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How to properly use colony traps #6923573 07/08/20 01:36 AM 07/08/20 01:36 AM
Joined: Feb 2020 Posts: 874 Ohio G Gone Trappin. OP trapper
Gone Trappin. OP trapper G Joined: Feb 2020 Posts: 874 Ohio	I was gonna try to use colony traps for muskrat this year but not much experience using them. Can anybody enlighten me? I was thinking of using them as like bottom edge traps.

Re: How to properly use colony traps [Re: Gone Trappin.] #6923575 07/08/20 01:53 AM 07/08/20 01:53 AM
Joined: Dec 2006 Posts: 5,313 Lakeland,Minnesota B Bogmaster trapper
Bogmaster trapper B Joined: Dec 2006 Posts: 5,313 Lakeland,Minnesota	Can also be set in runs or at den entrances.Just make sure the trap is totally submerged. Tom If my feet aren't wet,I must not be trapping. Tom Olson MTA life member#100,also WTA life member

Re: How to properly use colony traps [Re: Gone Trappin.] #6923678 07/08/20 07:17 AM 07/08/20 07:17 AM
Joined: Aug 2014 Posts: 1,399 SE MN 2cylinder trapper
2cylinder trapper Joined: Aug 2014 Posts: 1,399 SE MN	You could use them as bottom edge traps. But I normally use them as Bogmaster stated, in den entrances mainly. Rebuilding john deere and international/farmall carburetors

Re: How to properly use colony traps [Re: Gone Trappin.] #6923713 07/08/20 07:52 AM 07/08/20 07:52 AM
Joined: Dec 2008 Posts: 8,446 Manitoba N Northof50 trapper
Northof50 trapper N Joined: Dec 2008 Posts: 8,446 Manitoba	If your water is low in the summer mark some of the tunnels/ trenches in case the water comes up, just a dead willow stick will due pre-planning

Re: How to properly use colony traps [Re: Northof50] #6923750 07/08/20 08:47 AM 07/08/20 08:47 AM
Joined: Feb 2020 Posts: 874 Ohio G Gone Trappin. OP trapper
Gone Trappin. OP trapper G Joined: Feb 2020 Posts: 874 Ohio	But if it’s sticking out of a den entrance 2 feet, won’t the muskrat now want to go in.

Re: How to properly use colony traps [Re: Gone Trappin.] #6923755 07/08/20 08:53 AM 07/08/20 08:53 AM
Joined: Dec 2006 Posts: 43,845 Northern Maine Bruce T trapper
Bruce T trapper Joined: Dec 2006 Posts: 43,845 Northern Maine	Originally Posted by Mason Mayer But if it’s sticking out of a den entrance 2 feet, won’t the muskrat now want to go in. They will still go thru them. Nevada bound

Re: How to properly use colony traps [Re: Gone Trappin.] #6923767 07/08/20 09:07 AM 07/08/20 09:07 AM
Joined: Dec 2006 Posts: 24,182 Wisconsin T The Beav trapper
The Beav trapper T Joined: Dec 2006 Posts: 24,182 Wisconsin	The rats for the most part are already In the den when you place your traps. The forum Know It All according to Muskrat

Re: How to properly use colony traps [Re: Gone Trappin.] #6923779 07/08/20 09:20 AM 07/08/20 09:20 AM
Joined: Sep 2008 Posts: 6,757 Newark, Ohio 83 years Actor trapper
Actor trapper Joined: Sep 2008 Posts: 6,757 Newark, Ohio 83 years	Buy the book I wrote on MUSKRATS ... it shows how and where to use them and even how to make folding colony traps. Garry- “Don't pick a fight with an old man. If he is too old to fight, he'll just kill you.” Have been trapping 77 years…

Re: How to properly use colony traps [Re: Gone Trappin.] #6923881 07/08/20 10:38 AM 07/08/20 10:38 AM
Joined: Dec 2008 Posts: 8,446 Manitoba N Northof50 trapper
Northof50 trapper N Joined: Dec 2008 Posts: 8,446 Manitoba	Better yet just take out Actor and absorb some of his wisdom this fall. You might even get an autographed book on that trip, if you follow the rules.

Re: How to properly use colony traps [Re: Gone Trappin.] #6923888 07/08/20 10:45 AM 07/08/20 10:45 AM
Joined: Dec 2006 Posts: 24,182 Wisconsin T The Beav trapper
The Beav trapper T Joined: Dec 2006 Posts: 24,182 Wisconsin	If you can legally trap culverts just fill that culvert with colony traps and get ready to skin some rats. The best culverts are those that are completely submerged. Ones not completely submerged aren't as good. In these the rats seem to swim on the surface. The forum Know It All according to Muskrat

Re: How to properly use colony traps [Re: Gone Trappin.] #6923910 07/08/20 10:59 AM 07/08/20 10:59 AM
Joined: Aug 2011 Posts: 46,891 james bay frontierOnt. B Boco trapper
Boco trapper B Joined: Aug 2011 Posts: 46,891 james bay frontierOnt.	Funnel traps are better for culverts. I prefer funnel traps to colony traps if trapping out of a vehicle,or when trapping a multi species line. If set in the right place a funnel trap will catch a lot of rats.They are a lot bigger and bulkier than the colony traps but you dont need as many of them. Last edited by Boco; 07/08/20 11:00 AM. Forget that fear of gravity-get a little savagery in your life.

Re: How to properly use colony traps [Re: Gone Trappin.] #6923937 07/08/20 11:19 AM 07/08/20 11:19 AM
Joined: Dec 2006 Posts: 24,182 Wisconsin T The Beav trapper
The Beav trapper T Joined: Dec 2006 Posts: 24,182 Wisconsin	But Boco who wants to carry around 100 funnel traps. You would need a trailer to haul them around. While you can build 3 different sizes of square colony traps and nest them together and be more efficient and take up a third of the space. How many funnel traps can you use for den trapping or rat runs. The answer Is NONE. And the there Is the cost of building funnel traps. Try using a funnel trap In 8" of water. The trick In using regular colony traps Is to put cage wire wings on them. Lets say we are working with 7" traps. What you do Is put 2 7"x 7" wings on the traps. With a few zip ties you can attach the wings on to the leading edges of the trap. They fold up during transport. Lets say your trapping a 18" culvert you place the trap In the center of the culvert and spread out the wings and the mouth of that culvert Is completely fenced off. The same deal goes for den entrances and rat runs. Boco you should come out to ND and I'll show you how to trap rats. LOL The forum Know It All according to Muskrat

Re: How to properly use colony traps [Re: Gone Trappin.] #6930154 07/14/20 08:55 PM 07/14/20 08:55 PM
Joined: Dec 2008 Posts: 8,446 Manitoba N Northof50 trapper
Northof50 trapper N Joined: Dec 2008 Posts: 8,446 Manitoba	Beav your ND trapping is spring and not dealing with ice. Those nice square 3 in 1 would not go into each other after pulling out of frozen situations daily. Old fridge grates work wonders as gates for fencing. Boco does not have to travel out of his province to get into good rat populations along the great lakes marshes

Re: How to properly use colony traps [Re: Gone Trappin.] #6930174 07/14/20 09:10 PM 07/14/20 09:10 PM
Joined: Nov 2012 Posts: 5,246 Frazee, MN B backroadsarcher trapper
backroadsarcher trapper B Joined: Nov 2012 Posts: 5,246 Frazee, MN	I tried them last year for the first time. Had good luck with them in small runs coming over the beaver dams where the water was deep enough and really narrow.

Re: How to properly use colony traps [Re: backroadsarcher] #6930181 07/14/20 09:15 PM 07/14/20 09:15 PM
Joined: Dec 2006 Posts: 11,899 East-Central Wisconsin B bblwi trapper
bblwi trapper B Joined: Dec 2006 Posts: 11,899 East-Central Wisconsin	I have been using mine in some streams with fairly hard bottoms with pretty good current so runs and dens are not easily found. I have been doing the bottom edge setting, looking for points, obstructions etc. Two years ago I did OK, but not great. This year my catch percentage was way, way lower. Don't know for sure if there were fewer rats or just not good placement. I put the traps mostly in the same places and I had a few more to set. Bryce

Re: How to properly use colony traps [Re: Gone Trappin.] #6930306 07/15/20 12:41 AM 07/15/20 12:41 AM
Joined: Dec 2006 Posts: 24,182 Wisconsin T The Beav trapper
The Beav trapper T Joined: Dec 2006 Posts: 24,182 Wisconsin	Trap smarter not harder. Trap open water. The forum Know It All according to Muskrat

Re: How to properly use colony traps [Re: Gone Trappin.] #6931065 07/15/20 08:24 PM 07/15/20 08:24 PM
Joined: Apr 2013 Posts: 4,118 WI N nimzy trapper
nimzy trapper N Joined: Apr 2013 Posts: 4,118 WI	if you truly trap smart, it happens all season. Most give up to easy.

Re: How to properly use colony traps [Re: The Beav] #6931094 07/15/20 08:49 PM 07/15/20 08:49 PM
Joined: May 2010 Posts: 10,889 MN S Steven 49er trapper
Steven 49er trapper S Joined: May 2010 Posts: 10,889 MN	Originally Posted by The Beav But Boco who wants to carry around 100 funnel traps. You would need a trailer to haul them around. While you can build 3 different sizes of square colony traps and nest them together and be more efficient and take up a third of the space. How many funnel traps can you use for den trapping or rat runs. The answer Is NONE. And the there Is the cost of building funnel traps. Try using a funnel trap In 8" of water. The trick In using regular colony traps Is to put cage wire wings on them. Lets say we are working with 7" traps. What you do Is put 2 7"x 7" wings on the traps. With a few zip ties you can attach the wings on to the leading edges of the trap. They fold up during transport. Lets say your trapping a 18" culvert you place the trap In the center of the culvert and spread out the wings and the mouth of that culvert Is completely fenced off. The same deal goes for den entrances and rat runs. Boco you should come out to ND and I'll show you how to trap rats. LOL 7 inch traps are for 7 inch runs or states who have a size limit. Mason, any place a rat will swim and is legal to set is a good place for a colony trap "Gold is money, everything else is just credit" JP Morgan

Re: How to properly use colony traps [Re: The Beav] #6931142 07/15/20 10:03 PM 07/15/20 10:03 PM
Joined: Dec 2008 Posts: 8,446 Manitoba N Northof50 trapper
Northof50 trapper N Joined: Dec 2008 Posts: 8,446 Manitoba	Originally Posted by The Beav Trap smarter not harder. Trap for dummys in open water. auto correct, just had to Some of my best catches have been in hot water tin shells with doors on them. Some of the east coasters call them otter traps and saving the Brook trout's of the streams

Re: How to properly use colony traps [Re: Actor] #6931146 07/15/20 10:08 PM 07/15/20 10:08 PM
Joined: Jan 2017 Posts: 5,971 Colesburg, Iowa 52035 M MINK I LOVE trapper
MINK I LOVE trapper M Joined: Jan 2017 Posts: 5,971 Colesburg, Iowa 52035	Originally Posted by Actor Buy the book I wrote on MUSKRATS ... it shows how and where to use them and even how to make folding colony traps. Garry- Your book Sir, Makes it fun to Trap Muskrats Again. A 'SIMPLY' Outstanding Book!

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