If any of you have been following my thread about how my season is going so far, you will see that I'm struggling with low water. I can walk up to a hut fine and have enough water but as soon I get with 3 or so feet it gets way too shallow to drown the rat. Some of the huts don't even have water and only have mud around them. The huts with mud around them have trails in the mud where the rats/mink are running. Would you set conibears in these or is it too much of a hassle to clean the fur? I haven't found very many runs that are deep enough to set colony traps also as it seems that they avoid the deep water. Now here's the big question, I have a lot of extra lures that I won't be able to use up in the spring and I know that lure is good for many years but I would like to try new lures next year so I need to use up some of this lure. Do muskrats come to bait and lure in the fall? I know it may not be as much as they do in the spring but if they even have a 50% chance of coming to it, I would be ok with it. The only reason being is that the only deep water that can drown the rats has no toilets, feedbeds, or huts in it or near it. How would you guys go about this? Thanks in advance!

-TheYouthTrapper

I don't have alot of experience with muskrats, but they will definatly succumb to some BGs! In my experience anyway.

Try setting the conies in the trails were they enter the water if the mud is soft trench it out some with your boot and set it in the trench. Your rats will be very susceptible to predation. If mink eat your rats just stuff what's left of the rat in the trap and cover it with what ever is available set a foot trap tight to the rat and you should get the mink. This is important to catch the mink so you don't loose your rats. Let the animals teach you by observing and don't be afraid to try new things. Learn to adjust and one day you'll be the teacher. Good luck.
Rich

Change over to BG's and set the runs like John and Rich suggested. I never had much luck with lures or baits and found they where easier to catch in blind set in runs or feed piles. Hit'm hard as most will freeze out this winter with low water levels.

I don't know if you can trap inside the huts there? If you can after ice up is a hoot and like 20 scout said your shallow water rats will winter kill.

I can trap through huts here and plan to do so, I have a very bad feeling these will winter kill so I'm hitting them as hard as I can.

Youth trapper- You'll be surprised sometimes how little water it takes to drown a rat. If the 110s don't work in the mud runs, you could try 1 1/2 and they often will catch a rat up by the shoulder instead of say a 1 LS catching lower down and being able to wring off easier.

Given the conditions, you will probably lose more rats than typical but at least feel blessed that you have rat populations you can still target a bit. A place that I trapped in 2019 that had 2-3 dozen huts as zippy do da now even with some water still standing. Exceptionally bleak mrat year in the southeast of lower Dakota...

If you can get into the huts and set 110 conies blocking the dive holes this is my favorite way to trap in a hut . If it's not conducive to conies use foot traps stop-loss are the best IMA. Some rats will plug the hole when using conies if so switch to foot hold.
Rich

I know Mark Steck uses knee deep water and that's the lowest he will go. I'm using all 1.5 coilsprings and #2 square jaws. I've heard that most of South Dakota doesn't have rats and I'm very happy that I have enough to keep me content.

Ok, I plan to once ice freezes up good enough, have quite a few spots right by the roads but tucked away that I can trap.

Go to the body grippers and clean out the muddy runs you see so the BG fires and works. You can always swish the mud off the rat in the water. If it were me I would trap them heavy if you can as with that low of water they will be moving if they are not already. As to wait for ice? Around here with that low of water they will freeze out very fast. Rats running for water and habitat are very vulnerable to predation.

Bryce