Good luck

Well, there was nothing in the traps. I also checked them Friday since I had nothing to do, so I checked them today instead of yesterday. I set out a mink box on Friday since there were mink tracks where I set one of my weasel boxes. In the spot where I had the weasel box and mink box, my rat trap was set off. I also saw a line of weasel tracks and a super strong smell of weasel musk so there was a weasel there but I think the trap might have gotten tripped before it got there. Me and my dad also got my heater put in the fur shed so now I can resume work out there. There's a warm spell coming up so won't be able to bust huts yet but I'm ready for it. I have 7 beaver in the freezer to put up so I'll probably focus on those while I wait for it to get cold again.

There was nothing in the traps today. I also set 8 muskrat huts. I've locked down a few sloughs for permission, but I want to get a few more. I hope to catch around 77 more rats before spring hits so I'm 1/5 of the way to my goal. I feel like I can make that happen but I'm not sure. I also fell through the ice today which is not a fun experience so now I can say I've done that. I need to buy a spud for this early ice. The ice was 5-6 inches everywhere else though so I wonder if there are beavers in this slough. Anyway, that's all I got for today, I'll update you guys on Thursday.

Be careful on that ice, safety first! I know you know that, doesn't hurt to be reminded of it now and again though.

If you have that much ice and you're finding a thin spot, it's probably a beaver run, I'd look around a bit, I bet they have a bank den right there. Could also be open for various other reasons (current, a warm spring, etc.)

I was way out in the middle of the slough, about 50 yards from one bank and 100 yards from the other. I think it may have just been a weak spot.

I try to be, I checked 3 other sloughs and this one and all were at least 5" of ice. I did buy a spud bar today and ice picks.

I enjoy reading about your adventures, keep at it.

Will do, I'm glad someone enjoys them.

Today wasn't the easiest day ever. I got my 2 coyote sets pulled, 2 weasel boxes, and my 1 mink box. Now all I have out is my stoploss traps. I got 11 out of my 12 traps out so an additional 3 traps were set today, I was hoping to have all 12 out since the huts are there. The ice is about 2.5-3" around the huts that I want to set so I'm going to wait to set them. I did get 4 rats today but I could have had 7. I had 1 that was alive and as I was trying to get it out of the hut, it pulled out. And the other, I had one set off the trap but the chain got caught instead leaving a 1/2" gap which let the rat get out. I also had another one that got froze to the underside of the ice but as I was chipping it out, I hit it with the spud bar and ruined it. So it would have been a really good day but it was still a good day nonetheless. The rats are pretty good sized. I have some plans for some other places to set but I have to wait until Sunday to set them since I have some other stuff going on the next couple of days. I also need to find some more stoploss traps apparently because I only have about 18. Anyway, that's how today went. Here's the picture of the rats.

Nice looking muskrats

2 pretty good sized ones probably 1x's and then 2 mediums I think.

Nicely done. 2.5-3" should be enough if it's good ice, that depends how much freeze/thaw you get and how much air and snow is mixed into the ice. But if it's clear ice I'm more than comfortable with that amount

Some days you're the bug, others you're the windshield...we all deal with it, keep after em!

I'm trying but this weather and everything else I got going on is kicking my butt.

Well, today was another great day on the line. I didn't fall through but I did find another soft spot right by one of the huts I'm trapping. I think there might be springs in this slough since it never runs out of water and these soft spots in the ice. So anyways, in the first hit, I walk up to it and see a hole and a face looking at me through the hole. It was a mink! I had heard of people catching them in huts but I didn't think it would ever happen to me. After investigating a little bit, I saw the line of tracks where the mink came from and the hole it dug. So I got it taken care of and continued down the line. I had nothing until my 7th or 8th hut and I finally had a muskrat. None of my other huts were set off or anything like that. I was hoping to break 30 rats today but I'm only at 28. I'm also hoping to catch another mink so that'll be 5 mink for the year. I plan on pulling this slough on Wednesday. I'm hoping that it will produce another dozen rats in the next 2 checks. I'll post some pictures of my put up tomorrow when I put up the rat and mink. But for now, here's the picture.

Very nice

Nice mink

Well, I forgot to make a post last night, but I only caught one rat yesterday. I also pulled one of the traps yesterday since the ice was pretty sketchy there, and I hadn't caught anything in that trap yet. I'm going to pull this slough on Wednesday. I also went and scouted a quarter of ground today and found a weird little shed, probably a couple of years old. The field is chisel plowed, though, so I'm going to wait until we get more snow to trap it. Anyways, that's all I got for today. Here's the picture.

Good job, keep after them