The Beav says rat poles don't work very well in fall here in WI.

Keep after it. You'll get them. Don't get stuck on one type set. Experiment with sets and find the ones that work in your area.

What sets normally work better this time of year around here?

Dig a pocket set at the waters edge, bait it. That'll catch rats, mink, coon, otter and the occasional beaver...stake it well.

I do almost all my muskrat trapping in blind sets anywhere you see good sign and evidence of their path set there. Muskrats aren't hard to catch but they don't move off their line of travel very often so set on sign stake well and you will catch 'em. Good luck!

What part of the state are you in?

As said pocket sets catch most all animals in the water, bottom edge sets take alot of rats, crawl outs/ slides with footholds, pinch points, dens with body grips and colony traps. Not sure of your location in the state but pocket sets may not be usable for long with winter on the way. I would try body grips in said locations and see how that goes. Good luck

What part of Wisconsin are you trapping?

Lots of good advice given...pockets, dens, runs, pinch points, toilets...set your traps in a couple inches of water and stake well in deeper water...invest in some body grippers and set the runs. You will catch rats. Good luck

Im in the jefferson county area. Im planning on setting some 110s tomorrow, its pretty hard to find the den holes on these banks or toilets for that matter. Decent moving spring fed creek so runs armt very visable either. The banks are just chewed to high (This word is unacceptable on Trapperman) and ive been setring where theyre hit the hardest

Ok you're a stone's throw from where I'm located- I'll send you a PM and I have a couple jars of Pocket Paste that are yours.

Dig some pocket sets Witrapperman...that'll get them. But, you'll probably get some coon and mink too.

Check no 3 was a bust again. Added peppermint oil to the carrots to try n call em in. Set 1 fish oil pocket hole for an attempt at mink, and 2 baited 110s with pepermint carrots, 1 of them near what looks like either a feed or den hole. If tomorrows a bust I may pull them and try a different area or at least some of them.

Stick one of your 110’s in the den/feed hole you mentioned. That’s about as much of a slam dunk rat set as you can get!

ditch the carrots and try apples.....4 muskrats can look like 40 to a newb

My best luck for Rats in the UP are, pocket sets for mink, feed bed sets, blind sets.

Keep at it, Witrapperman! One of these days you will connect and you will think you are the son of Jeremiah Johnson!

This forum is full of folks that are willing and able to give you a ton of help. I have been on here a long time and just about every day I learn something new.

Keep at it and never give up! Most of all...have fun!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Moosetrot

Check no 4 0/10. Staged one of the 110s for an under cut bank edge set, rebaited with potatoes instead of carrots and made 4 toilet sets. Also moved two other rat poles right in front of dens. Have some more 110s and 120s to prep tonight for some more pocket sets. Todays check was the first in the daylight and I was able to isolate a lot more sign. Fingers crossed for tomorrow to find some fur.

Best of luck. Stay with it, you'll connect.

Keep after em and learn to read the sign. Taters will turn black on you in short order. Parsnips will stay white and cheap.

If you know how to make bottom edge sets, put in a bunch of them. They can go up under the undercut banks and grassy hangover areas, points that stick out into the stream. These spots or points don't need to be as exaggerated as some of the text in print makes them. They will connect