Muskrats ('Skrats); It's What's For Dinner

[Big Fin]

We took a few days earlier in March to address the muskrat population on a creek I often get invited to for late season duck hunts. The idea was to show another trapping series and then prepare them differently than we prepped them last time.

So, here is Day One, out setting a few traps and explaining the damage muskrats do to spring creeks.

 

[sbhooper]

Great! We decided to try some years back, as I had always heard that they were not bad to eat. The meat was pretty good, but I could not get past the fact that I was eating a swamp rat. Like Crocodile Dundee said, "Tastes like sh##, but you can live on it".

 

[mdhunter]

You can actually get them served at local restaurants on the Eastern Shore of Maryland...Can't say I have done it, but some people really like them.

 

[Schaaf]

 

[Gr8bawana]

And here I thought this is all muskrats were good for.

 

[Pucky Freak]

They are delectable

 

[JTHOMP]

If it tastes like nutria all of those would be going in the pot

@ 7:30 your reaction was a lot cleaner said than mine would've been in that cold weather!!

 

[LopeHunter]

And here I thought this is all muskrats were good for.

View attachment 103552

Hmmm, that does not look fresh with that slime coating. Gonna pass on cooking up that particular muskrat.

 

[Big Fin]

Day Two; first day of checking traps. Not a bad haul for 28 traps in tough conditions.

 

[elkrchr]

Keep up the good work Randy! Looks like a great way to spend a couple of cold days in MT.

 

[Hem]

Local Bozeman publication recently promoted fried gopher wings.
Really? Geez.
Waiting for someone to up the anty..how about a gumbo with muskrat,gopher, snake, turtle, skunk, ....

 

[Big Fin]

Day 3: On this second day of checking the traps I can see we are already cleaning up the local 'rats. If it was not frozen, there would be a lot of traveling rats and the catch rates would stay the same.

 

[Sask hunter]

Really enjoying the videos. Makes me miss rat trapping. I always found it fun for about 3 days before I got sick of skinning lol. I have some 330’s set on the creek waiting for the beavers to move. Have to catch some bear bait

 

[Oakley388]

Thanks for sharing these Big Fin. I've been spending a ton of time trying to learn about trapping and am heading to the trapper ed class this weekend to hopefully learn some more with the goal of starting up next winter.

 

[Tradewind]

Love the hat

 

[Big Fin]

Day 4: Due to a crazy calendar, it's time to pull these traps, finish with the skinning and butchering chores, then get these muskrat hams over to Marcus for tacos tomorrow.

 

[wyoelkfan15]

Been waiting a month for these to come out, I'm not sure why but I love the non-traditional content you guys produce. Don't get me wrong, a good elk hunt is fun to watch, but these videos are always awesome. Thanks!

 

[Big Fin]

Day 5: The catchin' is done. Now it's time for cleanin' and cookin'.

 

[bennirio]

Randy has just been added to the list of guys my wife would leave me for. It's a short list but it does exist. She loves his YouTube videos.

 

[MT.PERCHMAN]

That why the old time trappers were so tough !! Let's see ..hmm
Muskrat stew
Muskrat scampi
Muskrat tar-tar
Muskrat Gumbo
Muskrat Jerky...