Had a first ever for me trapping Muskrats. We knew it was going to be a bad serason with not much sign. Boy and I went out Monday and it was worse than I thought. We struggled to find a place to go with the 48 traps we got out. We had hope to get all 80 we are allowed out but there was just no way. Of the 48 we got out 8 were coon set the rest rat sets. So Tuesday check was the first time in my years of trapping that I got skunked. I've never set rat traps even if it was as few as 4 that I didn't have at least one rat the next day and at least on first night there set. So I got a 0 with 19 rat sets, did get 1 coon from my 6 Dps. My son Squeeked out 3 rats and one coon out of his 21 rat sets and 2 Dps. So it was no big surprise when we picked all the traps back up Wednesday that we each only had 1 rat. So two days 48 sets grand total 5 rats 2 coon. Normal year with same amount of traps (40) we would have probably 20 some rats the first night. Everyone we ran into and talked to was looking at empty traps. I talked to Fish & Wildlife folks and no one knows anything or seems to care about the low numbers. I almost feel guilty now that we killed the 5 rats we did. Next year we probably won't bother spending the $30.00 each for a permit to go on the river.
Mac
