What critters are these?

[Riles]

The recent topic on voles made me wonder what's going on in my fields.



It's low ground, not bottomland, but the wettest on the farm and that's where all the holes are. Normally when I see mudball vents around a hole, I think crawfish, but these babies would be huge. Also, not all the holes have the piles. Lots of variability in hole diameter.



No tracks, no obvious pathways, and the explosion in numbers has been fairly recent. They only appear in the wetter ground, but will appear in the middle of the gravel driveway. No mole humps.

I've set mouse traps to see what I might catch. Any guesses?

[sgtmaconga]

yep you have crawdads

[Riles]

The size of baby lobsters?

[Texas Ranger]

Drop a few drops of gasoline in a hole and see what comes up.

[Slabs]

I've heard em' called Crawfish Castles.  And I've seen them ten inches tall.  As they get taller the "dad" will bring up muddy balls to make them hold togather.  It'll be interesting to watch them "grow".

The holes without castles may be where they tunneled up from below.

Watch and enjoy.

[Don P]

I dunno but It looks like it oughta be good on a bed of rice 

[okie]

Put you a hunk of pork fat in a minnow trap right outside the hole and you may be surprised, a small crawdad can make a big hole, course so can a big crawdad. Srtip the tail off and fry it in garlic and butter YUM. If you like it go get you a sein and your set for crawdad tail dinners all summer long.

[timberfaller390]

sounds like its time for a low country boil

[sgtmaconga]

PARTY AT RILES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! smiley_turkey_dancing smiley_turkey_dancing smiley_turkey_dancing

[timberfaller390]

I'll bring the cook pot,corn ad pepper yall bring the taters and beer

[Riles]

Just for the record, my wife is cajun, I got married in New Orleans, and we had a crawfish boil the day after the wedding. I know what to do with a mudbug. Come to think of it, my anniversary is coming up.  8)

[timberfaller390]

congradulations I'll bring my fiddle and play jolie blonde and big mamu

[Norm]

We also get those from the bullfrogs that burrow out from hibernation. Umm umm frog legs. ;D

[Greg Cook]

Looks like Jeff is gonna have to move this one to the Food Board!   ;D

Greg