New breed of rat trappers

[robertw]

You have got to have the muskrats before you can catch them!

Most of the midwest was very dry last fall..ponds all down three to four feet. Lots of dry country through the south last fall to, muskrats do not do well in dry years. Here in the midwest last year you couldn't catch a decent number of rats if you wanted..

[dj88ryr]

I thought that was the case here as well, but I strated looking and found good trappable numbers. No doubt there would be much higher densities, if we had normal water conditions.

[mustelameister]

I can guarantee you this . . . that opening day of water sets will be a busy one on any public marsh in Wisconsin this year. Nine-dollar 'rats will bring 'em out of the woodwork for sure.

Ah yes . . . the golden years . . . every big 'rat hut had two, sometimes three different fella's traps around it. Then there were the guys that were making the 3:00 am runs, and didn't own a trap in the marsh.

Here we go . . .

[trappnman]

my dad had an extra man on his line, so the warden inserted tags into a doz or so rats about dark and left them in my dad's traps. Then he and my dad went down to the marsh...and about 11, a guy came into the dock with a boatful of rats. several had tags in them. We was ticketed and basically banned from the marsh by the other trappers.

Wonder if that would happen today..the wardens interest that is.

[trappincoyotes39]

I remember rat trapping the backwaters of the Mississippi as a teen with a buddy camped out for 7 days and ran rat traps 3 times a day, endless numbers it seemed back then. We would burn up 100.00 in fuel in a summer finding the out of the way backwater areas with good rat,mink and coon sign. Some of those island coons where true monsters.
I would love to do that again before I die. Rat numbers are way down in that area and out west just not much of any rats been way too dry the last 7 years.

[coyotewhisperer]

I know that my wardens are supportive of trapping and enforcing the law. My new floating devices will only be put way back on private land so no problem with theft. But if I do run into theft problems this upcoming season I know two wardens that will go out of their way to catch a trap thief.

Jeff

[thebeav2]

I had that same extra man on my line a few years ago. Contacted the warden we planted a couple of mink with name tags up their rears In easy road locations,next day the man was caught with the goods, pretty hard to explain away that situation. No more problems.

[NittanyLion]

I agree with Beav the theft will be on the upswing.

DJ, you may have had those little runs to yourself the past year or two this coming season you will trip over trappers and theft will be prevalent.

[mattduncan]

from the sounds of things i,m going to see the same thing here also increased compatiton and theft i trap rats every year weather they are 2 dollar or 8 dollar and i know i'd like a 5 dollar average that way i can make some money and not have the hassle of the increased theftand problems as far as numbers i know i can hit at least 800 -1000 if i can take the time off work all ditch rats too got no marshes around here to speak of i'm alraedy in the process of building another 200 colony traps so along with the 100 i've got even if i only get opening week i should be able to put up some deacent numbers

[robertw]

Don't worry,...you get your wish for a five dollar rat next year.

[dj88ryr]

nittanylion said:

I agree with Beav the theft will be on the upswing.

DJ, you may have had those little runs to yourself the past year or two this coming season you will trip over trappers and theft will be prevalent.

I have approached my water trapping the same way as my canine trapping, if I can't get exclusive permission, I pass it by, there are more than enough places up here, and all the places I already have are exclusive.

[foxtrapperwoman]

In my area, I would sooner get a red fox in my rat set than a rat. muskrat= squeezing water from a rock

I did actually get 5 or 6 muskrats on purpose! Blind sets, they wouldn't respond to the baited and lured sets. Rest of the pittance caught in beaver/otter traps

Maybe some of you with lots of rats could start a restocking program? LOL

BTW what did black rats sell for at NAFA?

Too bad groundhog fur is worthless, got more of those here than raccoons and possums put together.

[robertw]

Steph, I believe the black rats went for around $7.00.

[thebeav2]

I had one Blk rat $7.50 Graded cen fall gd.
I caught that rat in SC around Feb so much for grading.

Gary

[trappnman]

I think rats will drop next year- you read it first here.

[robertw]

Wait until the May sale and see what happens with the Beaver market! Whooee Buddy! There will be some large numbers of beaver there!

I see no way the beaver market will hold through the May sale next year.

[thorsmightyhammer]

Roberts right Steve there is quite abit of areas in ND and even NW MN that havent seen much pressure as of late.

Rat prices will be probably be down some compared to this sale. But like Robert said it should be 5 bucks.

What I averaged on this sale was to the point of obscene. We never got that much for em in the boom days.

[thebeav2]

Yep I predict a huge crash next year on all fur so i don't want to see any of you carpet bagger non residents coming to WI
to rape pillage and plunder my rat marshes.
Governor Doyle said He would send the National Guard to patrol our borders Instead of sending them to Mexico.
I'm hiring a bunch of Illegals this year to trap rats for me I will have them outfitted and camped on all water ways In WI. And if I have time I will be sending a crew to ND and MO Look out Robert were coming. LOl

Gary

[trappnman]

I can see it now- all the state hoppers putting their time/efforts into a perceived $12 rat market..then pointing out like one did "trappers sell their fur too cheap" when they don't get the unrealistic prices. Or from the same source "trappers got robbed".

Huh?

I undertand the disappointment- I sure understood the disappointment when I had 300 good coon and the market went to ZERO for 2 months.

But fur is a commodity and fur is a gamble.

Once again- low overhead equals more profit. As basic a business rule as you can have.

Sure, lots of rats in ND- been through lots of ND, lots of relatives live there. About...Oct 15, the ponds and marshes are freezing..so welcome to all that "easy" rat money.....

Same with up nort'. Anyone that tells me its easy money trapping rats through the ice, is telling stories.

[robertw]

Come on down Beav! Got an extra room for you!


Just don't come looking for muskrats...I doubt this county could have produced 500 muskrats last year if trapped every pond in the county....We were awful dry here. Most of our ponds still have not filled up yet.