MUSKRATS! HELP!!!

[danf]

Ok, I've got muskrats in my pond. Not the first time, but the last time I was able to shoot the little SOB's and get rid of them. I took care of one a couple of weeks ago, but there's obviously at least one left.

I didn't like them being in the pond to begin with, but realized tonight that they are now in the dam. My overflow pipe is plugged (had a conibear in front of it in an attempt to keep them out- didn't work....) and all of the rock around the pipe is undermined.

I've got three borrowed conibears that I have had NO luck with, and I plan on getting some more traps very soon. What I need help with is placing the traps- I have absolutely ZERO trapping experience when it comes to this stuff. I can set a live trap cage and catch racoons and possums, but these muskrats are confounding me.... Anybody close to me? I'm about halfway between Crawfordsville and Greencastle.

If I have to go on an overnight vigil I will, but the traps should work 24/7.......

[trapperdave]

what size conibears you using? 110's set in their tunnel entrances does the trick.

[danf]

Problem is that I don't know exactly how to set them in a manner that will work. I don't know what size they are for sure, but they look like they are big enough to do the trick.

[lonniephillips]

Muskrats are easy , just place a 110 size "bodygrip" (conibear is name brand of some) if front of their den entrance and you might want to use a stick through the ring to stableize it
if you find the active den it won't take long
just walk the edge and fel for the hole in the bank with your foot if you can do see it

colony traps are easy to make and rather cheap , they are similar to a live trap but go under water and in runs and infront of dens and can clean a colony out fast
these traps are reapting traps and can catch up to 4 or 5 at a time

[trapperdave]

bear with me here, I'll try to help. First, finding their dens. Go out early am or late evening, walk the banks looking for holes/tunnels at or under the water line. If it has murky water in it, its been used recently and is active. Set your 110 to cover the entrance so they have to go thru it and put a stick like in the pick to stabilize it and hold it up. Set the trigger like in the pic. Just pretend my tube trap is the entance to the muskrats den.

[Decatur]

Good pic Dave. That oughtta help!

[danf]

Yep, it helped. I hadn't thought of a stick set that way to stabilize it- that was part of the problem I had. The traps would get knocked over or moved somehow and miss the 'rats..... I re-set the trap in front of my overflow pipe yesterday that way. Thanks!

I picked up two #1 leghold's yesterday at Sportsmans Warehouse (all that they had in that size ) and some attractant for 'rats. Any advice on setting those?

[schall53]

Make sure the leghold traps are anchored out in deep water so the rat will drown, if he can't get to deep water there is a chance he will twist his leg off and get away.

[trapperdave]

set the trap at waters edge (about 2 inches under water)where they are coming out, you can use lure or bait(piece of carrot/apple etc.) Extend trap chain as far out as possible towards deep water and stake. Now put another stake out father for the trap chain to wrap around when the rat dives for deep water, therby keeping him from the bank and drowning him.

If there's not a trail where they are coming out of the water, you can make a mock muskrat slide with the heel of your boot.

[danf]

SUCCESS!!!

Went out last night and checked the conibear in front of the overflow pipe. It had been two days since I had checked (forgot to the day before). Figured since we were starting to get some rain that they'd be hitting the overflow again and sure enough, there was a dead 'rat in the conibear. ;D

Still gotta re-set the trap and see if I've got any more. And get the dam repaired.

Thanks Dave, that pic helped a bunch.

[tobias]

Very nice!