iDRY Vacuum Kilns

Sponsors:

Muskrats

Started by Autocar, December 28, 2011, 01:55:22 PM

Previous topic - Next topic

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Autocar

How many guys and gals ran a trap line as a kid ? Some of my best memories are river bottoms and creek banks. I remember getting on the school bus in the fourth grade and the talk was how many rats did you get last night. I trapped probably fifteen years into our marriage before I quit, and the only reason I quit then was someone stole just about all my traps 237 to be exact. I never was fond of box traps feeling it would wipe the rats out in a night or two. So number one jump and long spring victors and years later I bought a dozen of the square conabear traps. Now in our country they clean off the ditch backs and get the grade while the water dosen't pool up and just keeps draining till its about dry, muskrats in farm country is a thing of the past around here. If you ask a young fellow something about muskrats there not sure what your talking about, I think about what todays generation is and has missed out on  ::).
Bill

Raider Bill

I did, Never amounted to much and never had even close to that many traps but I sure tried.
The First 70 years of childhood is always the hardest.

SwampDonkey

Used to snare and box trap hares. Caught just as many squirrels in the box traps and porcupine in the snares. :D :D

We have lots of muskrat around, about any waters edge with cattails and reeds has a muskrat making his home. I saw one a couple years back by a new clover leaf to a 4-lane, it was on a lower road that went under the over pass. It was big and fat like a small beaver. ;D

Mother has a muskrat fur coat.
"No amount of belief makes something a fact." James Randi

1 Thessalonians 5:21

2020 Polaris Ranger 570 to forward firewood, Husqvarna 555 XT Pro, Stihl FS560 clearing saw and continuously thinning my ground, on the side. Grow them trees. (((o)))

chevytaHOE5674

Funny you should bring up Muskrats, suddenly I have one hanging around the farm. It must have come out of the river and now it seems to not want to return. Been eating frozen apples and other stuff around the farm. At this rate it will be here all winter. hahaha

WH_Conley

Our streams are more mink than rat country. Too settled anymore to trap on dry land. Beaver are thick and hides are not worth the time to skin.

Sure was a lot fun as a kid and the extra money didn't hurt any either. My traps left the same way, out of the shed to boot.
Bill

Norm

Never had much for rats around here but plenty of raccoons, mink, fox and beaver. I trapped quite a bit as a kid but now I just do it for pest control. Wish the prices were better though.

I was driving home from the office the other day and there was a beautiful mink roadkill. I almost stopped to pick it up but was driving Patty's escalade...not sure if she'd see the humor in it.  :D

Autocar

Norm I imagine she would skin you alive just for the smell in the car  :D I always wonder why alot of animals have that skunk smell  ;D
Bill

chain

Yep, I trapped muskrat and mink..way back when...there were no otter or beaver. I took up trapping again a few years ago because the beaver and river otter were becoming  a nusiance. The river otter were worth the effort and, for a couple of years, I trapped more nutria than muskrat!

This year, I intended to take a few otter and beaver but weekly rains have played havoc with the water levels. I have trapped a few coyotes and cage-trapped a bobcat. Water trapping my favorite. This year, the conservation biologists wants us to pull and send in a tooth from each otter and 'cat for a new study; as you probably know we are required to tag each otter and bobcat due to a international agreement protecting sea-otter and Canada Lynx..it's a pain-in-the-butt to have to call our local CAs for an appointment to tag...it's bs! >:(

Ironwood

Trapped alot as a kid in eastern Ohio farm country. I am in the "woods" and ridges here in Pa. now. I assume things are still the same back home ('cept for a few McMansions in a few of the fields ::)) I did pick up a bunch of traps recently as "our preps" for the "what if" senarios. Never hurts to be prepared and it is "quiet" meat hunting.   ;)

Ironwood
There is no scarcity of opportunity to make a living at what you love to do, there is only scarcity of resolve to make it happen.- Wayne Dyer

Burlkraft

I used to trap 'skrats on my pond, then I discovered how much fun shooting them was  :D :D

Why not just 1 pain free day?

SwampDonkey

Do they plug the drainage? Was just was wondering what harm other than drainage to a pond.
"No amount of belief makes something a fact." James Randi

1 Thessalonians 5:21

2020 Polaris Ranger 570 to forward firewood, Husqvarna 555 XT Pro, Stihl FS560 clearing saw and continuously thinning my ground, on the side. Grow them trees. (((o)))

SPIKER

Quote from: SwampDonkey on December 28, 2011, 08:55:35 PM
Do they plug the drainage? Was just was wondering what harm other than drainage to a pond.

More likely to drain a pond as they dig burros into the bank a long distance at the top of the water line.   once water starts flowing you know what happens...

mark
I'm looking for help all the shrinks have given up on me :o

beenthere

Right, they do burrow into the banks, that then become unstable and slough off into the pond.
If there is a dam, they will turn it into swiss cheese and it may be comprimised.
south central Wisconsin
It may be that my sole purpose in life is simply to serve as a warning to others

SwampDonkey

I guess they don't get along with beavers. ;D Glad something keeps them beavers busy. ;) I've never heard of them doing that, they make nests in the cattails and reeds I always understood. Learned something new. Although seems weird. ;)
"No amount of belief makes something a fact." James Randi

1 Thessalonians 5:21

2020 Polaris Ranger 570 to forward firewood, Husqvarna 555 XT Pro, Stihl FS560 clearing saw and continuously thinning my ground, on the side. Grow them trees. (((o)))

chain

Nutria are bad to dig also and very destructive to water plants, would do five times the damage of muskrats. Of course are much larger than 'rats and weigh upward of fifteen lbs.. they have a beaver looking head and muskrat-like tail; but the little muskrats are not prolific where otter are established, part of the food chain.

Burlkraft

The problem I had was with them digging in to the dam. There were 5 other banks that they could have dug in but they really seemed to like the dam  >:( >:(
Why not just 1 pain free day?

Autocar

SwampDonkey here where I live beavers dig bank dens just like a muskrat. Sometimes there stack limbs at the entrance  I suppose they eat them after freeze up. But freeze up this year dosen't look promising  :D
Bill

SwampDonkey

Cold enough here with a strong NW wind to freeze the hairs off a mosquito today. Suppose to warm up and a little Alberta clipper coming by in a day or so.


Beavers mostly build lodges here and on river banks to. They will come out of den in mild spells to, but they submerge wood with bark on for food. They are after the sugars like porkies and bugs. ;D The otters here hunt beavers in their lodges. I've seen them on beaver dams near my woodlot. They go in open spots in the water not frozen. Unless you have a fish pond, I have not herd anyone complain about otters around here. The herons are a worst problem to trout ponds.
"No amount of belief makes something a fact." James Randi

1 Thessalonians 5:21

2020 Polaris Ranger 570 to forward firewood, Husqvarna 555 XT Pro, Stihl FS560 clearing saw and continuously thinning my ground, on the side. Grow them trees. (((o)))

WH_Conley

Our beavers den the same way do in Autocar's neck of the woods. After a while the den will collapse, they just dig a new one. My fields are full of sink holes around the creek banks. Not to mention they cut everything on the creek bank, not pay any attention to BMP's.
Bill

Kansas

I had a problem this summer with them in the lake out in front of my house. I shot several along the dam while I stood on the deck. They seem to have vacated the dike now, but did see them over on the far side shoreline. I need to find someone to trap as well. Not the number of trappers anymore, and pelts aren't worth that much.

iffy

Kansas, you might want to check with your local 4H clubs to see if any members are doing a trapping project. That is how my grandson down at Williamsburg got started.

treefarmer87

I had one when i was 17-18. i had 10 cages and about 6 foot traps. i would catch about 5 coon a night and a man would give me $25 for each one for his dogs to trail. i caught a bunch of skunks with the foot traps :o, the foxes,coyotes,and bobcats were too slick for me with the cages, they alwas took the bait :D
1994 Ford L9000
2004 Tigercat 718
1998 Barko 225
1999 John Deere 748G
FEC 1550 slasher
CTR 314 Delimber
Sthil 461
Sthil 250

trapper

Got a top of $11 on some I sold a week ago  Average of $7.55.  Still getting a few through the ice yet.
Buyer comes up from Il
Marv
stihl ms241cm ms261cm  echo 310 400 suzuki  log arch made by stepson several logrite tools woodmizer LT30

Autocar

Holy cow trapper thats a good price, I got a $1.75 in Febuary when the hide was prime and thought I was in the money  :D That was in the late 50's and 60's.
Bill

ellmoe

I trapped muskrats for a year in the marshes in SE Va. when I was twelve. We used leg hold drown sets and Conibears. I believe we got $1.25 a hide. I learned alot that year, including something about marketing. I found out that there wasn't a woman alive that would wear a muskrat coat, but there were many that would wear a "Hudson Bay Seal" coat!  :D
Mark
Thirty plus years in the sawmill/millwork business. A sore back and arthritic fingers to prove it!

Thank You Sponsors!