Keeping Muskrats Out Of My Boat. 2024
CWB reply :
I keep my boat in the water during the open water season. When I went to take it out for the last time, I uncovered it and noticed weeds and pieces of carpeting sticking out from the cover. After uncovering the boat I saw the bast@@d jump into the water. I tried to get him and wring his neck but he got away. The damage was devastating. Large sections of the carpeting were chewed up and nearly every wire he could get at was chewed on. The trolling motor is ruined an both transducer cables were chewed through. This all happened in one week as I was there the week prior. Question is how do you keep these things from getting in the boat. He got in under the cover at the transom. I did some research and it does not appear anything repels them, not mothballs as I know some will recommend. Anyone had this problem and find a solution. Thank God this is covered by ins.
Goose21 reply :
d**n youre bells are way bigger than mine. I would have wet my droors if I saw a muskrat in the boat after taking the cover off.
Glenn reply :
#1 Get a better cover
#2 Get a pet cougar
CWB reply :
I like #2 better. I have a feeling this was because the water was so low. Boat is usually in 4-5 feet of water but was in about 1 foot at the end of the year. I did notice more than usual swimming around later in the year. Usually you see them near dusk. Cover was fine till he chewed a little hole in it. I will be investing in a high powered air gun or get a silencer for my 22. He started a war but I will prevail!
aavery2 reply :
I hear they are allergic to lead... if you get my meaning.
wnybassman reply :
slonezp reply :
http://youtu.be/KgCk3bnvO5Y
slonezp reply :
I'd still try to get rid of it. He'll be back in the spring and if it smells his phermones in the boat you're screwed
scaleface reply :
Muskrat fun for everyone.
Sorry about your boat. Is it insured?
edited: sorry, your last sentence said it was insured.
CWB reply :
Yep, it's insured. Only positive is it happened at the end of the season. I wanted a Maxxum trolling motor anyway. Slone, your video doesn't work. Could be me as I'm on the wifes I-Pad. Loud and clear on the lead. This is now personal. Remember Caddyshack with the gopher? You can bet I'll be on the dock at dusk with air rifle in hand. Hope to send as many of them to meet their maker as possible. Still haven't found any prevention for the though.
slonezp reply :
Best info I could find is animal traps baited with apples and peanut butter. They also are detered by coyote urine, cayenne pepper and garlic pepper. Maybe you could put a few tupperware filled with pepper in the boat, and poke some holes in them. Trying to get a urine sample from a coyote might be difficult. Otherwise aerating the water and getting rid of the vegetation they feed on, but I'm not sure how feasible that would be..
Michael DiNardo reply :
Better be careful before you go on a random "muskrat extermination spree". They are a furbearer and may fall under game laws. You may not be allowed to just kill them like flies.
Mike
Ratherbfishing reply :
It stinks about your boat (glad you have insurance) but it is their home waters after all. You may have to trailer and bring your boat home every so often. The longer it sits in one place, the more likely it is that a critter is going to become accustomed to it and take up residence.
Bluebasser86 reply :
On 11/15/2012 at 1:57 AM, Michael DiNardo said:Better be careful before you go on a random "muskrat extermination spree". They are a furbearer and may fall under game laws. You may not be allowed to just kill them like flies.
Mike
Unless they're a nuisance animal doing damage to personal property.
I see a few options other than killing them though (I do understand the desire to kill the thing though, I know I'd want to if it did that to my boat!) You may be able to use chicken wire or rubberized mesh fencing around the dock or boat area. I would think a boat lift would keep your boat high enough to keep them out. Might be able to build something that would work similar to the wire guards on bird feeder posts to keep squirrels out along the edge of your boat. Taking your boat out of the water each time would also fix the problem. I did a little research and one of the more interesting ones I found was to use bubble gum. Apparently they love to eat gum but can't digest it and it blocks their digestive system and kills them? Might be worth a try anyways.
If you decide to take the extermination route the air gun would probably be the safest way, a .22 bullet will skip a long ways off the water. I've taken out my fair share of them that were destroying a pond dam with my bow too.
CWB reply :
Some pix of thje damage:
Dwight Hottle reply :
Ken after seeing those pics I can well understand your frustration. Hope you get that guy one way or the other.
RyneB reply :
this would help. Might cause some collateral damage though
CWB reply :
On 11/18/2012 at 12:17 PM, RyneB said:this would help. Might cause some collateral damage though
Can you get a silencer for that?
slonezp reply :
On 11/19/2012 at 12:07 AM, CWB said:Can you get a silencer for that?
How much money you got? 
RyneB reply :
you can get one, it will cost you a lot and there really is no way of silencing it. Just taming it. Ammo isnt cheap either. By the time you buy the gun, silencer, .50 cal rounds, you have more invested in muskrat extermination than you do what the boats worth. But you would have the most bad**** muskrat killer in your neighborhood.
Brian Needham reply :
get you the trap pictured.........bait with apples or lettuce.
I battle these critters on the golf course every day all day, trapping works to thin out the herd but you never can get all of them. I have trapped over 100 in a week.
right now is PRIMETIME, muskrattin' !
CWB reply :
On 11/19/2012 at 7:49 AM, RyneB said:you can get one, it will cost you a lot and there really is no way of silencing it. Just taming it. Ammo isnt cheap either. By the time you buy the gun, silencer, .50 cal rounds, you have more invested in muskrat extermination than you do what the boats worth. But you would have the most bad**** muskrat killer in your neighborhood.
I could just mount it on the bow and drive around like in Apocalypse Now. "Lance- Get on the 50!"
Now we're talkin'
slonezp reply :
LOL this should do it
http://youtu.be/dSp7CipN1pw
Long Mike reply :
On 11/20/2012 at 8:55 AM, slonezp said:LOL this should do it
You're going to need a bigger boat.
Fishing Cowgirl reply :
That looks like a cross between Caddy Shack and Apocalypse Now..
I've used a product called "Fresh Cab". It's main ingredient is Balsam Fir oil and smells a little astringent, but not terrible, but apparently rodents don't like the odor. It's been keeping these huge rats out of my house and the boat. Especially when we had lots of rain and they were looking for the "high and dry".
TomB reply :
You may want to use the same strategy that keeps Canada Geese away: make the chewed parts bitter. A product called Goose Chase repellent worked well for me years ago. It's made from the seeds of grapes so it imparts a nasty taste with no toxicity. About 100 bucks a gallon but goes a long way and you could split the cost with others. You could spray parts and discourage feeding so they move on.
European countries have a big problem with Martins chewing up car engine parts and they spray on bad tasting repellents.
Fishing Rhino reply :
Check with an "animal control officer". They are licensed to remove pests, be they racoons, squirrels, ducks, geese or any other nuisance or destructive animals from your property. They should also know what will repel the critters, be it a scent, a sound or whatever.
CWB reply :
On 11/28/2012 at 9:14 AM, Fishing Rhino said:Check with an "animal control officer". They are licensed to remove pests, be they racoons, squirrels, ducks, geese or any other nuisance or destructive animals from your property. They should also know what will repel the critters, be it a scent, a sound or whatever.
My first action was to call county pest control. They recommended a few things but said there was nothing they knew of that was 100%. Fox urine was supposed to be the most reliable repellant but that ain't happening. Next step is mounting a 50 cal. on the dock. This only seems to happen in the fall when the varmints are looking for a place to winter. A rat rap baited with apple pieces will be going in the splashwell on each side of the motor and I got the bosses blessing to get a lift. Cranking it up out of the water will keep the buggers out and keep the hull clean as well.
Brian Needham reply :
I dont think a rat trap will be big enough.
lift might be the best option you have, until they learn to climb the dock poles. IDK, if muskrats climb or not but they have to claws to.
for the most part animal control offices are worthless in my experience.
I trap at least once a year on the golf course, muskrat DESTROY pond banks when they tunnel.
good luck
Fishing Rhino reply :
Animal Control Officer is a bit of a misnomer, at least in Massachusetts. The title might make you think they serve in some official capacity for the state, but they don't.
It means they are licensed to deal with all manner of pests, be they squirrels in an attic, or racoons that are destroying farmers' crops. Bats in attics, rat and mice infestations are also things they deal with.
They are not much different from other professionals. Some are conscientious while others are only interested in their fee.
Trebleg1 reply :
I had damage on my boat from a muskrat. Will water rat poison work on a rat this size? I have some bait packages that are supposedly fish flavored:-)
BigAngus752 reply :
On 11/11/2012 at 11:02 AM, CWB said:I like #2 better. I have a feeling this was because the water was so low. Boat is usually in 4-5 feet of water but was in about 1 foot at the end of the year. I did notice more than usual swimming around later in the year. Usually you see them near dusk. Cover was fine till he chewed a little hole in it. I will be investing in a high powered air gun or get a silencer for my 22. He started a war but I will prevail!
You are absolutely correct with this assessment. Muskrats rarely spend time on land. If your water is that low it is doing two things:
1. Altering their behavior and patterns
2. It has uncovered the entrances to their dens.
Use #2 to your advantage. They are out more and more mobile because of the low water. You will have more opportunities to exterminate them quietly. I had a farmer come to me once and ask me to take care of a muskrat that had literally drained his pond to 1/3 of it's normal depth. It takes patience. Sitting very quietly and waiting. Dusk is prime time.
On 11/11/2012 at 11:02 AM, CWB said:
38 Super Fan reply :
On 7/31/2017 at 8:46 AM, BigAngus752 said:You are absolutely correct with this assessment. Muskrats rarely spend time on land. If your water is that low it is doing two things:
1. Altering their behavior and patterns
2. It has uncovered the entrances to their dens.
Use #2 to your advantage. They are out more and more mobile because of the low water. You will have more opportunities to exterminate them quietly. I had a farmer come to me once and ask me to take care of a muskrat that had literally drained his pond to 1/3 of it's normal depth. It takes patience. Sitting very quietly and waiting. Dusk is prime time.
Well, this thread is nearly 5 years old, hopefully he's come up with a solution by now. 
Turkey sandwich reply :
On 7/31/2017 at 1:37 PM, 38 Super Fan said:Well, this thread is nearly 5 years old, hopefully he's come up with a solution by now.
As the OP has not posted since 2015, I'm left to assume that he has not and has, in fact, been devoured by said muskrats.
tcbass reply :
On 11/19/2012 at 8:00 AM, Brian Needham said:get you the trap pictured.........bait with apples or lettuce.
I battle these critters on the golf course every day all day, trapping works to thin out the herd but you never can get all of them. I have trapped over 100 in a week.
right now is PRIMETIME, muskrattin' !
You use those traps in the water right?
related Bass Boats Canoes Kayaks topic
previous topic
most viewed Bass Boats Canoes Kayaks topic
© 2024 - fishing.qciss.net. All Rights Reserved.