# Man i love colony traps!!!



## Wiggler (Dec 23, 2000)

Sparky23 said:


> if you get much rain or snow and you arent staking them make sure and pull them, I lost 13 in one drainage a few years back to hi water, actually found like 3 after it went back down. I think the biggest size is 8" by 35 now. I have a nuisance permit and i can use bigger ones, you should see how well culvert colony's work, build it to the size f the colvery and slide it in, anything coming throgh done


i also have a ADC license, but didnt realize we could make up any size we wanted?


----------



## timberdoodle528 (Nov 25, 2003)

I'm going to try my hand at trapping some pesky rats this weekend. Thanks for sharing your pics, I'm anxious to catch some now.


----------



## Wiggler (Dec 23, 2000)

timberdoodle528 said:


> I'm going to try my hand at trapping some pesky rats this weekend. Thanks for sharing your pics, I'm anxious to catch some now.


ummm will you post more often please...  good luck to you..


----------



## Sparky23 (Aug 15, 2007)

nice wiggler And yea you can. You can also stack them with out a license, we have bundled them before to cover a lage run, so that cold take cae of the 3 ft. They normally seem to either be in the middle or edegs though, if on the surface in the midlle. I had a special made culvert trap with 11 rats one time, pretty cool sigh, out of season wich sucked but still cool. Again i was licensed


----------



## GERRYE (Dec 18, 2006)

Fur-minator said:


> I've never used a colony trap before so I have a couple questions.
> 
> Do you use bait inside them? I hear people talk about using them in runs. If so what keeps the rats from going around it?
> 
> Also where do you get them? I have a place that might be perfect for one.


FM If you are up for a little project all you need to do is pick up some of the fence material from TSC, Home Depot, Lowes, or the local hardware store. The most common material you will find is 1/2" x 1" x 24". I am looking for 1x1 material but can not find any. With the new regs we can use colony traps up to 8x8x36" but I still favor my 6x6x24" traps, they just seem to fit better in front of a rat hole. Next you will need some wire cutters and a little imagination. The first year they will look all shiney you wouldnt think you could catch anything in them but you will by the next year they will look dull. Hope this helped adn good luck.


----------



## Mister ED (Apr 3, 2006)

GERRYE said:


> FM If you are up for a little project all you need to do is pick up some of the fence material from TSC, Home Depot, Lowes, or the local hardware store. The most common material you will find is 1/2" x 1" x 24". I am looking for 1x1 material but can not find any. With the new regs we can use colony traps up to 8x8x36" but I still favor my 6x6x24" traps, they just seem to fit better in front of a rat hole. Next you will need some wire cutters and a little imagination. The first year they will look all shiney you wouldnt think you could catch anything in them but you will by the next year they will look dull. Hope this helped adn good luck.


 Probably the most economical would be the 1"x2". I know TSC carries it by the foot (along with some other dimensions).


----------



## Beaverhunter2 (Jan 22, 2005)

Wiggler said:


> *well here im thinking i would catch a ton of rats today. and i only ended up with 3. but there is a ton of snow here, maybe that slowed them down. i saw 4 different rats while i was repositioning some traps. if i only had a BB gun with me... :help: *


Wig, Just so you know, unless you have a permit from the DNR, shooting muskrats is illegal (even if they are in a trap). See Page 19 of the Hunting and Trapping Guide.

And the ADC license only allows you to use colony traps larger than 8"x8"x36" on locations you are performing damage control (i.e. no state land). Stacking, however, can be used anywhere! 

John


----------



## Wiggler (Dec 23, 2000)

*President John... I dont know what we would do without you..:evilsmile*


----------



## Wizard3686 (Aug 30, 2005)

Nice Job Wig i have a couple places i may try mine at again after the ice comes. I guess we will see what happens. If i dont get them this year then that will only mean there will be more for me next season right? Lol well atleast that is what i keep telling my self.


----------



## Crowhunter (Aug 27, 2005)

Do you think you can trap out a spot with this kind of trap .Bud


----------



## Joe R. (Jan 9, 2002)

Pretty hard to trap rats out completely. Water levels will have a bigger impact on your catch then your catch itself will. I've trapped some of the same ditches for close to 20 years. Trap them until the catch is non-exsistent. Hit them the next year and the catch remains pretty consistent. There will always be rats that you wont catch and other migrating in from other waterways or farther down the creek.

Joe


----------



## Wiggler (Dec 23, 2000)

*well i thought i trapped every rat out of that little creek last year. i took 37 off this 120 yard ditch/creek. i went for 3 days with nothing and figured i took out 99% of them not 98%!!:yikes: i went back in there this year and so far im at 28 and still catching 3-5 a day. wish the farmer would let me set a couple fox traps.. but he has dogs. had 2 fox walk right down my trail following the creek this morning. oh well... and these are all nice rats.. nothing small. man i love those things..:evilsmile*


----------



## Wiggler (Dec 23, 2000)

got 4 more this morning and had one colony trap with the door pushed out!:SHOCKED: must have been a monster muskrat.. bionic? thats twice now ive had the doors pushed out on a colony trap.. i was gonna pull everything today with the "up to 4 feet of snow predicted" , but i should still be able to run them one more day.. this could be the big movement before the storm hits.


----------



## timberdoodle528 (Nov 25, 2003)

I have a creek that runs through our woods. I wonder if it holds rats. What do you look for? I'd love to try to use colony traps. Sounds like you're doing great with them.


----------



## Mister ED (Apr 3, 2006)

Megan - If I remember right you had runs coming out of holes in your pond? That would be a good place for a colony trap.

What is the creek like? Does it empty into or come out of the pond? How fast, deep, wide is the water? What is the bank like?

May be a good place for some 110's and Bottom Edge sets for rats & mink.


----------



## timberdoodle528 (Nov 25, 2003)

The creek is completely seperate from our pond. It runs the whole length (or width, I should say) of our property. It empties into the Flint River, but that's off our land. It gets pretty deep in some areas. It's only fast when there's been a substantial amount of rain, there's almost always water in it, and it varies from I'd guess 4 ft deep to 1' ... Width varies too. I'd say 3' to 12'. The banks are high in some parts (maybe 4 foot), and just a gradual slope in others.


----------



## Sparky23 (Aug 15, 2007)

I should be pretty easy to see runs if they are there, and even if there isnt alot of rats there will be a few. Just look for holes on the banks, undercuts with sand in front of them, stuff like that. Make a couple bottum esge sets and you may get a mink or a rat.


----------



## timberdoodle528 (Nov 25, 2003)

Edge sets? Forgive me - can you explain how and with what? Would that be like a pocket set?


----------



## Wiggler (Dec 23, 2000)

the edge sets im using megan are are creek corners. usually the outside edge where the current runs against the bank. if you can find a straight down bank on a corner in the creek, you set a 110 coni right up tight to the bank on that edge. mink and rats swim on the bottom right along side of the bank. ive taking a few in this creek with those, but im just using them for something else do throw at them other than those colony traps. i need to do a little work sometimes on the line... :lol: so far.. 34 rats.. , 2 mink, bunch of stinkers... some fox. having fun is what its all about.


----------



## Rustyaxecamp (Mar 1, 2005)

timberdoodle528 said:


> Edge sets? Forgive me - can you explain how and with what? Would that be like a pocket set?


http://www.michigan-sportsman.com/forum/showthread.php?t=196464

Basically when a critter swims underwater they hug one of the banks (along the bottom). Set a bodygrip style trap so they swim through it.


----------

