About 2 weeks ago I told the girls I found some muskrat houses and that if they wanted to they could set some muskrat traps on opener. Sunday afternoon the whole family headed out. I haven't intentionally trapped muskrats for over 6 years, but it looks like we may have a few more around than previous years. We each set one muskrat trap except the youngest. I also made two fox sets. Thought I might as well since we were going to be checking traps anyway.

Checked the traps as a family yesterday after the girls got out of school for the day. It was sunny, all the trees and grass was frosted up, and the temperature was -10 and dropping. While my traps were empty my wife and second oldest both had success.

This was the first trap she ever set and her first ever catch! The smile is bigger under the neck warmer!



My wife got her first fox two years ago, her first marten last year, and now her first muskrat! She is a water and land trapper now!



Though I saw more fox, mink, otter, beaver, and lynx sign, I saved it for another time.



Will be checking again today, but will leave mom and youngest at home. Its a little cold today.

Awesome to get the kids out! Had a kid in town bring me a muskrat and I told him I would pay him 5$ a muskrat, and now im down 35$ basically over night haha. Glad to give him some cash and fuel the hunting passion he already has. I want to get better at trapping them myself! Hope you have a great season!

Good stuff, right there.

Good on you to encourage him! I might consider selling you a few at $5 My daughter decided to keep it and get it tanned after I told her she may only get $2-3 for it.

Last evening concluded the early winter muskrat chase. After picking my two older girls up from school, the three of us raced out to check 4 muskrat sets. Walking up to the first set I noticed the area quite disturbed and soon saw a dark head sticking out of a hole. After not getting anything yesterday, my oldest was disappointed especially since her younger sister had caught a muskrat before she did. (Being a step behind a younger sibling is always frustrating!)

As we walked closer she said, "I got a muskrat!" Then she changed it to, "It's a mink! I just caught a mink didn't I! It's better than a muskrat and maybe I can even keep the skull!" The excitement of catching a mink more than made up for the empty trap the day before.



Not many can say that the first thing they ever caught was a mink. I didn't catch my first mink until I was 17. Well. . . I was out-trapped these past two days as both days my traps were empty, but if I have to be out-trapped I can't think of anyone I would rather be outdone by than my own family!

Thank you for sharing your families adventures with us talk about making some great memories for one and all !
My first mink I caught when I was in my mind 20's in a submerged 330 set under a tree where the beaver were crossing under it sadly I never did catch a beaver in that location.

Have a great season and Stay Safe out there even if you don't want to ha ha !
Allan

Way to go! Those memories of the first catch will be with them a life time! Creating those memories with family are a blessing!

I've lived in Alaska since 1978 and I still don't know much about trapping muskrats after freeze up. Got any pics of the sets? How about a tutorial for us neophytes? Nice to see the kids having fun.

I agree!

Allan- First mink was in a pocket set on the river made to catch muskrat, mink, or coon. It was a small female, but I didn't care! Your "Stay Safe" reminds me of something I need to remind myself of every once in a while. Don't rush things especially when I am by myself. Rushing lead to mistakes and mistake lead to. . .

HFT AK- I couldn't agree with you more! To be able to have family, health, and ability are blessings I too often take for granted!

martentrapper & Thurman- I'll work on getting a few pictures put together.

Good Evening bfisch my closing remark is my attempt at a sense of humor trying to come out the one thing we have in common is there's a lot of nothing between us and town or the next person or even farm or ranch house .
So if something happens you better be resourceful and stay with the snowmobile or 4 wheeler or 4 wd pickup .

On a day fishing trip on Fort Peck with a buddy we were done for the day and were heading back to the marina we noticed two guys in a boat with the cover off the motor off in the distance , long story short the batteries died while they were running the trolling motor my friend had jumper cables and we got it to start .
We were the only two boats out that far from the marina it could've been worse for both of them .
Not meaning to hijack your thread . Thing's can happen anywhere and at anytime . Keep up the good work raising those youngun's ha ha
Allan

As requested:

Trapping Muskrats After Freeze Up:

1) Follow all state and federal laws and regulations. Our trapping regulations state, "Muskrat pushups or feeding houses may be disturbed in the course of trapping." Some states may not allow this.
2) Find a muskrat house.
3) Make a hole just large enough for your trap to fit through in the side of the muskrat house. I use an ax for this, but a hatchet or ice pick/chisel would also work. The trap I prefer is a 1 1/2 longspring for its increased weight and higher catch. I will be describing the use of this trap. Some make effective use of a 110 inside the house, but I don't have the knack for it. While making the hole try to keep the piece coming out as large as possible for later use.
4) Attach your trap securely to a drag/pole. Remember to stake for the biggest thing you might catch. I have heard of guys catching otters in these sets. I have only ever caught rats and mink.



5) Feel/look around inside the house to locate the underwater entrance as well as the platform. (If the house is full of ice and the entrance is frozen over move on.) The platform may be slightly submersed or above the water line in the house. It is where the muskrat sits to eat and rest. Place the trap on the platform. I prefer to have it partially submersed and level.



6) While keeping your pole on the outside, replace the portion of the house you removed sealing the hole back up. While doing this leave enough slack on the inside so that the catch may jump in the water with the trap in an attempt to escape. This will make for less struggle and save you from having to dispatch the catch when you arrive. For better sealing of the hole you make take a small portion of the wetted plant material and and add that to what you already had. The benefit to having it wet is that in freezing temperatures it will freeze the hole closed making in less likely for the catch to exit the house and be exposed to the weather and predators. You may also use grasses found around the area for added insulation and cover everything with snow. While it is good to have the hole you made freeze shut, it is more important that you properly reinsulate the house. If the house freezes the catch will be froze in and cause you unnecessary trouble. Also if the house freezes you are lessening the survivability of any rats you did not catch that are still wanting to use that house to rest and feed. Seal the hole well!



7) Check set regularly remembering to properly seal and insulate the hole each time including when you remove your set.
8: Remember to have fun and be careful to check ice thickness especially around the muskrat house!

Pretty neat bfich. Growing up in Juneau muskrats used to be fairly common in the Mendenhall Valley. Around the early 1990’s they flat disappeared.

Pretty good write up! I went out with frozenokie a few times on the flats before he moved to the lower 48. He always emphasized wearing thick gloves when reaching down in those holes, guess he got nipped a few times Hope you and the family catch a bunch, pretty good bait for just about everything else!

The rats have been scarce around here the past 6 plus years. I hope they are trending towards a population boom. We have had high water the last two years that filled in some dried up lakes. I think it may have helped some. Also been seeing new beaver houses and old ones revived, since the lakes have water again.



I am not a great muskrat trapper by any means. This is just the my dad showed me, but he is still a better rat trapper than me. I have always barehanded it. I don't like trying to feel around with gloves/gauntlets. Pretty cold at -10 though. I have froze my hand to the trap a number of times and just put my hand in the water until it thaws. Never been bit yet, but I don't going shoving my hand in when checking traps. Haha!

Rode around about 2/3 of the trapline today. Don't like the weather. About 32 degrees and starting sprinkling when I got back. I had made some sets the other day for fox and otter/mink. I also have one muskrat set out. The fox traps were decommissioned by the snow and thawing/freezing we've been having. The muskrat trap was set off and stuffed full of lake plants. All around the trap was muskrat fur and mink tracks all over the place. I think we were after the same thing and he beat me to it. Maybe he will be there waiting for me next time. Did connect on a mink in a set that caught a few mink and an otter last year.



Still a little rough in places with only five inches of snow most of which came last night along with strong winds. It made for not much fresh sign to see. Some lynx, weasel, mink, and marten tracks. Our hares have just about dropped off the map so not sure how that will affect things this season. Maybe the lynx that are around will be more apt to come to sets. There is a pack of wolves around somewhere too, but no sign of them this trip.

Fox/lynx trail snare



Was driving through a dry lake with knee high grass and ran over something hard. No trees around so I turned around to see if just maybe . . . Yep it sure was! Might bring a chainsaw and ice pick to get it out of the ice next time. Guessing from last winter. I wonder how many times I drove by it last spring. I'll have to see if my track has a hole in it.



Might of found the previous owner of my newfound treasure. He was with another smaller bull and two cows.

Thanks for the how too!

Thanks. Maybe only once have I ever seen a muskrat house. Only see pushups and they seem hard to get a trap in.

Have always set lynx snares higher, 10/11 in, off the ground. Fox 8 in. What loop size and height you use to catch either?

I don't measure height or loop size. I just eyeball it. I know because these snares are set in a place that may catch either (last year caught two of each at this location) I set them a little lower than I normally would for lynx. I think the stick going over the snare at an angle is important especially in this case.