austinp
#3 Newhouse
the next fur season is never far from our minds :)
Posts: 3,008
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Post by austinp on Feb 14, 2012 13:53:22 GMT -5
For all our brethren muskrat trappers out there in NYS and beyond, I hope you've had a fun-filled season to date. For some in the southern zone, our time with boots in the mud ends tomorrow. When I first gathered my traps in preparation for the season opener here last November, someone asked me how many rats I intended to catch. I picked the number "500" out of thin air, with a touch of educated guesswork sprinkled in. The ditch network that I usually pull 100ish rats from in my backyard was completely dredged from end to end last spring. Needless to say, it was not much for muskrat trapping this year. Maybe next year and onward, if they leave the backhoes out Much of the local stateland near me was drier than usual after this summer's drought, and got even worse as Canadaigua Lake was lowered past usual winter pool for some type of work this winter. That left anything which was normally shallow, bone dry. So I dug a little deeper, pushed into some remote stretches and fanned out my lines thru parts of Ontario, Livingston and Steuben counties. Distance was limited due to work commitments, which keeps me busy from 5am thru 11am weekdays. We had no ice to walk the hard-to-reach areas, but we did have much more open water than usual. I don't know in the end if that was better or worse, but it's in the history books now. If things fall into place and the weather cooperates, I'd like to spend a little time up north for the spring season ahead. I'm also in the pre-plan stages for a potential trip out of state next fall... but that's so early in the pre-plan phase, it isn't even a plan yet <lol> ** So whether you caught 5, 50, 500 or 5,000 muskrats... it makes no difference to anyone else at all. How many of our fellow east-coast trappers enjoyed this unusually open-water experience on their own lines to date? Attachments:
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Post by barrington on Feb 14, 2012 14:00:15 GMT -5
Thats a big muskrat take,I dont think theres 500 rats left in yates county. I miss the days when I could get a few hundred from the local swamp.
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austinp
#3 Newhouse
the next fur season is never far from our minds :)
Posts: 3,008
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Post by austinp on Feb 14, 2012 14:05:58 GMT -5
these are grassy river-bottom rats... most stretch 17" to 19" with one female so far breaking the 20" mark on standard wood. I think they would bottom-out on wire stretchers... had that happen many times before Attachments:
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Post by fuzztrapper on Feb 14, 2012 14:07:46 GMT -5
Had a great time trappin muskrats this year congrats on the great number
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austinp
#3 Newhouse
the next fur season is never far from our minds :)
Posts: 3,008
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Post by austinp on Feb 14, 2012 14:19:39 GMT -5
numbers are a personal thing... means nothing else to anyone else at all
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Post by Adkmarten on Feb 14, 2012 14:46:22 GMT -5
Awesome job
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Post by arrow1 on Feb 14, 2012 15:01:45 GMT -5
Very nice to see that kind of number. It's sad that the muskrat has become so hard to come by in numbers, when once they were so prolific every "puddle" held a few.
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Deleted
Deleted Member
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Post by Deleted on Feb 14, 2012 15:06:02 GMT -5
Congrats on a great season. I've only hear of people doing those kinds of numbers in the big swamps.
I was wondering if you "body slam" muskrats for dispatch like you do coyotes in your book, lol.
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austinp
#3 Newhouse
the next fur season is never far from our minds :)
Posts: 3,008
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Post by austinp on Feb 14, 2012 15:34:57 GMT -5
AJ... you have me confused with someone else per the coyote dispatch comment. That most certainly is not me. As for the rats? They all succomb quickly in various size bodygrip sets
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austinp
#3 Newhouse
the next fur season is never far from our minds :)
Posts: 3,008
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Post by austinp on Feb 14, 2012 15:36:13 GMT -5
arrow1... no kidding. Most trappers today cannot fathom the muskrats we used to have... back before the days of rampant dredging & draining of roadside flows
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Post by creekboy on Feb 14, 2012 15:36:55 GMT -5
Just pulling my canoe off the waterline. Been paddling and shaking rats out of #160s since sunrise. 42 ready for to skin & stretch later, while the SB game is on. A local auction brought $10.93 average on 2000+ rats yesterday. I've got a few hundred in the freezer with a week of season left to go. Makes my time enjoyed out on the marsh while the hapless fools in ES are circle-jerking for two ticks' profit all the more satisfying <lol> Cheers Austin
you really slammed them this week -what was your best day -200 in the last 7 days is a great effort
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austinp
#3 Newhouse
the next fur season is never far from our minds :)
Posts: 3,008
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Post by austinp on Feb 14, 2012 15:50:28 GMT -5
creekboy = alan claycomb, I had roughly 400 on SB Sunday. A few floats down the local riverbottoms and we added to the pile I'll be at the GVTA auction this Sunday with 302 + whatever might hit the remaining dozen sets still out. That coupled with 150 sold at the Dec auction and 50 kits = damaged culled for a friend to make FOXX USA products with and it's a season's wrap here. Can you make it up from southern PA to visit with us then? Look forward to seeing you there
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Post by mikespring on Feb 14, 2012 16:16:30 GMT -5
Spring=creek...on dobbins site..you posted that Austin..Did you think I was creekboy aka Alan Claycomb? Just so there isnt any confussion here, My name is Mike Spring.
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austinp
#3 Newhouse
the next fur season is never far from our minds :)
Posts: 3,008
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Post by austinp on Feb 14, 2012 16:32:59 GMT -5
Spring=creek...on dobbins site..you posted that Austin..Did you think I was creekboy aka Alan Claycomb? Just so there isnt any confussion here, My name is Mike Spring. Mike... I apologize sincerely and profusely for that slight. Truth is, it was actually the other poster who Claycomb pretends to be. If I ever get the chance to visit with you in person, softdrinks or coffee or beers are on me Austin
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austinp
#3 Newhouse
the next fur season is never far from our minds :)
Posts: 3,008
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Post by austinp on Feb 14, 2012 16:38:55 GMT -5
meanwhile, I sure do hope everyone else considers this thread for what it was truly meant: social visit amongst NY and any other states's active muskrat trappers. Numbers mean nothing to anyone but themselves. Pictures of anyone out getting it done AND having fun mean everything! On the final day afloat, I even got my "cameraman" Bill Hull to shake out some catches for me. He's a logger and stonemason... those #160 and #210 springs are just a pair of sewing shears handles to him <grin> Attachments:
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Feb 14, 2012 16:51:32 GMT -5
I wish they would close or shorten the season for the next 5 years.
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austinp
#3 Newhouse
the next fur season is never far from our minds :)
Posts: 3,008
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Post by austinp on Feb 14, 2012 16:54:30 GMT -5
I wish they would quit dredging every trickle of water down to bare mud, too. That would do more for rat numbers everywhere than anything else man is capable of
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Post by creekboy on Feb 14, 2012 17:31:17 GMT -5
please post my other screen name -we all would like to hear it -also i enjoy how your few hundred got adjust to a real number to keep the story in line - you called me out on the other site = well here i am -but most sites dont allow for cross polination -if you would like i could post the emails i sent to you -when your search for me began -let me know -again super effort on those triple fox catches that are as easy as muskrats -
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austinp
#3 Newhouse
the next fur season is never far from our minds :)
Posts: 3,008
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Post by austinp on Feb 14, 2012 17:34:27 GMT -5
Alan... any time you'd like to actually meet in person for the very first time and visit like two mature, adult men I'd be happy to oblige. If you have muskrat photos or stories to share, please feel free to join us here. If you can make the drive up on Sunday and watch the fur sales with a bunch of other trappers, we'd welcome you.
Other than that, what else is there to say?
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Post by creekboy on Feb 14, 2012 17:37:47 GMT -5
well for 1 =you claim i have another screen name and spent and entire evening trying to discredit all the work i have done for trappers out of my own pocket - so i would like to know the other screen name that i control-man up
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austinp
#3 Newhouse
the next fur season is never far from our minds :)
Posts: 3,008
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Post by austinp on Feb 14, 2012 17:50:52 GMT -5
Alan... this is a thread about trapping muskrats in NY or surrounding states, such as yours in PA. It is not the "Alan Claycomb Hour". So like I said, if you have something to share on-topic, please do so. Otherwise, kindly open another thread and discuss whatever else you like with whomever opts to join you there
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Post by creekboy on Feb 14, 2012 18:50:56 GMT -5
man up - you made a claim -now prove it -whats the other name - its not about my name or the alan claycomb hour - its about believing what you say for fact is real - you claimed two things in this post -your total and that i have another name i use - how could i or others believe your numbers if you cant even print my other name -yes you have seen the mothballs memo -but how you use them and how we use them are 2 different things--please help us understand your accusations
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Post by mikeb on Feb 14, 2012 19:31:18 GMT -5
Austin wow -that is a great accomplishment in these days where good rat spots are few and far between!!!!Still alot of work just to run that many trap -where do i sign up for a day job from 5-11 am!!!!!!thats alot of trappin time in the afternoon!!!See you at the auction-let my son know if you need a hand carring in all those rats!!!! Thanks Mike b
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austinp
#3 Newhouse
the next fur season is never far from our minds :)
Posts: 3,008
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Post by austinp on Feb 14, 2012 19:53:39 GMT -5
Mike... those black rats are awesome! Wish you'd have made that post & pics in here Got maybe 50 or so female carcasses (frozen) for Scott and 300+ rats to transfer. We'll get it done ourselves... your son will probably be busy with all the check-ins coming thru the door. See you at the table... and strongly consider keeping those rats to tan. You may never run into them again, it's been 20 years or so since I caught my last
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Deleted
Deleted Member
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Post by Deleted on Feb 14, 2012 20:25:40 GMT -5
Hey Austin, I'm fire fly guy from trapper man.
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