I was fishing a pond the other day that I used to trap muskrats in. I made my way around the pond casting every so often...I was watching closely for rat dens along the bank and I could not find one. I began to wonder if there were no longer muskrats in that pond until I spotted one swimming out in the water. I took notice of the area on the bank that he was headed to and spent some time searching over there. Still no bank den. I'm beginning to wonder if the rats behave differently this time of year than they would in November when I trapped them in the past. They still have to live somewhere. Any clues on what might be going on with their dens and why none were visible? It might be worth noting that the water level in the pond is probably at least a foot and a half lower than it was when I last trapped there a few years ago. Curious what you guys might think.

I should have mentioned that there are no visible muskrat houses or anything like that in the pond. I have trapped there multiple different years, and in the past I have had no trouble seeing holes close to the bank.