How do you get rid of muskrats in a pond?
 

We have a small pond on our place (that we still haven't moved into yet) and we seem to be developing a muskrat problem. What is the best way to get rid of them. (so far they have been ignoring the eviction notices :help:)

What do you mean by "problem"?

Roasted Marsh Rabbit, mmmmm!

Trap em if you don't want to trap them you could call your department of wildlife or extension office for a local trapper. If the damage is severe, muskrats can be shot or trapped out of season provided a permit is obtained from the Department of Wildlife

I would suggest a 22lr

Put me in the group that's wondering what the problem is. Muskrats are pretty much harmless, and except for a short period in the spring when the last years young are kicked out of the nest, seldom venture far from the pond. They also help keep down excess vegetation.

Their digging can cause dams to collapse or ponds to leak and create holes that people or animals could break a leg in

It is a really small pond, and I don't want to have to deal with the problems that Bearfootfarm mentioned. They are also burrowing beneath the area we have planned to use as a garden.

Is it mowed all the up to the pond? if you have tall weeds growing around the pond thats what they are eating. Take away their food they may leave on their own.

Find you a Metal Barrel with a Lid you can remove,cut two Half Moons out of the lid leaving a strip down the middle.Find two Springs just strong enough to hold the Half Moon pieces up,fasten them on.Fill barrel half full of water in the pond to where the Barrel is just out of the water.put Corn in the middle.

The Muskrats will get up on it to feed,get on the Lid fall into the Barrel and drown.

big rockpile

Muskrats can do major damage to the banks and eroison. Our lawn slopes down to the pond's edge and I always worried about my husband tipping over into the pond when mowing if he should go down into an underground tunnel. I can tell you at the end of the year better but so far this spring I see no sign of them and what we did was to kill off the cattails which was their source of food and nesting material. Yes, we had to use an aquatic herbicide but to get rid of the critters was worth it. They may be a cute furry harmless critters to some people but they aren't risking a person's life over so each person's situation is different and has to be handled in what is best for you.

Exactly, they’re cute, right up until you have to deal with them. When you cave in a den with your tractor, the cuteness wears off real quick. IF your water level varies at all, they seem to be even more destructive as they increase their burrowing to keep above the water level.

I use 110 Conibears, 1-1.5 leg holds in drowning sets and a 12GA at night with a light. You’ll never get rid of them completely, but you can reduce the damage some. To me at least 110s are a little more of a PITA to set up, but are more effective on dens. Usually I can hammer them with the legholds for about a week, then they seem to wise up to the bait/attractant I’m using.

Chuck

Adopt a couple large snapping turtles?

"...a 12GA at night with a light..."

Mine are brave. Theye paddle around the pond in broad daylight with me standing at the edge of my tiny (110' x 75') pond.

If you are only dealing with a portion of the pond shoreline you could armor it with large rocks at least grapefruit sized. If you get rid of these more will show up if there is a food source in the form of cattails or water lilies.

Next time you see them jump into the water, light a stick of dynamite and toss it in after them. Should solve your problem.:grin::smiley-laughing013:

Seriously, trapping is the way to go.

I have had one muskrat in my marsh. Then we met face to face one day while I went to get carrots and he was eating some greenery I'd tossed to the side.

It was an uncomfortable moment for both of us. I told him he stank. He looked at me like I stank. He wandered off and found a new, and less human crowded, home. :)

Get an alligator.:rotfl:


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Jim I'm with you, get some muskrat traps and get em out of there..they are edible..i guess..although i've never eaten one..i'd probably just plant them in my garden spot.

A 110 conibear trap over the hole to his house does a quick job. They have nice fur when prime (in the winter), but I kill them all year because of the damage they do.

Trap them and eat them... Big business around here, we have a local restaurant that serves them every Thur nite $15. all you can eat. I am going toi a muskrat dinner this Sat. If you dont want to do it find a trapper in your area.. Here the hides are $5.00 and the meats $2.50 for each muskrat......

I've eaten plenty of muskrats. There real good!

I find that they make real good 22lr practice.

If you have fish the very worst thing you can have in your Pond is an Otter.They kill fish just for fun.

Muskrat and Beaver are good but watch how you cook them they are Lean.

big rockpile

Talk to the wildlife officers..and as another poster said they can give you names of local trappers...most will charge...or get a permit and use the Barrel Trap..be sure to use boards or saplings for them to gain access to the top for the bait..you can use a wooden barrel and butcher paper stretched over the top as well...I have used carrots as a bait seemed to be the best imo....you may catch them all in one night.

As I read your post I cannot help but wonder why you will be moving into a pond. As for the muskrats, I think that I would leave them in the pond and I would move into the house.

we have a few in our mud hole they have not cause to much problem but like its been said to each thier own, though I would wait till they put the winter coats back on rats where high at fur autions this year.

if you really want to wipe them out and if its legal look into colony traps they are a lot simpler to use then the connies and pretty cheap to make to. a nice size colony trap will
hold 5 to 10 rats depending on size and will catch all it can hold in one setting. as opposed to a connie snapping one.

Marsh Hare meat. Good!!

I worked in a restaurant that had a good sized pond next to it. One day, we opened up the kitchen door to let in some air, and a muskrat walked in. We didn't see him actually walk in, but somehow he made it in to the dining area. He caused quite a bit of excitement.

Noriega them: play the Musak version of "Muskrat Love" continuously at top volume.

That would be enough to get the muskrats shooting back :pound: