Author Topic: UPDATE! MUSKRATS K.O.d IN MY SHANTY! (Read 11109 times)

Barleydog · « **on:** Dec 03, 2005, 09:24 PM »

Well the darndest thing happened the other day. First, a muskrat made his appearance in the shanty. He popped up through my hole and I d**ned near kicked the oxygen habit!

After he scrambled for the water and I scrambled for the ice scoop, there remained little sign of him...... UNTIL TODAY!
Seems that he liked the shanty enough to make it his feeding station in all three holes. The picture attached is the mess he made on the ice under my access hatches. He (or she?

) crawled out of the hole and utilized the area below my shack as his or her personal feed bed, (or push-up for you trappers.) Wouldn't mind his or it's random appearances, but his or them, and they're mess has to go! SO WHAT WOULD YOU DO? -Barleydog

gair-z · « **Reply #1 on:** Dec 03, 2005, 09:31 PM »

One word. conibear. that'll fix his, her's, it's, 'em.

grumpymoe · « **Reply #2 on:** Dec 03, 2005, 09:33 PM »

Jim....funny you would post something identical that happened to me a number of years back......I know exactly what you are talking about....they sure wake you up in a hurry dont they.....same mess.....there's only one good thing I can say about the situation.......THEY WONT BE MOVING.......so you better......looks like you are fishing pretty shallow...lots to eat.....and nice holes to slide back under after getting some rare fresh air....the only bonus?

...you wont have to open any holes if you stick around the same spot.....Grump

bigredonice · « **Reply #3 on:** Dec 03, 2005, 10:52 PM »

Looks a little smokey in there...sure you weren't seeing things?

My suggestion would be to tie a camera around their neck, and train them to find fish for you

Really though, I would trap the 'rats out.

Redneck5 · « **Reply #4 on:** Dec 03, 2005, 11:19 PM »

I'll tell you what, you supply the wood and I will bring my own bait and sit in there all night and wait for them to come back

. This happened to the Alarm shop guy last year, it came right up the hole while he was sitting in the shanty . He said it scared the pudding out of him, I really think it was cheese curds and not pudding.

What about making sort of a man hole cover with 3 inch legs for your hole?

2 dogs · « **Reply #5 on:** Dec 04, 2005, 08:42 AM »

Grump is absolutely right. They have set you up as a feeding and air station and will continue to come back all season or until the food source near your shanty runs out. The best alternative is just to move.

buzzbomb · « **Reply #6 on:** Dec 04, 2005, 09:57 AM »

If you cover the hole as close as you can when you're not there so he can't get in he'll stop coming. We had one about 7-8 years ago that would come in and he stopped. When he'd come around he'd circle so the baitfish were darting in all directions and we could tell it was the muskrat coming. If we forgot to plug the hole there'd be all manner of vegetation laying around. I was always scared of catching him with my hook.

FishDaddy09 · « **Reply #7 on:** Dec 04, 2005, 11:01 AM »

A frind of mine had that happen a few years ago, he had a mexican guy from work with him it was his first time icefishing. He set the world record for exiting an ice shanty! LOL

buzzbomb · « **Reply #8 on:** Dec 04, 2005, 12:45 PM »

It's pretty disconcerting when they come out of the hole and you're sitting right there! Not something you expect to see.

transplantfromMN · « **Reply #9 on:** Dec 04, 2005, 03:55 PM »

why dont you just trap them? set a trap and check it each day. Traps are pretty cheap and you can rid them of your fishing hole.

buzzbomb · « **Reply #10 on:** Dec 04, 2005, 04:56 PM »

When he comes up just splash in the hole with your boot and he'll get the idea.

Hood · « **Reply #11 on:** Dec 04, 2005, 05:13 PM »

leave a mean old house cat in there..... for real, I trap a lot of rats in the spring and they establish feed piles (or pushups as mentioned) and will continue to use them. a 220 conibear trap will cover the hole great and take care of em quick....

Water Wolf · « **Reply #12 on:** Dec 04, 2005, 05:21 PM »

LOL, that's funny but not funny.

I have never heard of that but I can see it happening if muskrats are in your lake and you are near the bullrushes or there houses. I would first try as the others suggested, block him/her/them from entering. Just have to be sure your blocker don't freeze in. My second option would be to trap it using a coniebear. Good luck with the rat attack.

On a side note I saw one time in an outdoor magazine, a photo of a guy who caught a pike in his coniebear trap. He had it set in the rat runs but the old pike must also have know where to eat rats or trap minnows, and the pike got it.I never saw that before eather but interesting none the less.

WW

shrub · « **Reply #13 on:** Dec 04, 2005, 05:27 PM »

Quote from: Mac on Dec 04, 2005, 04:17 PM

Pellet gun??

Mac

.44 mag lol, i would be fun to shoot it with a pellet gun, ice fishing and hunting all in one what more could you ask for

iceonly · « **Reply #14 on:** Dec 04, 2005, 08:40 PM »

Hey guys,
Last year I was fishing a little pond in Winneconne, It was just cold as you know what. So there I was sitting in my scout, jigging for bluegill, watching my flasher, when up through my hole comes a large brown creature. I kicked it back down the hole while screaming like a little girl. The guys I was with thought I had caught my shanty on fire. Looking back on it, it was pretty funny, but at the time, it sure made the old heart beat.

coldbum · « **Reply #15 on:** Dec 04, 2005, 08:46 PM »

Quote from: gairz on Dec 03, 2005, 09:31 PM

One word. conibear. that'll fix his, her's, it's, 'em.

here here, i have to agree a 110 conibear will change the attitude of a muskrat real quick

Waubay Fisher · « **Reply #16 on:** Dec 04, 2005, 10:16 PM »

I can only imagine that if this were to happen to me, I would literally FREAK OUT!!! Seeing one in the openwater or whatever is one thing..... but flying outta your hole in a cooped up shanty is another! I'd freak out, then freak some more, after I was done freaking out a third time, I'd likely freak out a fourth or fifth time before passing out or slugging down a relaxing and refreshing beer!!!

-WF.

bear · « **Reply #17 on:** Dec 05, 2005, 06:03 AM »

Shoot it. 8)

majormaj · « **Reply #18 on:** Dec 05, 2005, 12:24 PM »

Quote from: shrub on Dec 04, 2005, 05:27 PM

.44 mag lol, i would be fun to shoot it with a pellet gun, ice fishing and hunting all in one what more could you ask for

as Jimmie Walker would say....."Dynomite!"

Sax_ · « **Reply #19 on:** Dec 05, 2005, 12:34 PM »

put him on a hook and use him for pike bait

ice dawg · « **Reply #20 on:** Dec 05, 2005, 03:30 PM »

EAT MORE MUSKRAT!!!!!

madporider · « **Reply #21 on:** Dec 05, 2005, 04:23 PM »

i had the same thing 2 years ago and my niece was fishing in my shack when the darn thing came up the hole scared the sh!t out of her. I was fishing in about 5' of water I tried rake out most of the weeds under my shack with a pole with a small rake end on it but it didnt help i eventually moved. Another guy in the same area had it begin to happen to him also the rat would trip his tipups by coming up those holes to get a breath of air. He said he had a cpl cases of beer one night and waited for the critter sure enough the muskrat poked hi head into the shck and cracked with a piece of firewood. The muskrat didnt die and the guy ended up moving also. I havent been in that area for the past 2 yrs and havent had a problem but i know that the muskrat moved two shacks out of his area.

Barleydog · « **Reply #22 on:** Dec 05, 2005, 09:04 PM »

Some pretty funny stories!!

Dynomite, 44 mags, etc... It's good to see the majority call for the rat's head.

I'm setting some traps this week, and "hopefully" by the weekend, the rat or rats will cease to use my shack as a feeding post. Couple o' 110 conibears ought to do it eh? Good first trapping lesson for the kids. I'll save you the meat Icedawg!

jacksmelt71 · « **Reply #23 on:** Dec 05, 2005, 09:11 PM »

my uncle wacked a otter with a .410 when he kept getting in his shack and eating his bait. made one hell of a mess though! lol!

Barleydog · « **Reply #24 on:** Dec 08, 2005, 12:56 AM »

Well the deed is done! Decided to fish after work and lay out a couple traps in the shack. Opened the shanty door, and lifted the hole boards to find a fat little muskrat staring up at me. He bolted for a hole he kept open, so I decided to fish a couple hours..... The hours passed and the rat didn't come back. I set the traps and readied them in the hole, when UP COMES A RAT RIGHT IN THE HOLE I'M SETTING THE TRAP IN! Hey, it was my lucky day. I dispatched him with the ice spud, and prepared the traps again... Well DEJA VU! ANOTHER RAT! This time he's to quick for me and bolts back into the depths. So I wait a minute, feeling like one of those PBS polar bears on a seal hole. He makes the wrong move and comes up again. Like his compadra, he, (or she) is dispatched humanly with a blow from the spud. Muskrats - 0 Fat guy - 2 Didn't think I'd get them this way, but what the heck! I still layed 3 sets in the holes.... Probably a nest of them under my shack. A regular muskrat commune eh?

TGF · « **Reply #25 on:** Dec 08, 2005, 01:05 AM »

Well there is more than one way to skin a rat heh BD. Good work

rob-s · « **Reply #26 on:** Dec 08, 2005, 02:07 AM »

Slop · « **Reply #27 on:** Dec 08, 2005, 03:50 AM »

Thats too funny!....at least you didn't get skunked

Hood · « **Reply #28 on:** Dec 08, 2005, 06:49 AM »

Awesome B-dog, maybe another one or two in the traps when u go back

........dont forget to flesh out your pelts and get em on the stretcher

killitandgrillit · « **Reply #29 on:** Dec 08, 2005, 06:51 AM »

Too funny. Glad you nailed 'em!

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Author Topic: UPDATE! MUSKRATS K.O.d IN MY SHANTY! (Read 11109 times)

grumpymoe