Good morning!, I just had a couple of questions on trapping skrats. I bought 1 1/2 foot hold traps and 110 conibears and plan to use them in a “pole” set where I’ll be using a 3/8 rod and some hagz brackets to hold the traps.. I also intend on using carrots for bait/ lure on both the conibears and footholds (using the hagz bait holder approximately 8 inches off the pan. ( So my question(s) is when using the baited 110 how far off the creeks floor should I be placing my traps? Also with the foothold traps I set a half dozen with the trap about an inch under the waters surface and over night a thin layer of ice froze over .. I’m assuming that’s not in my favor. When putting lure is it possible I’m putting to much (bean size) If I’m placing some at every set ? Thanks for the help guys

I'll take a shot at answering your questions. Muskrats are easy to bait and lure but I think you should try more sets without them. Look for spots where the sign tells you the muskrat is traveling and blind set them. Setting traps in runs, holes, pinch points, etc. The bottom edge set with a conibear is good to learn also. Baited sets are great but don't rely totally on them. Good luck and stick with it by studying sign and learning the rats habits.

Thought these photos might come in handy someday. A few rats have moved into this swale.........just a seasonally wet spot in a farm terrace trough........but there they are just the same.






This shows the runs and side channels they are using.......



Den entrance is lower left. Channel opposite it leads to a feed bed they are expanding. They seem to be grazing on clover in the adjacent hay field.

Hole is no more than a foot deep anywhere, so not sure if a foot trap and drowning setup would work, but body grips in the travel channels would. Channels are no more than 4 or 5 inches deep........

BTW, setup a game camera to get video of the rats at work......nothing on them, but 48 hours later got some video of a red fox, skunk and about half dozen deer all hanging around this little water hole. Odd.......not near any cover at all and far from being the only water hole around. Just one of many.

I'd set 110 bodygrips on the bottoms so all those runs.

Awesome pics man .. yea I’m new to the whole muskrat game and will be looking out for this

Kosta, hit your reset

In shallow water as this 110's are best in the most active channels. Nothing worse than a wrung off foot for your efforts with foot hold trap. Here in Iowa an ear of field corn is a good bait . the yellow color is eye appeal to rats plus food they like.