muskrat colony traps

[seldom]

These are nice to see as well.

[mattduncan]

i like to see that too seldom i seem to catch a few mink every year in colonys also.On the bottom up against the side of a concrete box culvert seems to be a good location for them do you find a bigger amount of colonys with mink and rats in them or just mink?

[Kyle]

I made 13 colony traps this week. I bought a roll of cage, 36"x25'. I can't wait to use them.

[thebeav2]

I wish we could use them In WI.
Do you guys that use them have problems with trash plugging them up?

Gary

[pnwmtnmn]

Yes, I have. they will for the light. I've had them in the middle of the trap teeth clamped on the wire the doors free to work, Three is my best though.

[seldom]

Yes Beav the upstream door can get matted with leaves much like a BG. As with BG's, the later in the season you use them the less problem you have when the leaves are sodden and aren't tumbling in the current so much. In the mink pic you can see a few oak leaves hung up on the trap.

I was skeptical at first about multiple catches due to figuring a drown rat would block off or wedge the downstream door shut. Two things happen that seem to minimize this from happening. One is that the rats clamp their teeth in death to the top of the trap. Secondly, it appears the little weenies work to get into the trap rather then to swing around and leave if the door is partially blocked.

Beav, how would you have liked to have been under the hood in a visquene, tin-roof fab shanty sitting on the south side of a building that past couple of days eh?

[thebeav2]

Seldom
I can remember days like that but then I was young and dumb and full c*** Now when it gets like that I just sit In the AC
Do we know each other have our paths crossed ?

Gary

[seldom]

Nope, sorry to say, I don't think our paths have crossed unless you spent some time with the tools here in MI on a Dow project. I've visited a lot of shops across the US for Dow but I don't remember Dow doing any piping or vessel business in WI.

Prior to being promoted into Dow's Welding Engineering Dept, I spent 20+ years under the hood in the chemical manufacturing field (Dow).

I brought the shanty work up because I was sure you'd been there and done that as well. ;D ;D I was in that type of situation once when Dow's IH came out and setup a temperature monitor 5' in front of me and 5' behind me while doing a 6" stick weld. !30° in front of me and 125° behind me for the weld.

It's good for the kids to take their turn now while we both sit in the AC!

[thebeav2]

Been there done that just thought that you might have been there pimping for me.

Ya I remember working In a steam tunnel In August In full leathers I'm sure the temps were over 120 deg. When I came out Into the 80 deg temps I would break out with chills and could hardly keep my jaws from chattering.
Never worked In Mich or on any DOW projects. About 30 years under the hood though.

Gary

[Kyle]

I have a question about stacking colony traps. Just like in the FFG muskrat video, when Tom Miranda has colony traps stacked two high and two wide. There is a crick that I trapped beavers on this spring, and there is a little channel that goes to a pond near the crick. And I got two rats in it and no beavers. I want to stack colony traps in it, but was thinking that the rats may, hit the side of the trap and then try to go overtop. Anyone try this will ill effects?

[thorsmightyhammer]

Im sure the funnel type work well, and would have advantage of not plugging doors, and im sure they work well, but as far as attracting rats and drawing them in into it, say throw a 2' dia funnel into a 6' dia culvert and catch every rat that comes thro, doubt it.

Rich i have put 18" funnel traps in 3 foot culverts where the water was too deep to "fence" off the trap. Still worked good. Most I caught in one was 7 on a 48 hour run. Dont know if they are attracted to the hole or if they just swim down the center near the bottom of the culvert.

I prefer the funnel to the rectangle folding jobbers. Problem with the funnel ones is its hard to haul very many.

[shagnasty]

i would think the funnel ones would work well in marshes where noticeable leads are seen. i set 110s but may look into the funnels for the deep water leads in the main channel and use 110s and legbangers at the huts. a canoe is the way to go if running colony traps because several dozen could be set quickly. does anyone have any type of description how to bang out a couple dozen quickly, you know plans and specs?

[JWarren]

steven49er said:

Im sure the funnel type work well, and would have advantage of not plugging doors, and im sure they work well, but as far as attracting rats and drawing them in into it, say throw a 2' dia funnel into a 6' dia culvert and catch every rat that comes thro, doubt it.

Rich i have put 18" funnel traps in 3 foot culverts where the water was too deep to "fence" off the trap. Still worked good. Most I caught in one was 7 on a 48 hour run. Dont know if they are attracted to the hole or if they just swim down the center near the bottom of the culvert.

I prefer the funnel to the rectangle folding jobbers. Problem with the funnel ones is its hard to haul very many.

What are the dimensions of your traps? Also, what did you make the funnels parts out of, sheet metal or mesh?

[coyotewhisperer]

Some guy at the nta convention was selling those large funnel traps for muskrats. Was gonna get one then spaced it off his funnel was made out of sheets of hard black plastic.

Jeff

[Horn]

NAFA use to have a set of plans for the funnel type.

I would e-mail them

i have never seen the plans on the website but they had them in the past


www.nafa.ca

Mike