Muskrat help

[jim]

I have never been a rat trapper. Don't have 110s got a ton of 1 1/2 coils how do I set them up on boards for under ice trapping?

Jim

[mustelameister]

Lots of different techniques out there, but this is what works for me. It's not real high percentage, but when the ice is thick and the bubble trails are not to be found, it will work. And it does work throughout the early to mid winter in the deeper huts, as there is a migration from the shallow huts that are getting froze out to the deeper huts.

Last year's pics:

Miss Ruby tells me which huts have 'rats in 'em. Good to have the poles about this distance away, since many runs are under roots and mud causing the 'rats to emerge feet away from the hut.



I like to cut a triangular hole allowing the pole to settle in the top corner. Cut the hole larger as it will "shrink" as time goes on. If I'm running them once or twice a week I like to lay a sheet of cardboard on top then cover with snow to keep from freezing too thick.



Chop through and raise the pole for a check. Here's what I like to see. These are finish nails.



Most of the time the 'rats are caught by one or both front feet. Sometimes by the head or by a hind foot.



Duke #1 1/2 coilspring. Bait is potato. Potato stays white under the ice and is a good attractant. That and the 'rats like to eat 'em. The trap is held onto the dried willow pole by two finish nails. Be sure you nip the heads off the nails so the trap spring levers don't hang up on the heads.

There's another nail above the nail holding the top lever. I bait both. Then I cut a small length of 16 ga wire and run that through a wedge of tater and wrap that around the trap just above the pan. If they clean off the top two nails they'll get caught trying to get that wired on wedge.



Got a buddy who passed away recently who ran this set on the Mississippi River on deep huts only. This after all the other trappers left. He ran them daily and the percentages were quite high considering he could only run 40 traps a day.

He didn't screw around with bait. Just a green willow pole, smaller in diameter than this one, and he'd cut a slice into the pole. He'd slide the pole through the ring of a #1 jump trap, wire it to the pole, set the trap and wedge it into the slice in the pole.

The pole was sunk into the hole at about the same angle with the trap just at the bottom of the hole. He'd keep these holes open. His theory was the 'rat would see the open hole and green willow and come to the set for either one. This worked well for him unless there was beaver in the area.

Anyway, I wouldn't mess with the boards. The finish nails hold the #1 1/2 on just fine when you push the tops of the nails slightly towards the ends of the trap to lock it in place. Nipping the heads off allows the levers to slide back up the nails once the trap fires and then clears the nails fully.

[randysironworks]

Do you guys think a potato on the trigger wires of a 330 would work for beaver or on a 110 for the rats

[trappnman]

He didn't screw around with bait. Just a green willow pole, smaller in diameter than this one, and he'd cut a slice into the pole. He'd slide the pole through the ring of a #1 jump trap, wire it to the pole, set the trap and wedge it into the slice in the pole.



make sure above the slice, some 'white" wood is exposed on the willow for best results

[thebeav2]

160 on a pole Is a bit more effective In my opinion.

[mustelameister]

Yup, Steve, forgot to mention that. He'd roughen that bark up a bit above the trap exposing the white wood.

Beav, Jim said he's got excess of #1 1/2s. Get with the program.

[thorsmightyhammer]

Dec 15, 2011 8:18:00 GMT -6 @thebeav2 said:

160 on a pole Is a bit more effective In my opinion.

In my opinion its way easier to chop a hole in the house and sling in a 1.5 coil

[RdFx]

Yea Beav get with the program.....LOL.... and just for that you get to burn shitters this weekend!!!

[thebeav2]

Ya Rdfx.
Just saying If you never tried the trap In the slot method It's not as easy as It sounds. Every thing has to go just right and that hardly ever happens In the world of trapping.

I never tried it but I think you could just zip tie the trap to your board and not worry about It breaking free when a catch Is made. Do you think the rat would die before wring out?

The #9 wire around the pole Is a lot better system then the slot deal. And I have used them both.

[trappnman]

how can it be any harder than it sounds?

cut a green willow, strip bark off of it right above where trap will be set, cut a slice of bark 4-5 " long, slide a 1.5 ls into the slice, and angle it into the mud so trap is under ice. Spring goes down, trap is supported by pole

it IS simple

[RdFx]

Ive used the willow slot method and worked well for me. Im not familiar with the # 9 wire method Beav. Ill take over burning shitters for u if you explain it....LOL.... Semper Fi

[thebeav2]

No way you don't know the old Horicon wire method.
Wrap a piece of #9 wire around your pole and leave about 4" of wire sticking out on both ends. These two wire ends slide right Into the springs on a 1 1/2 coil spring trap. Fast and very effective.

[RdFx]

Whoa, that is easy, thanks. Im getting the diesel to dump in the cut off barrells.....

[jim]

Not having much luck getting any rats, caught one in an old beaver pond in a 1 1/2 with white paint on the pan. Have a guys one acre pond set up now, rats are living in the bank, only ones I got were in colony traps. The one I got today had company with him.




Have several 1 1/2s set up with potato on them-zilch. Maybe I should try some 200 northwoods I have a lot of them, I am eyeing a pond with three big houses on it don't think I will be able to get the colonys in the right place. Jim