Was talking to a couple accomplished trappers on scout day in the swamp. Told them Robin said not to buy a unit this year. Figures rats are too cheap. They both perked up, their wives had the same sentiments, citing markets, age and time away.

Wayne offered an alternative, “if I don’t buy a unit, I’m heading to ND for 2 months. Least this way I’m home every night.”

That statement redirected the conversation. He went on to say how a rat just isn’t a rat. Or a coyote a coyote. ND rats are much easier to trap. They climb on everything and will even step in traps that are sitting out of water. And coyotes, they actually respond to calls said he shot as many as 7 in one day where at home one a week if you’re luck y.

I also recall another fella a few years ago that struggled all winter to catch 400 here, in the marsh, went out there and caught 4000.

Am I missing the boat?

Work Harder?
Work Smarter?
Follow the Water?

Rats need water, and there was a shortage of it from Minnesota and west this year. You might be better off heading east to where it rained all summer long!

Don't go too far East, we had rain all summer, lots of water, still no muskrats.

Trap while your able, tomorrow is promised to no one.

Wonder if it has to do with human pressure?

I don't know how much a unit costs, but I can't imagine buying a unit

X2. That applies wether you’re 60 or 40. I’m not sure if we have any fur market in five years. Sad to say if China drops out of the market we are done.

I just got back from ND on a fishing trip. The area I trapped Is all dried up catching any number of rats would be just about impossible.
And trapping or calling coyotes would be the way to go. But your going to have to spend some time getting permission and that won't be easy. Most of these large and owners are snow birds and are gone once the crops are out. Or they lease out their land and don't live In the area.

Rats In ND when you have rats will climb on anything you put out. But you have to have your traps 2" under water when using stools but your traps can be completely exposed if your using floats. That's one thing I can't figure out.
I think rats are a different breed In ND then the ones In WI. You can't get a rat to climb on stool or a float In my area of WI In the fall season. But rats are all over stools and floats In the fall In ND. WE don't have a spring season In WI so I don't know how stools and floats would work here In the spring. But In ND you need to be checking twice a day to keep your traps working.

I believe you are missing something

I hope wayne would be planning on coyotes and not rats. Has Wayne been to ND lately? See Gary's post, it brings me comfort he was finally able to get out there and see it for himself. That 400 feller, did he trap those 4000 in the winter? Trapping under the ice?

Nah, you aren't missing the boat. That's a present or future tense term. The boat has sailed.

A rat is a rat. Food availability , climate and type of habitat make them behave differently.

Well the rain finally showed up here yesterday....figures, pheasant opener and I could of floated the boat down the street. To late to help any rats but anything to break this drought is welcome.

Thanks Beav for your insight.
49er it was winter and spring so not apples to apples however I believe he worked harder for the 400 than the 4000.
Hammer I tend to think Wayne is on to something. I would theorize it’s sheer numbers. The higher the population the better the cooperation. I on the long haul we likely catch less in terms of percentages over populations.

On another note he said the coyotes are the prettiest he’s ever harvested.

And any ditch or pond that has water Is pretty low. So most of these spots will freeze out this winter.

I caught up with a coyote trapper on my fishing trip. He showed me his FHA results on his coyotes. Had 10 at $100.00+ and never had a coyotes under $50.00. I think he had 50 some coyotes. He said all he did was snare them. They do have some good coyotes In ND.

There were several times when I took a rat out of my set and watched another rat swim up and get In that same trap while I was standing about 3 feet away. I never had that happen In WI. But of coarse that was during the spring season.

Depends............. on if we get any snow this winter.

Chris you had to see it and live it to believe it.

The new or not so new conditions in SD, ND and many parts of Northern MN is quite the change from the past 25 or so years. I don't think Gary believed me all that much when I mentioned of it.

I tell myself it's all part of the circle. Hopefully, we'll get another up cycle. We'll see.

Having driven from one end to the other of this state I can't believe the difference in water levels. We got 2 inches last night, we get some snow and some spring rains, who knows.

It took years to get the water level to where they were, literally decades. It's going to have to snow a bunch and back to back years wouldn't hurt

Do you get a heavy wet snow that melts in the fall?We almost always get that here and it brings all the water back high before freeze up,even years like this one where the creeks are all dried up and the rivers low.

Interesting concept, and I see what you’re saying. Whitetails are tougher to hunt some places than others. Some species fish are easier to catch some places than others.

Is this correlation related to pressure? Habits? Populations?

Easy answer , find the abundant populations, with less pressure, and your take will be greater.

But I agree, there’s something to this