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Re: Is Rat a Rat? [Re: nimzy] #7376247
10/10/21 09:22 PM
10/10/21 09:22 PM
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Wisconsin
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The Beav Offline
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We fished stump lake and the water level was down at lest 4 feet. And same with all the other lakes we fished.If they get freezing temps before they get any melting snow It's going kill off a lot of rats that are still there.


The forum Know It All according to Muskrat
Re: Is Rat a Rat? [Re: nimzy] #7376319
10/10/21 10:43 PM
10/10/21 10:43 PM
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mn north of blakely
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Steven 49er Offline
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Steven 49er  Offline
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mn north of blakely
You knucklehead, snow is an insulator. I've seen very few sloughs freeze completely to the bottom throughout.


"Inflation is always and everywhere a monetary phenomenon". Milton Friedman.
Re: Is Rat a Rat? [Re: nimzy] #7376338
10/10/21 11:02 PM
10/10/21 11:02 PM
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mn north of blakely
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Steven 49er Offline
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mn north of blakely
Something to think about Gary, Devils Lake is probably 35 to 40 feet higher now than the 1940s. Is the lake down? Or is it up?


"Inflation is always and everywhere a monetary phenomenon". Milton Friedman.
Re: Is Rat a Rat? [Re: nimzy] #7376381
10/10/21 11:47 PM
10/10/21 11:47 PM
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ND
grumley701 Offline
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grumley701  Offline
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The extreme snow fall of 09, 10, 11 led to the rat boom, yeah the high summer water made it possible but without that thick layer of snow most sloughs would of froze down them years also. The winter of 13 with weeks of subzero temps and no snow all winter, most the sloughs froze down and killed most the rats.. 2013 you could drive anywhere on Devils Lake and needed an extension to get through the 38" to 40" of ice. The sloughs I was taking 100-200 rats out of in 10, 11 and 12 were baron of rats the winter of 13. That was my experience anyhow..


Pure Blood
Re: Is Rat a Rat? [Re: nimzy] #7376405
10/11/21 12:19 AM
10/11/21 12:19 AM
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ND
grumley701 Offline
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and as for ND rats being more apt to climb on things than rats east of here perhaps it's the lack of aerial predation and how dense our cattails are? It's not like there are a lot of perches here..lol

Last edited by grumley701; 10/11/21 12:21 AM.

Pure Blood
Re: Is Rat a Rat? [Re: Steven 49er] #7376418
10/11/21 12:55 AM
10/11/21 12:55 AM
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Wisconsin
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The Beav Offline
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Originally Posted by Steven 49er
You knucklehead, snow is an insulator. I've seen very few sloughs freeze completely to the bottom throughout.


And I said if they don't get any snow before they get freezing temps. If you have 12" of water In ditch or pond and you get freezing temps it's going to freeze down In few days.
And yes Devil's lake Is down from what It was last year.


The forum Know It All according to Muskrat
Re: Is Rat a Rat? [Re: nimzy] #7376465
10/11/21 06:45 AM
10/11/21 06:45 AM
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nimzy Offline OP
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nimzy  Offline OP
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Do rats adapt to our methods making future generations more difficult to catch?

Re: Is Rat a Rat? [Re: nimzy] #7376509
10/11/21 08:28 AM
10/11/21 08:28 AM
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sseMinnesota
blackhammer Offline
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[quote=nimzy]Do rats adapt to our methods making future generations more difficult to catch?[/I have to think rats are stupid and that’s why rats, rabbits ,rodents in general reproduce like they do . They will get spooked sometimes pounding on houses in the winter but they don’t quit using houses I have seen rats go around colony traps I think about one spot were I caught maybe a dozen rats in a run and all of a sudden they made a run going around trap or occasionally had them plug pockets so maybe your not crazy to wonder. It’s all about survival instincts .Only thing making them harder to trap for future generations however will be no fur market.

Last edited by blackhammer; 10/11/21 09:12 AM.

Ah,for the life of a millionaire,say some,but just let me stay a trapper. Bill Nelson
Re: Is Rat a Rat? [Re: The Beav] #7376633
10/11/21 11:25 AM
10/11/21 11:25 AM
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james bay frontierOnt.
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Boco Offline
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james bay frontierOnt.
Originally Posted by The Beav
Originally Posted by Steven 49er
You knucklehead, snow is an insulator. I've seen very few sloughs freeze completely to the bottom throughout.


And I said if they don't get any snow before they get freezing temps. If you have 12" of water In ditch or pond and you get freezing temps it's going to freeze down In few days.
And yes Devil's lake Is down from what It was last year.

it takes a while for ditches to freeze down to bottom.The ground has to freeze first.The ground continues to freeze down when the snow on the surface is melting in spring.
Some creeks and ditches dry up if they are fed by bush run off when the ground freezes.This often leaves shell ice here on beaver ponds especially..See this here in feb/march when the bush run off freezes up solid.its a funny feeling walking to a beaver house on the ice,only to have it collapse en masse,and drop you 3 feet onto dry ground.

Some blackmuck bogs here never freeze even when the clay is frozen down 10 feet.

It is never a given in any year.

Last edited by Boco; 10/11/21 11:29 AM.

Forget that fear of gravity-get a little savagery in your life.
Re: Is Rat a Rat? [Re: nimzy] #7376746
10/11/21 02:21 PM
10/11/21 02:21 PM
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Wisconsin
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The Beav Offline
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The problem Is that all the rat dens are now exposed. So even if that 12" of water doesn't completely freeze to the bottom the rats are still homeless. It's going to take some time for the rats In ND to make a come back.


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Re: Is Rat a Rat? [Re: blackhammer] #7376919
10/11/21 05:12 PM
10/11/21 05:12 PM
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nimzy Offline OP
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Originally Posted by blackhammer
i have to think rats are stupid and that’s why rats, rabbits ,rodents in general reproduce like they do . They will get spooked sometimes pounding on houses in the winter but they don’t quit using houses


I have much respect for rodents, muskrats and beaver. When under pressure, I believe they condition themselves to survive. Perhaps it’s a prey instinct. They are masters of avoidance and have the ability warn their comrades of danger. IMO that is the reason our catch generally plummets after 2 or 3 checks. My money says we usually leave more behind than we catch. Sometimes it takes humility to appreciate our adversaries.

Re: Is Rat a Rat? [Re: nimzy] #7376928
10/11/21 05:23 PM
10/11/21 05:23 PM
Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 2,121
sseMinnesota
blackhammer Offline
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Originally Posted by nimzy
Originally Posted by blackhammer
i have to think rats are stupid and that’s why rats, rabbits ,rodents in general reproduce like they do . They will get spooked sometimes pounding on houses in the winter but they don’t quit using houses


I have much respect for rodents, muskrats and beaver. When under pressure, I believe they condition themselves to survive. Perhaps it’s a prey instinct. They are masters of avoidance and have the ability warn their comrades of danger. IMO that is the reason our catch generally plummets after 2 or 3 checks. My money says we usually leave more behind than we catch. Sometimes it takes humility to appreciate our adversaries.
. Rats are my friends not my adversary. LOL. The higher animal numbers are the easier they are to trap this applies to all fur bearers. It is natures survival instinct. Always amazed by beavers engineering skills . Humility? I love trapping rats but you can overthink the whole fur harvesting deal. IMO

Last edited by blackhammer; 10/11/21 05:31 PM.

Ah,for the life of a millionaire,say some,but just let me stay a trapper. Bill Nelson
Re: Is Rat a Rat? [Re: nimzy] #7376949
10/11/21 05:47 PM
10/11/21 05:47 PM
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nimzy Offline OP
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Yea I’m the classic over thinker grin

Last edited by nimzy; 10/11/21 06:04 PM.
Re: Is Rat a Rat? [Re: nimzy] #7376956
10/11/21 06:00 PM
10/11/21 06:00 PM
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sseMinnesota
blackhammer Offline
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Originally Posted by nimzy
Yea I’m the classic over thinker grin
. Preferable to not thinking Interesting thread. I think trapping about every day. Cloudy fall day gets the trapping bug going.


Ah,for the life of a millionaire,say some,but just let me stay a trapper. Bill Nelson
Re: Is Rat a Rat? [Re: nimzy] #7376964
10/11/21 06:08 PM
10/11/21 06:08 PM
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nimzy Offline OP
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We are closing in. I still have too much work and won’t get out till thanksgiving. Which isn’t far off either.

Humility is when them little buggers get the best of you. Been there done that!

Re: Is Rat a Rat? [Re: The Beav] #7377317
10/12/21 07:31 AM
10/12/21 07:31 AM
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nimzy Offline OP
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Originally Posted by The Beav
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.
.


Old construction saying. You gotta crack an egg to make a cake. Drought is just Mother Nature starting over.

Patiently awaiting her next masterpiece:)

Re: Is Rat a Rat? [Re: nimzy] #7377867
10/12/21 11:16 PM
10/12/21 11:16 PM
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Originally Posted by nimzy
They are masters of avoidance and have the ability warn their comrades of danger. IMO that is the reason our catch generally plummets after 2 or 3 checks. My money says we usually leave more behind than we catch. Sometimes it takes humility to appreciate our adversaries.


Communication coming back from the dead or from the living?


Life isn't about waiting for the storm to pass...it's about learning to dance in the rain!
Re: Is Rat a Rat? [Re: nimzy] #7378087
10/13/21 10:10 AM
10/13/21 10:10 AM
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NY
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IMO, a rat is pretty much a rat. Different habits in different habitats, but find where the food is and you'll catch them. Adapting to the conditions can be the hard part. Floods, heavy snow, bad ice, etc, etc forces us to make substantial adjustments and that can be difficult. Sometimes you just can't deal with a spot that's temporarily messed up. Lots of adjustments and Plan Bs when rat trapping

Re: Is Rat a Rat? [Re: WIMarshRAT] #7378373
10/13/21 05:14 PM
10/13/21 05:14 PM
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nimzy Offline OP
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Originally Posted by WIMarshRAT
Originally Posted by nimzy
They are masters of avoidance and have the ability warn their comrades of danger. IMO that is the reason our catch generally plummets after 2 or 3 checks. My money says we usually leave more behind than we catch. Sometimes it takes humility to appreciate our adversaries.


Communication coming back from the dead or from the living?


I believe both. Rats are highly social. Isn’t social, defined by, the ability to communicate? It would seem odd that such a well defined community wouldn’t communicate.

Re: Is Rat a Rat? [Re: nimzy] #7378391
10/13/21 05:49 PM
10/13/21 05:49 PM
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The Beav Offline
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The thing about the area I trap In ND Is that we have great cattail marshes and the water depth Is about 4' but you never encounter any rat huts all the rats live In bank dens. Sure you may see a few huts In shallow water ponds but 95% of the rats are In the banks.It does make It easier to catch them.


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