I have a major musk rat problem...

[Dozernut]

Thats why the contact your local USDA office was inserted, I believe they would be up on "Wet Land Regulations"!

 

[MossRoad]

Here's a handy link you might enjoy.
Everything Muskrat!

Be sure to check out the tastey recipe section. /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

 

[SnowRidge]

<font color="blue"> I have a shallow 8acre pond that is being over-run by muskrats </font>

Comes from excessive air play of "Muskrat Love." /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[penokee]

duke - Reading this link with interest also. I have a one acre Wildlife Impoundment (Fancy name for a pond, but it got me a 50% grant to build it) and only one rat that I'm aware of. My yellow lab loves the water and has tried to catch it but cant. I've tried to wait until it surfaces then use the .22 cure, but can't catch it. Took out my dam once by boring holes in the dike - high water washed it out. Repaired the dike and that magic rat is back again. Noticed that the cattails are rooted up - didn't realize that they ate them. Hesitate to use any chemical that might harm the ducks that nest in/near the pond. If you come up with some sytem that works, would appreciate if you'd post the method used - darn rats.
penokee /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

Ps: I hesitate to ask the DNR, etc. for help as they'll always be nosing around after that. Too much Government.

 

[SPIKER]

oh yes by all means get rid of the rats any how possable: from what I've been hearing they are actually getting up there in price again, no one seems to be trapping anymore. conabear traps work like a charm, be carefull if you have dogs as they will work on them well too. they will =fold the rat in half in about 1/10th of a second as well as take the hide off you're fingers the first time you try and set it! (don't ask how I know) back in the 70's we used to get upwards of 75cents each. others went up to 10~40 bucks for mink. to prevent digging in the pond place a trap in the bank burrows on that end first they will move to the other end of the pond pretty quickly when they start seeing family & friends bent over backwards stuck in the dam end of the pond. use CORN COB with the kernals still attached nailed to a board driven into the ground at watter level or back a foot or two. start feeding them that way in a spot where a clean shot is possable. a 22 is pefict for this. they will get the taste for corn very quickly and come up to eat it. pick them off and send the dog in to clean up /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif also note they will eat ANYTHING not just cattails. the boss had 6+ acres of water with 0 cat tails and a bad rat problem but they don't have a real dam to have to worry about but he almost tipped the tractor into the lake mowing close when a burrow collapsed ... /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif that is when we started using the corn on a board trick as the dog loved to chase em so the traps were a no-no... we got 10+ one day doing that from the upper floor of the barn window shooting down into the lake (20 to 100 yards using 22LR and 22mag) it is a shape wht a 22 mag at 60 yards does to them needless to say it is pretty humain as one sec it is eating corn the next sec it is 1/2 missing /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif.
Mark M

 

[penokee]

Spiker - I like that approach. Walked into my dam today, most of the snow gone and that nasty rat had holes all over the place - just lucky I didn't lose the dike again. My Lab eats dry corn - have to put her in the truck when I feed deer. She loves to hear me shoot - actually bites the barrel when I take it out of the case - hope I get a chance to let her retieve a tired rat.
penokee /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif