X3 same around here

I think Bernie Beringer is correct. Changes in agriculture, namely draining every bit of wetland habitat possible, the aggressive tillage practices of modern farming, increasingly common and increasingly severe droughts, and the widespread use of multiple agricultural chemicals have destroyed the rural environment of the upper Midwest. I spent time as a child in the 60s and 70s visiting relatives in that area, and was amazed at the presence of huge marshes that had thousands of muskrat huts, and commonly seeing muskrats swimming in every roadside ditch and small pond and little creek. As for avian predators using trees as a way to dramatically reduce populations of muskrats and mink, there have traditionally been very few trees in southwestern Minnesota and most of the Dakotas, but before DDT there were large numbers of owls, hawks… in these areas and still vast numbers of muskrats. Also owls and some types of hawks are very skilled at hunting in dense forest habitats. In these areas post WW 2 era we made a choice to ruin an entire ecosystem and a rural economy and society for a modest increase in crop farming efficiency.

I trapped here in 80s and 90s, and through to today too.
We had a lot more habitat back then. The late 80s and early 90s there was a heck of a lot more land in CRP program. We had a ton of pheasants and it was good coyote trapping. Lots of deer too. But on other hand there were a lot more trappers too. Today not nearly as many trappers but all those vast acres of CRP are gone. Overgrown femcerows are cleaned up and trees bulldozed right up to edge of the creeks. Much less habitat.
I can still catch a lot of coyotes and coon, but they are more concentrated and the competition these days is not lots of trappers but still have the usual pickup coyote hunting army and thermals are a new competitor too.
More animals then vs now? I don’t know. Definitely more habitat back then but more folks out trapping too. We had a coon market then too, not so much today.
Mink numbers are definitely lower around here. UNL had a study and showed the declines. Ag chemical runoff was a contributor. That is one species susceptible to increase chemical exposure.
Trapping equipment is better today for sure.
Also, in 80s I didn’t make much money then. Tough economy. Vehicles weren’t as good either. Today I make more, can buy better equipment, lots of things different today for me personally.
Lot of variables to your comparison question there.
That’s my take.
Jim

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X2

I think the biological carry capacity for many areas is higher per habitat acre than it was 50 years ago. It is just that a lot of habitat has been lost and that with the changes in agriculture practices and development the species mix or the species that are favored by the changes have grown and their numbers are higher. Most of the species that have really expanded are the ones that have benefited by the changes and have a wider variety of foods they can use. More, mice, voles, deer, coons, grinners ( warmer and more road kill). Omnivars are benefiting the most, or those that utilize a lot of cereal calories.

Bryce

I know when the practice of shooting birds of prey was common and the waters were not necessarily clean there were plenty of muskrats. Of course famers didn't have track hoes during that time, so ditches weren't cleared of vegetation as they are today. Muskrats were once common but not so much anymore in this part of the world.

I've trapped Iowa. for sixty five years. I have been trying to make sense of the Musrat decline. As you know the muskrat population was very numerous in every little stream, ditch or any other body of water years ago. Since then we have gotten otters in all Iowa counties. I am starting to have more and more muskrat catches just shredded and drug out into the middle of the stream. Mink don't destroy a muskrat that way. I am leaning to otter as I didn't have that problem until otter came along.

When it comes to predators and muskrats I do believe that many of the smaller rivers, streams and most of our small ponds and sloughs and narrow ditiches where rats used to be common, is where predators can easily hunt them as the areas are almost all edge which is what predators hunt. In the bigger marshes where there is more space the rats do a lot, lot better. Also with millions more acres tiled and millions developed, water runoff, from less marshy wetlands causes our rivers and streams to flash quickly and flood, which can wipe out early litters or younger rats anytime the floods occur. We are having a very wet spring here after several years of very dry conditons. The rats are able to find a ton of places to live when it is wet and water is all over. We had that about 6-7 years ago when we had 3 wet years in a row. Our rat numbers were triple what they were last year.

Bryce