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Old 12-10-2012, 01:41 PM
Dr Death Dr Death is offline
 
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Default Rats?

According to the regs our rats are not prime til march, however, guys are taking them now and even in the fall. I know many of our coyotes are prime right until the end of Feb., however the same charts indicate they start to decrease primeness in early Jan. Not always accurate. The vast majority of muskrats are killed in the first year so it stand to reason that starting earlier should result in higher numbers. The ice is also thinner now. So the Question is should I be targetting them now? Are they worth significantly less now than March? Thanks for feedback.
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Old 12-10-2012, 02:09 PM
dugh dugh is offline
 
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Dr. D send a PM to G Godberson, he knows rats.
Doug
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Old 12-10-2012, 03:55 PM
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The Spruce The Spruce is offline
 
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I personally trap rats alot in mid to late October. They are not all prime rats, but very close. Trap the hard water one I can walk on the ice, but there is not alot of change in the pelts that I have ever noticed. As far as sale prices go, I have never been able to tell the difference. I have pretty much stopped with spring rats (ice out). They are always chewed up, seems a waste to take them. Hope that helps a bit.

Ermine-4
Muskrats-86
Beavers-15
Squirrels-1
Marten-1
Coyotes-2
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Old 12-10-2012, 05:03 PM
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Thunder Elk Hunter Thunder Elk Hunter is offline
 
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The problem with rats is that so many of them winter kill, so you are better off to take them in the fall and earliy winter. Then leave the late winter and spring ones as seed for next year.

TEH
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  #5  
Old 12-11-2012, 07:16 AM
G_Godberson G_Godberson is offline
 
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Default Timing

Well I guess I better reply on this one. Yes, the nicest rats are in March..pre breakup. They are absolutely beautiful in Feb, March and for the first few days of open water. That said, fall rats are plentiful, easy to take and get a very good price in the market we have been blessed with for the past few years. The "differential" has narrowed considerably - with the premium on prime rats vs fall/spring rats getting less all the time. For instance I had a collection of probably some of the nicest rats I have ever taken last March... They averaged around $9 for most, with the best held over by NAFA to be sold in the summer for over $11. I am guessing the weighted average would be about $9.50 or so. The chinese have basically changed everything, and dont seem as fussy as our traditional buyers (thank you!) Now, compare to the rats taken in late Oct/ early Nov (about 500) where I got just over $8 avg. Once again timing seems important with early sales pay a premium for rats as well. I used a food saver machine and vac packed the April rats, merged them with as many fall rats as I could scrape and put them on the Jan sales. We will see how that goes. There are about 800 apr rats and 600 fall. Still have more fall rats to put on Feb sale. So there you have it - really everything balances out primeness vs numbers. Dont be worried about the primeness charts unless you have only a few sloughs to trap - then you might want to wait until they are at there best. Economics, ie. making money in this business - dictates hitting fall rats hard (If you have the available locations) Hope this helps. By the way, the fall season was anything but a "fall season" this year. Last year was waders and open water into nov., this year was waders for one day in open water, then waders on ice, through ice, with horizontal blowing snow and misery through the last 10 days of October. Ha, one really needs to get a stiff upper lip and perservere when these cards are dealt to you!

992 Rats
9 Bvr
10 Ermine
40 Marten
1 Fisher
45 Coyote
7 Fox
Lynx Wolves - In progress, waiting for volounteers
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  #6  
Old 12-11-2012, 11:54 AM
Dr Death Dr Death is offline
 
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thanks for the replies and feed back. I do believe I will start trapping them now.
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