing you already knew that. Just glad she has a fascination for wetlands as I love experiencing the marsh through their eyes and questions. When we pulled up the otter a swarm of activity was in the hole-- tadpoles, minnows, hellgrammites, etc. I hope they never get tired of searching for a better understanding of the world around them.

I have yet to set any rat traps this year, but all this talk is making me think I should. I was noticing more skinny rats as incidentals in the otter traps but wasn't sure I could conclude anything from the smaller sample.

We are also thinking about setting a few fisher sets but this warm weather will likely just make them coon cubbies. My need for fisher bait will give me a reason to go catch a few more rats, but I am running out of time.

Keep the pictures coming and good luck to those still out chasing the critters.

Last edited by WIMarshRAT; 12/27/19 03:21 PM.

Life isn't about waiting for the storm to pass...it's about learning to dance in the rain!
Re: WI 2019 to 2020 [Re: CableAble] #6708046
12/27/19 11:30 PM
12/27/19 11:30 PM
Joined: Apr 2013
Posts: 3,967
WI
N
nimzy Offline
trapper
nimzy  Offline
trapper
N

Joined: Apr 2013
Posts: 3,967
WI
Beylon said forecast looks more like March

[Linked Image]


The muskrats concur

Re: WI 2019 to 2020 [Re: nimzy] #6708160
12/28/19 02:21 AM
12/28/19 02:21 AM
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 11,292
East-Central Wisconsin
B
bblwi Offline
trapper
bblwi  Offline
trapper
B

Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 11,292
East-Central Wisconsin
Any ideas what 1-2 inches of rain will do to the integrity of the ice? I found open areas and 3 feet away over 6 inches but the top 3 inches in many places was milky and softer. If we get that much around here it will be a mess.

Bryce

Page 14 of 17 1 2 12 13 14 15 16 17
Previous Thread
Index
Next Thread