I found some what appeared to be muskrat scat on a small island on the creek and the onle den location I could find is a hole about 2 feet above water level and 3 feet back from the creek with a trail running into the water. This creek is 3-7 feet wide and 6in to 2 feet deep. There are some dams and possible mink den locations. What is it. Any muskrat scat pics to verify would be appreciated.

I've seen dens that were out of the water several feet but the rats had runways that looked like miniature ditches that led from the front of the den to the deeper water several feet away

I know squirrels do

How big are the holes? Muskrats don't normally live In dry den holes. Did the water level drop on that water source?

Back it the 1980's I observed muskrats living in nests they had built in willow trees about four feet above water level, This was in a rather broad flooded area (about two feet of water all fall and winter). It was downstream a half mile or so from where the Sammamish slough (river) leaves Lake Sammamish. East of Seattle.

The nests were built out of aquatic vegetation that the muskrats had drug up into the small willow trees, the nests were open on top, and the muskrat would lay in them just like a bird in a nest. I saw a few of them, as I would approach, the muskrat would plop out of the nest and into the water. I've never seen such a thing anywhere else in all my years.

I only trapped this area one season, until the local game warden (Bob Overly) gave me the boot; something about the area being within the boundaries of Mary Moore Park. I've always wondered if muskrats are still living in trees there. I've outlined the general area if anyone would want to check it out.

Beaver will do that.

Back in the late nineties, I trapped a long section of Wolf Creek, in Arlington, Ohio, that had dozens of muskrat holes, several feet above the water. It also had muskrat holes, below most of the higher holes, in the water. I caught muskrats in the water holes, but never caught any in the high holes. I guess the holes were probably connected to the same dens, but I don't know that they were. I suspect the muskrats used the high holes when the water was high and the holes were covered.

That section of creek was the best place I ever duck hunted. It was long and straight, running through a huge farm field. I would spot ducks from far away, walk down to them, using the high banks as cover and jump.shoot them. I could usually get two mallard drakes per jump. I ate a lot of ducks that year.

Keith

That's wild. Thanks for sharing that story. If I didn't live on the other side of the country I'd go investigate. Hopefully someone in the area reads this and goes and checks it out.

yes, I have had rats living in bank dens.

I've seen and caught rats living in ditches in corn fields.

I have seen muskrats build dens in tires hung around docks.

I once saw a pair of muskrats using a buoy as a den. It was a shoal buoy on a big lake in NJ. It was plastic and about the size of a thirty-gallon drum and broke out on one end. They had a pile of dried vegetation in there. I watched them coming and going for several weeks while I worked there.

That's Wild! where a camera when you need one?

I assume it is muskrat but will look around more. I set a trap on the island where the scat was so hope to see something. Could it be nutria? I was looking online at pics of muskrat and nutria scat and they are kinda similar.

Turds look like kidney beans. There is an exception to every rule

Never heard of anything like that before. I have seen a lot of muskrats adapting to some odd situations, but this is amazing. One of the things I love about this site is learning things like this.