Muskrats

Do many of you get calls for nuisance muskrats? I'm on a section of stream in road right-of-way trapping for a township worried about the rats burrowing under the road. It's been interesting. I'd call it a rat infestation. I don't know if they are really that thick or if more are moving in as I cull them out. My best success is with bottom edge sets with colony traps. Give that set a try and I think you'll be happy. I learned about the bottom edge set at a demo at our state trappers rendezvous.

Some, not many. Most concern is destruction at shoreline. Colony traps work well.

I get a few. Normally just people worried about their lawns. The lakes where I am at are hard to set bottom edge sets. I've been trying to rely on colony traps, floats, and 110s

I normally use stools and colonies and 110’s or 160’s in the runs

I've had good luck with stools in the spring, but struggle with them outside of that time frame. Have to find runs and use bodygrips or colonies after that.

What do you mean by 'stools?' Is that 1 of those metal devices that allow you to elevate a foot hold trap in the water?

Mine are wooden platforms on a wood stake. A screw about six inches above the water holds an apple slice or your bait of choice. I set two traps on each stool as there is a divider in the center - I wouldn't say double catches are the norm, but they are quite common.

Oh, so it's something homemade. I suppose they work kind of like a float.

nothing like a float---doesn't change with water level---but kinda similarly, they are attracted to a bait and step in a foothold---i'll try and take a photo of mine in the barn tomorrow

not homemade any more since Sudden Valley and Hagz make brackets that slide onto a 3/8" rod (glass or steel)

I have a dozen SV foothold clips on hand needing a new home. There is also bait clips to stab the carrot or parsnip on

Don't you have problems with ducks when using stools?

I haven't, Vinke, but I don't use a lot of them. I sure wouldn't use an ear of corn for bait though. I had a pond that I worked on for two or three springs for a township (we don't have a spring trapping season) that had lots of waterfowl and caught dozens of rats each spring without incident.

Ahhh, something like this traprjohn:
http://suddenvalleysupply.com/shop/rat-clip-pole/

Kind of a makeshift stool I think is what you are saying.

The HagZ brackets really seem to be gaining in popularity. So many options with them...