Today is the opener for muskrat season here in Idaho. While not really known for its muskrats, there are a few. Every year we help out a neighbor by taking a few 'rats out of his irrigation ditches. We generally trap for two days at the opener, not so much for the pelts, but for the marten bait.

Miss Lisa along a typical muskrat ditch.


We trap at the first of the season, so most of what we catch are youngsters.


We found a buyer that prefers the skins round for the craft market. He pays much better than the fur market, and even likes the "mice".

smart trapper looks to other markets than fur auctions for some furs in making the extra buck !

I miss me some good old rat trapping.

Sure do.

Thanks Gulo!

Blessings,
Mark

Used to catch 1000s every year. Going on the 4th year of no rats and would be lucky to catch 10. They have all but disappeared along with 90 percent of the small potholes and lakes.

Drought here as well Saskbone.
Thanks for keeping the Friday threads alive.

Thanks saskbone for posting, all those rats made me sleepy fm long hours of skinning and putting up...

..... ah, the smell of a bunch of muskrats........

saskbone -

I'm almost speechless. That, sir, looks like a metric boatload of work. The potholes are simply drying up? Excellent photos, thanks.

Jack

Go to Huston you'll find plenty

Great pics Guys, thanks for sharing.

my buddy used to call the aftermath rat farts, couldn't escape that gutaroma, don't even notice these days.

I checked around here yesterday as our opener is tomorrow. I saw a grand total of 1 rat house. I guess I will grouse hunt instead. This will be the first opener I have missed in 40+ years.

Yep potholes gone. Lakes I’ve never seen dried up in 40 years are now cultivated and seeded into wheat. Culverts look odd in places where there is no sign of water. Just a cycle and the rats will be back.

WOW! Sharon. Both are remarkable in many ways. Of particular note to me is the richness of the color of the fur/hair. And so perfectly, perfectly accurate.

Jack

Caught this albino in a mink box a few years back


.

Sharon one day I’m gonna get some of your artwork. Absolutely amazing!

Boco nice rat. I’ve caugh a few with white spotsThe size of a quarter but never a pure white ones

A few more for you Jack

Thanks saskbone. Impressive numbers. Those fyke traps really look like the ticket in some situations. Two of those traps you show appear to contain my season's total catch.

Jack

Thanks Jack , it is fun to see what the weekly subject will be, and if I may somehow contribute . The Parsnip Necklace was or a FFG article , of conditioning rats to feed on these bait stations , to have them coming into an area and so easy trapping. The other , Jonathan had kindly allowed me to use his photo as guide , for Trapper's Post.

I am always intrigued at the fur quality of water critters , to withstand the wet cold and still keep toasty warm.

A few years ago. Its pretty dry here now.

I don’t tend to take many pictures when trapping, tend to get tunnel vision when I go hard.

Me too Mark. We only do a small bit of it, but I look forward to the couple days. Smell the rotting vegetation, smell the 'rat lure, honor that marten bait...

Jack

Great pics guys
Thanks