# Warrning....! Muskrat genocide.......?



## Hardtop (Nov 24, 2004)

Has anyone else noticed the decline in rat populations.......! Both properties I own are completely vacant of muskrats, dens, huts, runs etc.. for decades we could trap a couple dozen rats in the ditch on our place in NW Ohio year after year, trapping never seemed to effect next years crop. This year and for the last couple years....not a one, and no sign of them ever being there. I suspect the growing population of coyotes...we hear them several times each week, and many tracks on field edges. I have tried to contact DOW to see if they are observing this state wide, because our place in Perry Co. is also void of them........anyone else seeing a decline.....? HT


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## Shaun69007 (Sep 2, 2009)

Father in Law has been ripping them up on Buckeye Lake so far this year


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## KingFisher89 (Feb 22, 2007)

I heard that the ditch rat population has almost disappeared due to the farm run off making the rats non sterile. I have heard this from numerous people also.


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## ldrjay (Apr 2, 2009)

It also has a lot to do with the lack of summer rains past couple years. Or so I read.

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## jiggineyes22 (Mar 4, 2008)

My rat spots have been good. My main swamp has the most this year I have seen yet. Ne ohio


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## ohiobuck (Apr 8, 2006)

My spots in northwest Ohio have no rats or very little and I've trapped these spots for about 25 years and never seen it like that 

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## hedhunter72 (Sep 16, 2012)

rats are hit or miss some spots are loaded others show no sign,i am getting more mink than past yrs and seeing more mink sign than I normally do


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## flash02 (Feb 14, 2011)

I agree the rat catches in my area in NW ohio are down too. Ditch clean outs have really hurt the rat population too


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## Shortdrift (Apr 5, 2004)

Neighbors lake was infested with them in the past and I couldn't find anyone to trap them. I have not seem any through the year.


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## bmiller (Apr 19, 2011)

Seems rats are down everywhere. One thing I've noticed is that they follow the rabbit cycle but its the other way around. When rabbits are up rats are down and vice versa. We've had a good year with rabbits so far down here. But can't catch a rat for nothin

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## flash02 (Feb 14, 2011)

well if anyone on here has a muskrat problem in NW ohio shoot me a pm and i will help you out.


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## Kenlow1 (Jul 14, 2012)

I used to trap rats and **** when I was young, just curious the price on rats, mink, and raccoon? Heard muskrats were going for as high as ten bucks for a large pelt? Male mink for twenty? Anyone have prices for what they sold @ this for this year?


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## flash02 (Feb 14, 2011)

it depends who your are selling to, but what i have heard is 10 to 12 for rats **** are down a little and mink are around 20


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## Tritonman (Jul 4, 2004)

Guess what the Ohio outdoor news had in it. The decline of the eastern muskrat and grey fox since 1979. The Dow said in a 2010 report that they documented a 75 percent decline since 1986. They cite that it could be parvovirus and raccoon distemper. Reported harvest data from hundred of thousandths to tens of thousands. My grandpa used to own part of the killbuck off 226 and there were huts everywhere. Now the only hut I see is in my own swamp. That's it. Last we caught 53 this year 44 so far. All ditches food on each side. Wow I wondered where all huts went to.


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