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Post by barnman73 on Aug 12, 2010 8:40:35 GMT -5
I have been asked this and I don't really know the answer.
What do muskrats eat? 90% of the time I am around them they are farm ponds not large bodies of moving water. I have not been in areas that have mounds or huge dens.
Right around the edge of ponds... not necessarily on the land but near places that I have agreed previously were muskrat runs and what I have always thought was muskrat 'sign'.
More specifically in banks I find holes about the size of a baseball and in lot's of circumstances they are FULL of opened mussell shells.
I would love a little clarity on this one.
Thanks! Barnman
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ohbuyer
Grinner Skinner
Top Lap Puppy
Posts: 309
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Post by ohbuyer on Aug 20, 2010 9:40:58 GMT -5
Muskrats do eat Mussells
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Post by backwoodsman on Aug 20, 2010 23:01:03 GMT -5
Yep on bigger waters that have mussels they are a favored food by rats, mink and coons. Frozen whole with the shell then thawed and crushed for fall trapping did work(illegal here now). If you try to use them check your regulations. Heres a pocket style set we used for a changeup. We'd dig a pocket set into the bank at the base of a tree etc and nail the crushed mussel to the rootwad at the back. This set stays baited a long time and is easy to run on a boat line.
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Post by huckleberry on Aug 21, 2010 16:38:59 GMT -5
hey backwoodsman...why is that ilegal here now? Only reason i can think of is that some mussels are protected now.
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Post by backwoodsman on Aug 21, 2010 23:08:27 GMT -5
Cant harvest mussels without a commercial musseling license now. Cant have any mussel meat or shells in possesion without such license. All incidental catchs have to be returned immediately to the water they were caught from. We use to shell alot years ago and they were awesome bait for cats and trapping(plus good money for the shells). I cant remember off the top of my head but the license now is around $500(?). Japanese etc like our mussels for man made pearl production. They take a thin slice of the shell and insert it in their mussels.
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Post by trapper7 on Aug 23, 2010 15:34:22 GMT -5
I don't doubt that rats, mink, & coon will eat mussels. But, otter love them big time. The lake I've got my cabin on has shells strewn all over the shore combined with otter tracks.
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Post by barnman73 on Aug 24, 2010 17:11:20 GMT -5
Thanks for the feedback corner I really appreciate it.
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Post by Sunshine on Oct 19, 2010 2:32:53 GMT -5
im late i know but yes they do. one of the places we trap has piles of empty shells where they set and eat them.
i didnt know that they ate them until i saw the piles of shells and a rat near em one day..
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