Gun, Poison, Trap? How should I do it in?

[PineRidge]

Mark no since I haven't seen the critter have no idea at this point what I'm actually dealing with. I'm thinking about making a trip to TSC today and picking up a live trap so I don't have to worry about my dogs getting to friendly with leg-hold traps.

We have seen a muskrat in the pond from time to time and left it alone because it has never burrowed into the dam. Now that it's decided to make a home in the dam it's days are marked as shortened.

Brian thanks for the tip, I'll check with a local well drilling service for a bag of bentonite. I prefer to use it over cement mentioned in an earlier post as bentonite expands once water hits it. I'm thinking for that reason it should do a better job of filling the void that the varmint made.

It would be a lot quicker and a lot easier to use a 9mm bullet but if you can't see him to paint him with the laser then you can't shoot him.

 

[bczoom]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( It would be a lot quicker and a lot easier to use a 9mm bullet but if you can't see him to paint him with the laser then you can't shoot him. )</font>

Muskrats are pretty shy. It would be a rare opportunity to get close enough for a 9mm shot. When they see you, they're in high gear to get away. I normally use a 12ga with 6 shot for shots within 50' (and they're on the move). Even if a little under water, they still got hit.

 

[DannyD]

Contact the local conservation club, wildlife agencie or look for a group that will live trap and move it to a place not in your way.

 

[Dargo]

At least you don't have to haul dirt in 5 gallon buckets out to an island to patch up their handywork! /forums/images/graemlins/mad.gif

 

[Henro]

Pineridge,

WHEW!

Scared me for a minute!

Somehow when I saw the post I thought it was in some way about Junkman... /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif

 

[Henro]

Back to the original question,

My pond is not that big, maybe 50 x80 feet or so. My neighbor once told me the best thing to do is keep the water level high, about equal to the grass on the low side. That way the muskrats cannot build a borrow as they come in under water level and when they try to come up and build living space, the poke through and see daylight, and give up.

That pretty much seems to work. On the high side I do have a 10' flat area next to the water too, which is higher. For some reason I don't seem to have a problem there either. In the old days I did have a problem...no more.

Not sure if doing this would be possible at your place or not. Seems to work for me...

 

[PineRidge]

Bill can't do it, raise the water level that is. If I raise the level of the pond any more than it is now water will be going over the emergency spillway. I like to keep the pond as high as possible. It is necessary however to keep a couple of feet of dry ground on top of the dam or there will be other more serious problems to deal with. Thanks for the suggestion though.

Went to TSC this morning. The live trap is now baited and set. We'll see how we do as frontier trappers in the morning. /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

 

[Birdhunter1]

Pour some gas in the whole, make a trail and light a match.
If you've been wanting to drain your pond to dig it deeper this might help too.

I have before ran groundhogs out by building a brushfire above the whole and using a fan on the exit whole (if you can find it) to create a suction to draw the smoke down into the whole and smoke him out. Have a good .22 ready and willing.

 

[DannyD]

Went to TSC this morning. The live trap is now baited and set. We'll see how we do as frontier trappers in the morning.

Thank you, now when you do catch the animal, please release somewhere that it wont bother you again.....

 

[PineRidge]

<font color="blue"> Thank you, now when you do catch the animal, please release somewhere that it wont bother you again.....

</font>

Danny please PM me your full mailing address and a live package will arrive for you in the mail shortly. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

No one else in my area wants the little critter either.....