MUSK RATS

[Guest]

YESTERDAY ME AND DARK30 WERE OUT IN THE FISH HOUSE ON THOLLE LAKE AND I DECIDED TO GO POP A FEW HOLES OUTSIDE BECUASE IT WAS SO NICE OUT. AFTER A WHILE OF SITTING OUT THERE I SEEN THIS CREATURE COME OUT ON TO THE LAKE! AT FIST I THOUGHT AWW MAYBE ITS A CAT BUT IT WAS TO LOW TO THE GROUND TO BE A CAT. I WALKED OVER THERE AND IT WAS A MUSK RAT. I WAS GOING TO HIT IT WITH MY METAL ICE SCOOP BUT IT STARTED CHASING ME SO THIS GUY CAME IN A TRUCK AND RAN IN PARCIALLY OVER. AND OF COURSE I WENT AND PUT IT OUT OF IT'S MISSERY. MUSK RATS AREN'T THE BEST THING TO HAVE AROUND THE LAKES WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ABOUT THEM!!

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Tom chard

[Guest]

muskrats, mice, shrews,dirty rotten varmints

I got chased by a squirrel when I was six they're all rodents

KILL EM ALL.

Ukes

[Guest]

On the campus where I go to college we have an army of squirrels. They live off of the garbage that the students through away and they are fearless. One time as I came out of the dorm I saw a squirrl dash behind the trash can right outside the door. As I left the building I heard a shuffle behind me, I turned and stared at the meanest looking vermit in the world. Actually he wasn't that mean looking. Anyway before I knew it he jumped out at me. I started running and didn't look back, but I could hear the pitter patter behind me. I think I outran it though cause he never caught me. Scarriest experience I ever had with an animal or close to the scarriest.

Watch your back the rodents are tricky and mean.

hsolist&MEL

[This message has been edited by hsolist&MEL (edited 02-08-2002).]

[Gissert]

Muskrats provided me with a lot of money as a teenager in the early 1980's. At that time, they were worth five bucks a pop. Brown gold, they were. They also provided me a healthy diversion as a young man, keeping me out of trouble, and teaching me responsibility. It also provided a lesson that hard work can provide a nice reward. It is too bad that not many folks trap anymore.

They can be annoying little devils, however. My lawn in riddeled with cave ins from they tunnels. I broke out my traps last fall and caught 20 in a 300 yard stretch of shorline. My reward, besides the fun, was a whopping 31 bucks!

I used to put my permanant shack near a steep break, just a few yards from shore. Those critters would pack my house with weeds, cuttings, and [PoorWordUsage]. It would scare tha pants off me when they would pop up my dark house hole.

[Guest]

A few years back my sister came icefishing with my dad and I. Fishing was slow in the house so my dad and I tried some holes outside, and a muskrat came up the hole and walked right around my sister, I have never heard someone scream like that before. It was almost as funny when it did it again 5 minuets later.

[Guest]

I ENDED UP TAKING THAT MUSK RAT TO SCOOL FOR SOMEOF MY BUDDIES IN TENTH GRADE. BECUASE4 IN OUR SCHOOL WE HAVE A TAXIDERMIST CLASS SO THEY ARE GOING TO USE THAT. SO IF THEY SCREW UP ON IT I GUESS IT'S JUST A MUSK RAT !!!

[Paul Rohweller]

Here too gissert, was a good income for a kid with a little ambition. Too bad they are so tough on lakeshore. Maybe lakeshore associations should put a bounty on them to get the prices back up there and make it worth the effort. I havent even looked at my traps in ten years now....Paul

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Paul Rohweller
Pine to Prairie Guide Service
218-962-3387
http://fishingminnesota.com/pinetoprairie

[Guest]

Yeah...at .25 to .50 apiece, it's just not worth going out to trap them anymore.

[Guest]

Gissert & Paul,
I still have all my traps, too, along with Fur-Fish&Game magazines back to 1972! Trapping 'rats was a part of my up-bringing, and provided some money, too. I bought my first boat in 1974 with trapping money. Muskrats, raccoon, badger, possum, skunk, beaver, mink, fox, coyote and the occasional squirrel, rabbit & pheasant hunting done along the way...I love it!
FLB

[Guest]

Ah.. Back in the day.I remmember trapping those water rats and getting some extra bucks to buy bait and every patch that was advertised in the Fur Fin and Game magazine.I used to have a red jacket that was covered with patches!

[Gissert]

Fur-Fish& Game! What a great rag that was! I still have old back issues from the 60's and 70's that I still love to read.

The Trapper and Preadator caller is another great publication, although there is nothing about ice fishing in there, LOL. That would be a great place advertise the ice saw, however.

[Ruegs23]

A few years ago, I had my dark house set up on a point near a deep drop and had not been out to it in about two weeks. When I went to retrieve it, I opened the door and saw that muskrats had made themselves a new home. The house was covered with weeds and I noticed the spear hole was still wide open. Before I stepped in I moved the house and the spear hole had grown to about 3x5!!! I think them muskrats were coming and going every 5 minutes to widen that hole that big. If I would have stepped into the house i'm pretty sure the house would have went through!! Prety scary.

[Tully]

When I was a little kid (about 25 years ago) I went to my Grandpa's and he took me out spearing with him. He had a big pipe with him, I asked what it was for and he said to hit the "Mushrats" We were out there for about 15 minutes and sure enough up comes a muskrat with a bunch of weeds. My Grandpa jumped up to get him and kicked his pipe down the hole. Now he is really ticked. He says "Next time he comes up let him have it with the spear!" Half hour later up he comes, wham! I got him right behind the head. It squeeled like a pig so old Grandpa stompped on it's head. I then asked "How do you get it off?" He grabbed the spear, opened the door, stuck it out and let the door close with the muskrat outside and just started pulling Bang, bang, bang! until it was off. To this day I have never speared a fish!
Tully

[DARK30]

SO MONSTERCAT COMES BACK TO THE SHACK WITH A VERY DEAD MUSKRAT AND WANTS TO KNOW IF WE CAN TAKE IT HOME. SO WHAT DO YA SAY? YA, UH...SURE IF YOU WANT TO.

I LEFT MY PORTABLE FOLDED DOWN OVER NIGHT ONE TIME AND THEY FILLED ER UP WITH WEEDS ALRIGHT...WHAT A MESS!

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cast,cast,cast,cast......

[Crappie Killer]

Fur Fish and Game, can you still get that magazine? I sure loved reading that one when I was a kid. I forgot all about that magazine until today.

[Guest]

In your web browser, type in "fur-fish-game".
FLB