# Muskrat?



## greengoblin

Last evening I was down by the river fishing and no further than 20 ft from me an animal emerged from its burrow. It appeared to be a muskrat, but with a bushy tail. I have only seen muskrats when they are wet, do they have fine hair on their tail that gets bushy when they dry off. What else could it be? It looked like a huge squirrel with the coloring of a beaver.


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## ddhlakebound

Muskrats have a ratlike tail. My guess would be that you saw an otter.


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## John Ellison

No, muskrats have a rat tail. Possibly an otter.  Getting ready to send and I see ddhlakebounds post.


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## ddhlakebound

Here's an otter pic.....could this be it?


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## greengoblin

Could have been a otter, but I could have almost sworn that it had a bushy tail, like a squirrels. But, I had a few beers in me at that point so that might had had some effect. The body was very close to that of the otter.


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## Matt K.

Howdy Folks!! 
Long time lurker, first time poster. Love this site!
Could it have been a nutria?..we have lots of 'em down South. I don't know if you have them there or not..


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## Wismer

If it had a bushy tail I'd bet on a groundhog


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## Mad Professor

How big was it? If it's small could have been a mink.


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## greengoblin

Matt K. said:


> Howdy Folks!!
> Long time lurker, first time poster. Love this site!
> Could it have been a nutria?..we have lots of 'em down South. I don't know if you have them there or not..



Welcome Matt, Never heard of a nutria up in these parts.



Mad Professor said:


> How big was it? If it's small could have been a mink.



Its was about the size of the muskrats in the pictures. Same body structure and everything. The only difference was I thought that had a bushy, squirrel like tail. It came from a burrow in the river bank about 20 ft away from me, we looked at each other for a few seconds, then he was on his way to the woods.

I think that I am gonna chalk this one up to the couple beers as it looked like a muskrat with a bushy tail and nobody know what the hell I am talking about. Never had seen a dry muskrat so I was just kinda wondering if they had really fine hair on their tail that bushed up when dry.


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## ASD

*nutria*


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## Mad Professor

greengoblin said:


> Welcome Matt, Never heard of a nutria up in these parts.
> 
> 
> 
> Its was about the size of the muskrats in the pictures. Same body structure and everything. The only difference was I thought that had a bushy, squirrel like tail. It came from a burrow in the river bank about 20 ft away from me, we looked at each other for a few seconds, then he was on his way to the woods.
> 
> I think that I am gonna chalk this one up to the couple beers as it looked like a muskrat with a bushy tail and nobody know what the hell I am talking about. Never had seen a dry muskrat so I was just kinda wondering if they had really fine hair on their tail that bushed up when dry.



They are all around in Northeast outside of "da city and Basstun", but I don't think you have these 15 lB weasels in the midwest, yet , have they repopulated?; a fischer? (From my backyard)


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## Madsaw

Goblin, 
How long was the critter's tail? Might have been a young ground hog. They are coming out and moving around alot right now. They are about the size of muskrats here in SW WI right now.
Bob


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## greengoblin

Wismer said:


> If it had a bushy tail I'd bet on a groundhog





Madsaw said:


> Goblin,
> How long was the critter's tail? Might have been a young ground hog. They are coming out and moving around alot right now. They are about the size of muskrats here in SW WI right now.
> Bob




Just googled some pictures of groundhogs, I have got to say that this is about the close as I have seen with the tail and everything. I guess I just thought that these weren't present in NW IA. But then again, until madsaw said that they had them in SW IA, I didnt know they were there either. 

I just assumed that it was an aquatic creature as it came from a burrow in the river bank but might have been wrong. Also explains why he headed from the woods, instead of the river, when he first saw me on the bank with him. I thought that was odd.


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## Madsaw

They are every where in the midwest. My grand ma and aunt will not let me shoot them around the farm here. So, we are being over ran with them. They will use old dens of other animals so, that maybe a old den that it found and took over. They also crawl trees adn are a weird site when they do.
I am about 45 mins. from Dubuque IA in WI. Where are you at in IA?
Bob


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## greengoblin

Madsaw said:


> They are every where in the midwest. My grand ma and aunt will not let me shoot them around the farm here. So, we are being over ran with them. They will use old dens of other animals so, that maybe a old den that it found and took over. They also crawl trees adn are a weird site when they do.
> I am about 45 mins. from Dubuque IA in WI. Where are you at in IA?
> Bob




I am about 45 minutes east of sioux city. Talked to my step dad today, which is where i was fishing, and he said they used to have a few groundhogs around. The dog took care of most of them but he died this past feb. so it very well could have been.


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## greengoblin

saw it again, took pics


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## Al Smith

How much wood could a woodchuck chuck,if a woodchuck could chuck wood?

That my friend is a groundhog,woodchuck,whistle pig,depending on what part of the country you live in .

In Pennciltucky they have a groundhog by the name of Phil that is somewhat of a cerebrity.On groundhogs day,of course.


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## Sethro

Good eats to.


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## olyman

John Dolmar said:


> Good eats to.


and why john--will no one eat them--they are a vegetarian for cripes sake--i agree with ya--same for beaver----and theres a whole lot of meat in one of them--


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## oneadam12

olyman said:


> and why john--will no one eat them--they are a vegetarian for cripes sake--i agree with ya--same for beaver----and theres a whole lot of meat in one of them--



Probably remind them to much of a LARGE rat.

:hmm3grin2orange:


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## Austin1

olyman said:


> and why john--will no one eat them--they are a vegetarian for cripes sake--i agree with ya--same for beaver----and theres a whole lot of meat in one of them--


I like BEAVER also someone had to say it!:biggrinbounce2:


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## Al Smith

Well at the risk of getting below the radar,eating said beaver is a manly sport.That aside muskrat,often called "marsh hare" has a good flavorfull taste to it.They,like a groundhog,are strict vegitarians,Nothing more that digesting a rabbit.

A young ground hog,properly cooked is very good indeed.They have a musky type gland below their front legs that is a yellowish type fat that must be removed before they are cooked.

We call ground hog in thse parts a "whistle pig".If you have a very schrill whistle ,they stand right up,giving a bigger target to that 30:06 or whatever you are shooting at them with.I've spent hours of my teenage years hunting the critters with an '03,a3 30:06.


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## sILlogger

.270 and .22LR for me. haven't ever age groundhog but i have ate raccoon...does that count?


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## lonewolf57

Muskrats have a distinct look to them,especially the face & tail.They look like the number 7 in their nose,looking at 1 head on.And they stink when they feel threatened.Their tails are flat and slim.NOT wide like beavers.
Me and my brother in law used to trap them for their furs in the 1970's.We got $1.50 a piece.
These animals ARE NOT the ravenous lowly _nutria_ that have infested the South.

Muskrats are Native to the USA.


lonewolf57


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## lonewolf57

And a good old American Ground Hog is _very tasty_!Anyone who tells you that dark meat is'nt good ,has never tasted one. 

lonewolf57


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