DIY muskrat sets are a smart off-season project for trappers who want to save money, stay productive during the summer, and head into next season with proven equipment already built. If the trapping blues start setting in once the steel is put away, building your own gear is a practical way to stay sharp. In this article, you’ll learn how to make two effective DIY muskrat sets: a collapsible colony trap and a stationary muskrat float.
With the traps put up for another summer, a lot of trappers start counting down the days until they can get back on the line. But the off-season is one of the best times to prepare for a better fall. Building your own muskrat gear now can help control the trapping blues and save money in the long run. Better yet, you do not have to be an expert builder to put either of these sets together.
The basic materials needed to build a collapsible colony trap can be found at most farm or hardware stores.
Why Build DIY Muskrat Sets in the Off-Season?
The off-season gives trappers a chance to get ahead. Instead of waiting until opener to scramble for equipment, you can spend a day in the shop and build several useful muskrat sets for a fraction of what they might cost to buy ready-made. Two of the most practical options are a collapsible colony trap and a stationary muskrat float.
These DIY muskrat sets are especially useful because they cover different situations on the line. A colony trap shines in active runs, while a stationary float can produce where there are no clearly defined feeding areas, runs, or den sites.
How a Collapsible Colony Trap Works
A colony trap gives a trapper the opportunity to catch multiple muskrats in a single trap if the numbers are there. Runs used by muskrats entering and exiting underground dens are usually easy to recognize. Look for a depression on the bottom, often several inches deep and up to a foot wide. Active runs may appear shiny, and the water may be stirred up from recent use.
When a muskrat swims into a colony trap, the hinged door opens and allows the animal to enter. Once the door drops, it cannot get back out. If another muskrat comes through and the door is unobstructed, multiple catches are possible.
The key to making this set work is complete submersion. If even a small portion of the trap sits above the waterline, a muskrat can get its nose through the wire and stay alive. That can damage fur and create more work at the bank. The trap must be completely underwater.
Materials for a Collapsible Colony Trap
To build this version of a collapsible colony trap, you’ll need:
- 1-inch mesh cage wire, 24-inch-wide, 25-foot roll
- 1 bag of J-clips
- J-clip pliers
- Electrician side cutters
- Number 9 wire
The finished dimensions for the trap described in the article are 5 inches tall, 5 inches wide, and 24 inches long. Those dimensions can be adjusted depending on your needs.
Begin on the outside edge and count over five squares before making the first cut.
How to Build a Collapsible Colony Trap
Start by unrolling a couple feet of wire, but do not cut off more than you need. Work as you go, using each full square of mesh as a 1-inch guide. Cut four side pieces measuring 5 by 24 inches, making sure the final pieces have solid sides without bare wire exposed on the edges. Then cut two doors measuring 8 by 4 squares.
With all the cuts complete, you should have four walls and two doors ready for assembly.
Because the wire wants to keep its rolled shape, flatten each piece by hand as much as possible before assembly. Stand two side pieces on end to form a long “V,” then fasten them together with J-clips placed in every other square. Repeat the process with the other two side pieces. Once both “V” sections are built, connect them to form a 5-by-5-by-24-inch collapsible box. Be careful not to crimp the clips too tightly, or the trap will not fold as intended.
With both “V” sections fastened, it is time to start putting the trap together.
To attach the doors, lay the trap on a workbench and position each door flat on the inside top of the trap. Fasten each one loosely with four clips, then repeat on the other end.
Do not snug the clamps too tight or the doors will not work properly.
The support wires help keep the trap from collapsing while still allowing it to fold flat.
Next, install two support wires using two 10-inch pieces of Number 9 wire. Find and mark the center of each wire. Measure back 8 squares from the end of the trap, line up the marks, and secure the support wire with a cage clip. Add one clip on each side of the center clip to hold it in place, then bend the wire up 90 degrees on each side. Do not fasten the wire to the sides of the trap, because it needs to flip up for the trap to collapse.
Once complete, you will have a collapsible colony trap that is easy to store and transport.
A finished colony trap ready to go to work.
This trap can collapse for easy transport and storage.
How a Stationary Muskrat Float Works
The second of these DIY muskrat sets is a stationary muskrat float. This set is especially useful when there are muskrats present but no clearly defined den sites, feeding areas, or runs. It can also take additional muskrats in places where those features do exist.
Muskrats climb onto the platform to investigate bait or lure and eventually step on the trap pan. Because the traps are fastened so the muskrat goes into the water after being caught, the set is designed to make a quick drowning catch.
This version differs from a standard float in one important way: it is staked solid instead of floating freely. That makes it simple, stable, and inexpensive to build.
Materials for a Stationary Muskrat Float
For this muskrat float, you’ll need:
- One 2×2 stake cut to 2 feet, tapered on one end
- One 1×6 board cut to 12 inches
- Two 1×4 boards cut to the width of the platform
- 3-inch drywall screws
- One 3½-inch drywall screw for the bait holder
- Traps sized for the platform, such as No. 1 or No. 1½ coilsprings
Stake length can vary from 18 to 36 inches depending on conditions.
How to Build a Stationary Muskrat Float
Begin with the stake. A tapered point on one end makes it easier to drive into the bottom below the waterline. The 1×6 platform should be cut to 12 inches long, which provides a good fit for either No. 1 or No. 1½ coilsprings.
The tapered end makes the stake easier to drive into the bottom.
Next, cut two 1×4 boards to the width of the platform. One will serve as the top separator between the traps, and the other will be mounted below as a stabilizer. Cut each at an angle so that the end farthest from the stake is 2 inches tall, while the end nearest the stake remains full width.
Cut the 1×6 platform to a length of 12 inches.
To assemble the float, mount the platform to the stake so the trap platform sits 10 to 12 inches below the top of the post. Secure it with 3-inch drywall screws, drilling pilot holes first to help prevent splitting. Then center the separator board on top of the platform and the stabilizer board beneath it. Fasten each board with screws through the post and into the boards and platform.
Finally, drive a 3½-inch drywall screw through the center of the stake from the backside about 6 inches above the platform. This screw will hold the bait. Apples and carrots work well, and lure or bait can be applied directly to the stake as needed.
To make the set, place the traps on the platform and stretch the chains tight below the platform, wiring them securely to the stake. Push the stake into the bottom until the traps sit about 1½ inches underwater. Double check that everything is stable enough for a muskrat to climb onto the platform without shifting the set or knocking the traps loose.
Drilling pilot holes helps keep the boards from splitting during assembly.
A 3½-inch screw driven through the stake serves as a simple bait holder.
With the platform in place, add the top separator board and bottom stabilizer board.
This set can take doubles, though some muskrats may still get caught in both traps even with the separation board. Still, it is a durable setup that can last for years and continue producing alongside more traditional run and feed-bed sets.
The platform is sized well for either No. 1 or No. 1½ coilsprings.
Place the traps on the platform, stretch the chains tight below it, and wire them securely to the stake.
Final Thoughts on DIY Muskrat Sets
If you can carve out a little shop time in the off-season, these DIY muskrat sets are worth building. In a single day, you can make several colony traps and stationary floats, save money, and head into the next season with more gear ready to go. For trappers fighting the summer blues, there are worse ways to spend a day than building equipment that will put more muskrats on the bank next fall.
