1st Muskrat Visit

[Huey]

I had my first ever visit from a muskrat yesterday morning. I have to admit I sort of freaked when I saw a rodent heading my way. Part of the thrill of spearing, I guess.

I was just getting set up when I saw it swim into the hole. Apearantly it wanted to get out of the rain too and tried to climb out of the water into my house. He meet the bottom of my size 16 sorels. Just a little bonk to get him pushed back into the water. Unfortunately for him I was wearing ice cleats yesterday.

What do they do if they get into your house?

[bassNspear]

what do they do, they get crazy and wreck everything. I have never had this happen to me, thank god, but my friend from college had it happen to him, and he was a nerves wreck!

[Fish Toys]

If you leave the house and don’t have a cover for the hole they will start to fill the house up with weeds. Sometimes even with the cover on they will fill the hole up under the cover. Stinky mess. How is your heart?

[Barbed Pichfork]

Hey Huey, Sometimes when you have alot of bubbles roll into your hole at once, that is usually a rat coming close. Happenend to me twice two years ago. The second time he came I saw the bubbles early enough to be prepared to push him back in the hole. My dad used to say that when that happens, its good to have a spare change of shorts!

[merkman]

But Huey can't we be friends?

Photo courtesy of FishCarver.

[BOUNCED]

What do they do if they get into your house?

Typically get seven between the eyes.

I've had them come right in, they're usually just as scared to see you and take off. Bring extra shorts, those rats are a rush!

[duck patrol]

ive had the try to make a nest in mine and made the ice very thin under my house from the current the cause by coming in and out.

[glenn57]

what a lucky guy. woke ya up did it not? first ever? i quit counting, and ya like everyone else says weedy stinky mess. my wifes spearhouse has a cover so they dont get in the house they just stuff the weeds between the ice and floor.

[Central Bassman]

WOW i have never had this happen to me yet, but have heard stories.

[mwal]

You may want to move your shack if you are not seeing fish. The muskrats thin the ice so much under my house that it tipped into the water when I started to put weight on the floor. Talk about your heart skipping a beat. I moved another 100ft out and no more rat. The only other thing you could do is trap it if in season with a trapping license.

Mwal

[terrible_fisherman]

I agree with the above. I had a rat problem two years ago and the ice right under my house went from 8 inches to about 3.5 in a little under a week before I moved it off.

Also, if you are using potatoes to light your hole it is more likely you will have a rat problem as they feed on the cut ones on the bottom a lot. The year I had a big rat problem I started bringing my dog with me and they stopped coming into the house while I was sitting there with the mutt.

[cherokee]

Never had it happen to me but was next to a guy once that had a rat come into his house. Should have heard him hollering.

Also heard a story about one guy and his dog out spearing. The dog saw a fish and jumped in after it. Surfaced in the next guys house. Can you imagine what that poor guy went through when he saw this dog coming into his hole? Probably busted his door down or tore through the Zipper with the spear bouncing behind him. Supposedly a true story.

[Gordie]

cheroke way back when this happened on lake waconia guy was spearing and dog jumped in after a rat and swam up into another guys house first the rat then the dog. dont know who went out the door faster the guy or the dog.

[bassNspear]

i beleive he has a portable, so he wont have to worry about moving it, but i could be wrong!

[cherokee]

Elwood that must be the same one. Too funny.