North American Muskrat Traditional Cache
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Difficulty:
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Terrain:
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Size: 
(small)
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I thought I would name some caches after some of the critters that you may spot out here on the trail. Some are more abundant than others. Keep your eyes open, you never know what you may sneak up on!
Muskrats are members of the rodent family with partially webbed hind feet and water-resistant fur that make them well suited for an aquatic life. They are typically 18 to 24 inches long with small front feet used for digging and feeding, and a long and narrow tail.
Muskrats cause problems when they burrow into pond banks and dams to make their dens. Pond banks can be damaged and dams can be weakened when their tunnels and dens collapse. You can identify the presence of muskrats by trails or “runs” they make through aquatic vegetation, freshly cut cattails floating on the water’s surface, or large piles of vegetation rising out of the shallow water. If vegetation is lacking, small pockets of muddy water adjacent to the pond bank often mark the den entrance and recent digging activity. Sitting quietly on the bank in the evening is a good way to confirm the presence of muskrats.
Muskrats may need to be removed from your pond. The best method of muskrat control is a trapping program conducted annually during the state’s trapping season in the fall and winter. Leghold traps, conibear body-gripping traps, and various box traps are all suitable for muskrat trapping.
Barriers placed along shorelines can be used to keep muskrats from burrowing. Materials used include a layer of rock riprap that is at least six inches in diameter, chicken wire, or hardware cloth that is two-inch mesh or smaller. The materials should be placed from one foot above the normal water line, to three feet below the water line. Aquatic vegetation control may also deter some muskrats, but it is no guarantee that they will avoid the pond completely.
Additional Hints
(Decrypt)
Vgf nebhaq n ebhaq bar