Any rats yet??

[Saskabush]

Originally Posted by HunterDave

Where are you guys that are getting bite marks? I got another bunch today with no marks whatsoever. I couldn't get trapping around here for a week after guys south of Calgary so I'm wondering how much time I have.

I'm around Saskatoon as well. I'd say about 10-15% had fresh bites when i shut down yesterday. Ice was just coming off the smaller sloughs yesterday. I think i could have easily kept going for another few days, just running out of time off.

[Saskabush]

This spring was my first go at muskrats and i learned a ton from this and other sites. For what it's worth here's a few observations i had.

Most of my trapping was done in ditches. I tried an assortment of traps this spring to try to get an idea of what works well. My three funnel colony traps destroyed rats on a few select culverts and accounted for close to 1/2 of my catch this week. Floats worked well and i caught on over 50% of them, but are so conspicuous, the pucker factor was always a little higher when i set one of them out. Among my most productive sets were submerged 110's staked in runs, banks, small culverts or the little feeder holes they kept open on the icey mornings. The 110's hit 75% of the time, but are time consuming to set, move/check and i was limited by how many i have. Towards the end i tried a few of Nube's #1's on a stake. Had lots of stolen carrots and only hit on 2 of ten but i think it was more to do with how i set them. I really like that set for ditches, low profile and damn hard to see unless you know where to look.

Here's a few pics from my spring. The colony traps sure upped the #'s in a hurry. I had one culvert that produced 21 rats in just over 24 hrs.

[Saskabush]

Originally Posted by DUKE-1

wow dude way to go. now its stretcher making time. i'm 10 rats from my goal of 50.. got another 14 today.. had another good laugh with something in the truck that needed the .177 Stoeger treatment. Please tell me i'm not the only one who has tossed a live one into the truck

Haha, didn't have any come back to life but earlier in the spring when they were just coming up onto the ice I spotted a big bull rat out in "no man's land" and decided to chase him down. I got to about 6 feet of him at a full run only to have him turn on me. A little startled, he chased me for a few steps before i snapped out of it. A short mexican standoff later, I got the rat but left with a little less pride. It would have been a pretty entertaining show had anyone been driving by at the time.

[The Spruce]

Picked up another 20 last evening. Going to deploy floaters finally, ice starting to leave small dug outs and slews. 470 so far, 87 since Monday. Very few bites if any...except for one new area that is heavily over populated. About 50% there have had old and new bites, I will thin it down a bit more and then move on. (Ice is still partly on, bites not from breeding yet, area is overpopulated). Will slowly start working into Beaver setting through the week also.


Spruce

[nube]

Saskabush and anyone else that cares for that matter, the stolen carrot thing happens to me a lot like you said as well Saskabuch. It has taken me some time to figure it out but I did try a few things and found my success up. Here are some things to think about.

I noticed most of my catches about %65 or more were on hind feet which to me is good. I think this tells me when they come in to the stick they start to climb the stick with the front feet and then place the back feet in the trap when starting to go for the carrot. I started to place the carrot higher above water than I normally did and got more catches and less missing carrots this way and catch success is higher I think.
I think with a higher carrot they can't get it from the side and need to climb the stick to get it.

I use finishing nails on my surveyor stakes and noticed as well that when I had the nail pounded in the board more than out more that I also had more traps knocked off the stake and missed the catch. Try not to pound the nail in so deep I think yet not too far out so it holds up the pan from firing.

I also found that if you can place the board at a decent slant in the mud then the rat has a better direction to know how to climb up the stick.

I like them because they are quick. I put out 3-6 in one spot within a 20 foot span. You don't need to find any special run or place the trap. This saves time. People see surveyor stakes all over. They are easily hid from the public. The trap should nearly have the tip of the trap out of water a cm or just under the water for best success. I have never tried the trap out of the water a few inches but might be something to try.

One thing that I think is a must is a dab of lure right next tot he Carrot. I use Hoffmans muskrat lure. It smells basically like a mild peppermint. I think it attracts them very well. I use on eyedropper in the bottle and just drop 2 drops every time I put a new carrot on it.

https://www.halfordsmailorder.com/eS..._ACHOFFMUSKRAT


I am going to try the funnel and colony traps this next fall it looks like in the right spot it will work well. Downside is it takes time to find the right spot and they are bulky.

Hope this info helps guys. If you got any ideas of how to tweak my system let me know. Out of the hundreds of rats I have caught with it one thing that I really like is that they do not last long once caught. It is very humane. I have only had 2 alive when I have showed up. One was because I was not thinking and the chain was too long and I set it too close to shore. The other had got caught up in some cattails and had propped himself up on them when the chain got tangled in them. I have even set in water that is less than 12 inches and they still drown fast. I feel better knowing that.

[H380]

Saskabush , you must have apile of rats in your area , or had is the key word ..LOL .. look good to me , wish I had places to set funnel traps .

[pointer]

Originally Posted by H380

Saskabush , you must have apile of rats in your area , or had is the key word ..LOL .. look good to me , wish I had places to set funnel traps .

Make places to run funnels find a narrow spot and dig it down block off each side with ded sticks and let er fill up

[braggadoe]

great pics saskabush!! big fan of the funnel traps aswell. all mine are 12", and need to make some smaller ones as well for next season.

[DUKE-1]

lets see a few of those funnels forsale SaskB.. you made them pretty solid.. I'll be in the rain and snow again this weekend to get the last 10 rats.(shouldn't take long) Then a few farmers want a few beaver removed. lawn chair, cigar and my .17 hmr. this sounds like a sound in the making.

[pointer]

Pulled all my traps up yesterday afternoon and calling it a season for the rats. I may take a couple more beavers if they cause a problem but if not I'm done for the season. I had a good 2 1/2 weeks of rat catching even with the freeze up last week that slowed everything down I still caught 160+ rats. This weekend I may walk the slough shore to mark out the runs for this fall while the water is clear and I can see them

[nube]

Good Idea pointer on marking the runs. Only thing to watch is water levels I think that would affect things. I may do some recon as well in a few spots.

[pointer]

Originally Posted by nube

Good Idea pointer on marking the runs. Only thing to watch is water levels I think that would affect things. I may do some recon as well in a few spots.

I will mark out my most productive ones and some more good ones besides and if I have to dig them down in the fall to get my colony traps in there its no big deal

[The Spruce]

Caught my 500th rat for season last night. Production slowing down, as my more populated areas were starting to show signs of fighting so I pulled my sets. Moving into smaller areas now, a few here and there kind of trapping. Hopefully I can manage another 100 this way before fighting begins in these areas. Time to focus on beavers and Otters now.

Spruce

[HunterDave]

No scarred rats in my area yet but I figure that it'll happen any day now. The only thing that I've noticed is that I'm catching fewer jumbo sized ones and more average sized ones. The first scarred rat that I get I'm pulling all of my sets and calling it a season.

[braggadoe]

yesterday really sucked! being on open water in a blizzard. today was just awesome to be out trapp'in rats.

almost all my traps are on lathe or floats. i had some DLS #2 and 3's. pretty much a usless trap now a days. cut one spring off and have been using them on the rats. in pocket sets. there a very heavy trap, and rapidly becoming my fav set. almost a sure thing every time. just a hole in the bank, no bait/lure.



should of taken more pics, it was such nice morning.

[DUKE-1]

My 1st rat spring rat season has come to a close, Huge txs to you guys again for your knowledge. From wet socks, muddy truck and a few surprises made this spring enjoyable. Trapping is very rewarding experince.. Its fun hard work (alittle oxymoron ), but its true. Txs to Nube, all i used was his stake trap carrot method.

[shakeyleg02]

Originally Posted by DUKE-1

My 1st rat spring rat season has come to a close, Huge txs to you guys again for your knowledge. From wet socks, muddy truck and a few surprises made this spring enjoyable. Trapping is very rewarding experince.. Its fun hard work (alittle oxymoron ), but its true. Txs to Nube, all i used was his stake trap carrot method.

Looks like you got 81 tail lesss rats ..good job

[HunterDave]

Good job, Duke, and nice touch with the 81!

I pulled my traps yesterday but I still have to go back and load up my boat to bring home. I must have timed it pretty good because I skinned my last 14 rats today and I found one with bite marks on his butt. I didn't notice anything until I skinned it but now I now what bite marks look like. That's gotta hurt!

This was my first Spring trapping muskrats as well and I'm really happy to have had the advice and knowledge from the folks on this forum to help me along. Thanks to all that shared their experience with us rookies.....it's really appreciated!

[DUKE-1]

Originally Posted by HunterDave

Good job, Duke, and nice touch with the 81!

I pulled my traps yesterday but I still have to go back and load up my boat to bring home. I must have timed it pretty good because I skinned my last 14 rats today and I found one with bite marks on his butt. I didn't notice anything until I skinned it but now I now what bite marks look like. That's gotta hurt!

This was my first Spring trapping muskrats as well and I'm really happy to have had the advice and knowledge from the folks on this forum to help me along. Thanks to all that shared their experience with us rookies.....it's really appreciated!

I hear ya about the bite marks. yozers there were some size of a quarter and some rats with some toes missing. Did some research and rats live max 2 yrs..think some would die from infection.

[H380]

Originally Posted by HunterDave

Good job, Duke, and nice touch with the 81!

I pulled my traps yesterday but I still have to go back and load up my boat to bring home. I must have timed it pretty good because I skinned my last 14 rats today and I found one with bite marks on his butt. I didn't notice anything until I skinned it but now I now what bite marks look like. That's gotta hurt!

This was my first Spring trapping muskrats as well and I'm really happy to have had the advice and knowledge from the folks on this forum to help me along. Thanks to all that shared their experience with us rookies.....it's really appreciated!

I agree Dave , I too appreciate all the help and advice from fellow trappers . Ended up with a grand total of 30 rats , good for my small area .

[The Spruce]

Pulling all of my Muskrat sets tonight. Floters have been slow, I think the mud hens are stealing the apples. Sitting at 515, with any luck I should be at 520 for the season. 348 in the fall (6 days), and 172 in the Spring. Rats are starting to turn away from prime now. Happy Trapping

Spruce

[nube]

Good stuff Spruce. I should be right around 500 as well for the year. I didn't get much trapping in last years fall so I think I did well. I will have to get the feeder full and count them up. I got one more this morning. I had a couple traps out where I set for beaver last night. Got one small beaver and the one rat.