I think it depends on the hut building materials, current speed, water depth, etc.
Most of the creek banks around here have fairly steep banks, with grassy vegetation along the bank tops. I don't see a lot of huts along the creeks, even in the slower current stretches like between beaver dams, etc. but do get mostly bank dug dens, shallow feed beds, etc.
The ponds are a different story, though. If there are plenty of reeds, cattails, etc. that make great hut building materials, then there will be plenty of huts built and fewer bank dens.
The ponds I trap though that have fewer of the tall vegetation like the cattails and reeds, the ones that only have some short grasses along the banks, don't seem to have many huts but do have a lot of bank dens and I seem to take just as many rats at these ponds.
I'm not an expert, but seems like the available hut building materials in the habitat drive the hut building more than anything.
Any one else observe similar behavior?
Jim-NE
