Has anyone tried using chunks of pumpkin as bait for muskrats? I have a couple pumpkins that are 200-300lbs and thought that a piece stuck to a ditch bank might attract them.

Any thoughts or experience?

I would guess they would like it, it would have good eye appeal and be something that has a different taste for their diet i would say to try it out

I think they do like them. I raise alot of pumpkins and feed to my sheep in pasture that has a running creek that runs through it. Never had alot of muskrats before til I did that. After the sheep eat everything in it. I can find shells in the water all chewed up like a muskrat would. Now I have alot of muskrats to trap every season. Before I didn't.

Go for It, one thing for sure you will have good eye appeal.

Should work, but dang, you grow some BIG pumpkins!

In my experience muskrats don't immediately go for a bait that they aren't familiar with. But once they figure out that something like carrots are good they will seek them out.

That may be true In some areas but I have trapped rats In areas that have never been trapped before and caught 100s of rats the first night using apples as bait. I'm sure these rats had never seen or tasted a apple before.

I didn't realize the attraction that pumpkins had to critters....everything seems to eat them. And that strong odor is a good one...bait makers you reading this?? lol

I'm not so sure a 200- 300 pound pumpkin will be big enough ha ha but give it a try I'd take the seeds out of it first .
Allan

Deer just love them. Bust them up and start shooting.

"I'm not so sure a 200- 300 pound pumpkin will be big enough ha ha but give it a try I'd take the seeds out of it first ".
How big of a float would a guy need for one of those pumpkin baited sets? LOL the mike

With low fur prices, you have to be efficient. The plan is to hollow the pumpkin out, and epoxy the hole shut. That should give it the buoyancy to put it wherever I need it. Then, I will attach a bunch of Hagz brackets with 1.5 coils.

Or cut it into chunks, nail a chunk to the bank, or put some in a pocket or a float. I haven't decided yet.

Take out all the seeds and roast them they make for some decent eating.
But your other ideas have some merit.

I was just kidding about the whole pumpkin. Seems a little cumbersome.

I was just curious if anyone had ever used PART of a pumpkin for bait. I only mentioned the size to give an idea of how much I have to use.

Well If you have muskrats In your area I'd just toss out some chunks and see If the are attracted to It. But maybe that would be considered Pre Baiting since the season Isn't open yet.
I guess If you have freezer space you could freeze up some chunks to use once the season opens.

Our local news had a story this morning about a couple of beaver in some park that loved pumpkin. Showing one of them making short work out of a jack o lantern ! So I can’t say about rats but should work on beaver , lol .

By the way from what I saw pumpkins are buoyant .

A greenhouse owner who sells pumpkins says he throws leftover whole ones near a creek & something chews fist sized holes in them. Probably muskrats. Coons would surely do more damage than that