How to Catch a Muskrat

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Muskrats are rodents that are smaller in size compared to beavers although they have many of the characteristics of a beaver. For instance, they inhabit marshy areas and live in dens they build over running water. They are usually vegetarians but will also eat small animals when food sources are scarce. Muskrats are the most ubiquitous of countryside rodents because they are found in almost every part of the United States. They inhabit wet and swampy areas but and also tend to stay close to areas inhabited by human beings because of the ready access to available food supplies throughout the year.

Muskrats can become a big problem for the very reason that makes them so well spread around the country. They are an extremely adaptable animal and can adjust to any surroundings. They have not been found to be scavengers but they do invade gardens and farmland to plunder away at crops. If there is grazing pasture around you may find the area denuded in a few weeks by the large families of muskrat inhabiting the nearby area. Another problem is their ability to reproduce at a rapid rate. Although a muskrat lives only two to three years on average, a female muskrat may produce up to eighteen litters during its lifetime.

There is very little use in trying to ignore the pest or in thinking that it will lose interest in your garden over time. Muskrat are animals of habit and once they have learned that food is available around your garden they will persist in invading it time and time again until there is nothing left to eat in your garden. The problem becomes more serious because muskrat are nocturnal animals and will munch away around your garden while you are fast asleep.

The best way to catch a muskrat is to set up a trap. More traps are sold in the United States every year to catch muskrat more than any other furry animal. This is due to their presence in almost every part of the country and their large numbers. Another important reason is that muskrat are extremely easy to catch with the help of traps available on the market. This makes it unnecessary for people to resort to other ways of catching muskrats. Several traps and snares are available at the local store and you can make a selection depending on the size and habitat of the muskrat you want to catch.

The important thing to keep in mind when trying to catch a muskrat is that the trap should be set up around the habitat of the muskrat. There are several clues you can use to find the best spot for setting up your muskrat trap. The best place to set up a trap to catch a muskrat is at the entrance of the den. This is usually identifiable. Of all the dens that you can see around the habitat, the one currently in use by the muskrat is the one where the water is muddy at the entrance, indicating that the muskrat has been moving in and out recently.

The trap can be set by fixing the poles holding up the entrance of the trap into the ground and placing a bait such as a piece of fresh fruit or vegetable deep inside the pouch, making sure that it remains visible to the muskrat. As the muskrat enters the trap the trap door is let down and the muskrat is trapped inside. Check up on the trap regularly to release it as soon as possible. The trap can also be set along the paths created by muskrat as they travel along the waterways. You can also set up the trap over floating patches of grass or logs that muskrats use as feeding and toilet spots.

Less humane ways of catching a muskrat involve the use of leg traps and body traps. These traps are activated by spring mechanisms and can be laid below the ground and covered with earth to camouflage them. The unwitting muskrat is caught as the trap snaps about it. In extreme cases, some people have used toxic substances to poison muskrat and have even shot them with guns. These lethal and inhumane ways of catching muskrats are not advisable. It is a better idea to be able to catch the muskrat and relocate it to an environment where it has a chance to continue survival while not destructing your lawns and gardens. A wildlife expert could be able to help you in this task.

More in-detail how-to muskrat removal articles:

Information about muskrat trapping - analysis and methods for how to trap.
Information about how to kill a muskrat - with poison or other methods.
Information about how to keep muskrats away - prevention techniques.
Information about muskrat repellent - analysis of types and effectiveness.

This site is intended to provide information about how to catch a muskrat, so that you can make an informed decision if you need to deal with a muskrat problem. This site provides many muskrat capture articles and strategies, if you wish to attempt to solve the problem yourself. If you are unable to do so, which is likely with many cases of muskrat removal, please go to the home page and click the USA map, where I have wildlife removal experts listed in over 500 cites and towns, who can properly help you with your nuisance muskrat.

Click here to read more about how to get rid of muskrats.