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Joined: Jul 2013
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Can anything be done to prevent these guys from digging holes behind lake walls other than either shooting them or trapping them? I feel like we are all having to put concrete mix in muskrat holes all along the walls on our 22 acre pond.
Right now we have the lake down 4'-6' to work on walls and docks and you can see holes in the bottom of walls where they have come in from the bottom to get in the yard. There's probably not enough cement in town to fill them all in (just kidding but you know what I mean).
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Rip-rap will discourage their tunneling.
"Forget pounds and ounces, I'm figuring displacement!"
If we accept that: MBG(+)FGSF(=)HBG(F1) And we surmise that: BG(>)HBG(F1) while GSF(<)HBG(F1) Would it hold true that: HBG(F1)(+)AM500(x)q.d.(=)1.5lbGRWT? PB answer: It depends.
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Lunker
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Lunker
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Chairman, Pond Boss Legacy award; Moderator; field correspondent Lunker
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If you can reduce or eliminate their preferred forage source [cattails] you can thin their numbers as they won't be able to support a dense population and will head for greener pastures. Dense cattails can support a lot of skrats.
Many men go fishing all of their lives without knowing that it is not fish they are after. ~ Henry David Thoreau
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How about Esshup at the pond for a day? TJ, didn't he kill all your muskrats with a hand gun?
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Moderator Ambassador Field Correspondent Hall of Fame 2014 Lunker
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Uh, that was Rainman/Rex.
Only issue is that the muskrats have to be white, or PVC-ish, in color.
Excerpt from Robert Crais' "The Monkey's Raincoat:" "She took another microscopic bite of her sandwich, then pushed it away. Maybe she absorbed nutrients from her surroundings."
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Joined: Oct 2013
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Joined: Oct 2013
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I've never tried this ----- so it is just an idea.
Get a small engine like a lawnmower engine. Hook up some metal flex tubing and run the exhaust up the hole. Fill the gas tank and put just a pinch of 2 cycle oil in the gas tank. Maybe a 300-1 ratio (chanisaw normally 40 or 50 to one)Run the engine exhaust into the tunnel for a while with engine running at full throttle.
Maybe the carbon monoxide will do them in. Or at least chase them out.
Car or pickup exhaust might work too. Don't put oil in gas though. Garages use exhaust flex hose to pipe exhaust out of the mechanics buildings, so should be available. Use gloves - don't burn yourself on the pipe.
Probably something illegal about it though. Almost everything is any more.
Last edited by snrub; 01/23/15 01:38 PM.
John
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Rip-rap will discourage their tunneling. What size rip rap should be used?
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Joined: Jan 2008
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Chairman, Pond Boss Legacy award; Moderator; field correspondent Lunker
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Ah yes, PVC rats...they're all over at my place.
Many men go fishing all of their lives without knowing that it is not fish they are after. ~ Henry David Thoreau
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Another way rats are kept out is to bury chainlink fence in dam.
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Uh, that was Rainman/Rex.
Only issue is that the muskrats have to be white, or PVC-ish, in color. HaHa...My bad...Sorry Scott!
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Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 13,750 Likes: 295
Moderator Ambassador Field Correspondent Hall of Fame 2014 Lunker
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Moderator Ambassador Field Correspondent Hall of Fame 2014 Lunker
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 13,750 Likes: 295 |
I've never tried this ----- so it is just an idea.
Get a small engine like a lawnmower engine. Hook up some metal flex tubing and run the exhaust up the hole. Fill the gas tank and put just a pinch of 2 cycle oil in the gas tank. Maybe a 300-1 ratio (chanisaw normally 40 or 50 to one)Run the engine exhaust into the tunnel for a while with engine running at full throttle.
Maybe the carbon monoxide will do them in. Or at least chase them out.
Car or pickup exhaust might work too. Don't put oil in gas though. Garages use exhaust flex hose to pipe exhaust out of the mechanics buildings, so should be available. Use gloves - don't burn yourself on the pipe.
Probably something illegal about it though. Almost everything is any more. Ah yes...a Green solution....
Excerpt from Robert Crais' "The Monkey's Raincoat:" "She took another microscopic bite of her sandwich, then pushed it away. Maybe she absorbed nutrients from her surroundings."
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Joined: Dec 2014
Posts: 557
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Joined: Dec 2014
Posts: 557 |
You will need to trap or kill them if you want to remove them. Check local laws. If you enjoy shooting they are active at dusk and into the night.
And while trapping process is ongoing, remove or severely reduce their forage.
You can also place coyote piss or garlic pepper here and there around your pond to deter them. This works with mixed results.
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Rip-rap will discourage their tunneling. What size rip rap should be used? You've stumped me. when I order rip/rap they never give me a choice as to sizes? To me, rip/rap is pretty large, with chunks 6-9" long or so. Just to clarify, are you wanting to remove existing 'rats, or prevent a new population from showing up? The reason I ask is due to you saying your water levels have been dropped. Muskrats will sometimes leave on their own accord when the water gets low and uncovers their runs and dens. Are you still seeing fresh sign?
"Forget pounds and ounces, I'm figuring displacement!"
If we accept that: MBG(+)FGSF(=)HBG(F1) And we surmise that: BG(>)HBG(F1) while GSF(<)HBG(F1) Would it hold true that: HBG(F1)(+)AM500(x)q.d.(=)1.5lbGRWT? PB answer: It depends.
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Joined: Jul 2013
Posts: 23
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OP
Joined: Jul 2013
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I have seen a few paw prints but I am not convinced they are muskrats.
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Joined: Oct 2014
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Joined: Oct 2014
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Look for their runs in the water on the bottom. It will look like a shallow trench maybe 6 to 8 inches wide. They always seem to follow the same route. Just set a 110 conibear in the run. No need to try to hide it with anything. For some reason they won't swim around it. They just go right throu.
Be Brave Enough to Suck at Something New!
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Joined: Oct 2013
Posts: 6,088 Likes: 96
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Joined: Oct 2013
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They just go right throu. Only once. Unless you do like I do sometimes and forget to unlatch the safety lock.
John
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Joined: Oct 2014
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They just go right throu. Only once. Unless you do like I do sometimes and forget to unlatch the safety lock. Been there. done that! I used to check the traps at dusk, around midnight and again at dawn. A few times I had traps that just sat there or were knocked over. ...... on closer inspection....ah crap! Edit: Of course that is the same trap line I was running when I thought it was a good idea to cut across the ice instead of fighting the brush on the shore. Filled my waders clear full when I dropped thru! Cold walk to the truck!
Last edited by Bill D.; 01/23/15 10:29 PM.
Be Brave Enough to Suck at Something New!
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Ambassador Field Correspondent Hall of Fame Lunker
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Uh, that was Rainman/Rex.
Only issue is that the muskrats have to be white, or PVC-ish, in color. OUCH....that hurt!
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