Muskrat through Ice

[poutpro]

What is the best way to get muskrats through the ice. I've got a spot that has quite a few houses that I'd like to try. What works good for muskrat bait?

[Code-Man]

tnt

[Gissert]

You can use pole sets, but they are time consuming unless you have some built up. Basically it is a platform on a pole. The trap goes on a pole. Apples and carrots can be wired above it. Another version can be done with a 120 conibar. No need for a platform here, just wire the springs to a pole. Jam a carrot or apple piece onto the trigger wire, and set the pole in the ice near a rat house. The bottom of the pole needs to touch the bottom, and the top should stick out of the ice at least two feet. These two pole sets are scaled down versions of beaver sets.

I have never been a big fan of this, but you can set the house itself. With a hatchet you can open a hole in the top, and place a stoploss type foothold in the house, and then replace the house material and wet it down. Anchor the trap ring on the outside of the house. Make sure you replace the house material, and wet it down. You must do this by law.

You must use a stoploss trap in this set, IMO. This is to prevent twistoffs. The stoploss keeps the rat from twisting around. You may get an occasional mink in a house set too. Again, I am not a big fan of setting houses, but it is legal.

Look around the body of water for some football size chunks of vegatation. These are called push ups, and rats use these as feed/rest stations. You might use a 110 where they enter, or a foot hold. If you use foot holds, make sure they can dive under the ice and drown. Push ups can be really good in temps higher that the mid 20's. If the temps drop into the teens and below, you might have some frozen up sets.

[poutpro]

What we have done so far is house sets. Some we couldn't find the cavity, so we just covered the holes and left them alone. How big is the cavity inside of the hut? Maybe some of the things I thought were huts were the pushups that you are talking about.

[Gissert]

Could be. Some push ups can get to be good sized.

You'll know the cavity when you hit it. You should see a lot of the cuttings from what they are feeding on.

[deerhuntr8]

Quote:

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tnt

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LOL

[Jeremiah Johnson]

my buddy has been trying to trap in the houses with no luck. Hes not using bait though, so that could be his problem. all of the houses are being used too.

[poutpro]

I've gotten 3 out of them so far. But know there are a lot more rats out there, I saw them this fall. I should have been out doing it in the open water, but its a little late for that. How many rats can fit in the cavity at one time?

[Gissert]

Rat numbers in a house is dependant on the size to a certain degree.

I have stated that I dont like trapping in the house - it does tend to spook them a bit when their house is opened up from the outside. This is how a lot of houses get invaded by mink. Then when you catch a rat in the house, they struggle and spook the rest of them. Opening the house also compromises the insulation and could freeze the hut out as well. On the upside, those December caught rats are really, really prime.

I used to scout bank runs before freeze up. I would trap them in open water with conibars, and mark them with a stake and hit them again after ice up. Much more effective, and does not disturb the colony.

[poutpro]

I'll have to remember that for next season.