Question on muskrats

H

Hoosier16

New member
Im new to trapping,and my local fur buyer told me to try to trap lots of muskrats this year.I live beside a small river and i think there are some there. I just need some tips for the best and easiest way for a begginer to get em.
 
H,You can blind set them under root wads at the waters edge pretty easily,but if you take a ear off corn and cut it into 2 inch pieces and pin it into the bank above your trap about 4 iches,it will increase your catch.Make sure to secure your trap as to drown the rats or they will twist out easily. hope this helps.
 
I stubbled on a lure holder while trappin rats. I was cracking peanuts for a snack and notice the shells are pretty shiny white inside and will hold bout the right amount of lure when pressed into the bank.

Scent and sight appeal, just have the set on target and rig for drowning like Bigjohn said.
 
Muskrats are somewhat territorial. If the banks are soft enough, just put in pocket sets. Make holes in the bank about the size of a softball or a little bigger. They will investigate all holes. Angle the back of the hole upward. If ya can get the hole 12 inches deep thats good. Bed a trap right in the opening of the hole just under water level. I have the levers at 1 and 7 or 2 and 8. That way they don't step on the levers of the trap. Wire traps to a stake or heavy stone in deeper water. Once in the trap the muskrat will dive for deeper water which will drown him.
 
River muskrats are way, way easy. Get some dried corn that is still on the cob. Find a river bank the slopes at a min. of 45 deg. with 2"-4" of water at the base. If need be, you can use your boot to step/stomp a flat place in the bank/water to set the trap. Stick the corn halfway into the bank and set the trap below it (in the water) and stake it towards the deepest water near the set. Done. Takes less than 2 min. Stake it well though because you will more than likely also catch coon and beaver in this set.

CB

Almost forgot: You can add a 2'-3' piece of "good" 14 ga. bailing type wire to the chain so you can get the stake into deeper water. Most of your rats will be dead when you get there.
 
I chase my rats with colony traps. Put them directly in a run, at the entrance of a den hole or on the bank and bait with apple or corn. I use two types of colonies, the run set up and a floater. This is a larger colony and is designed to be put on a float and can hold a few more rats than the standard size. It does not work well in current but will work well in a small pond or tributary that has not much current to it. Good luck with the rats, they say they will bring 9 bucks for tops this season!!
 
blind set under roots and logs
baited cubbies (apples are the best)
make sure to use a 1.5 foot hold or 110 coni the foothold needs to be big enough to hold the rat down to drowned it. also make sure your chains are long i like 4 foot or so i use chain in stead of wire just in case i catch somthing else...
 
I have rarely used bait on muskrats. I simply set the sign. Find where they crawl up the bank, stamp a flat spot just under the water, and drop a trap. Since it's quick and easy you can put in quite a few sets in a very short time. Works for me.
 
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