IA Muskrat Hunting Guide

Also known as: Muskrat

The muskrat or common muskrat is a medium-sized semiaquatic rodent.

Life History

Castor zibethicusLinnaeus, 1766 Themuskratorcommon muskrat1 is a medium-sizedsemiaquaticrodent. Adult muskrats weigh0.6–2 kg (1+1⁄4–4+1⁄2lb), with a body length (excluding the tail) of 20–35 cm (8–14 in). They are covered with short, thick fur of medium to dark brown color. Their long tails, covered with scales rather than hair, are laterally compressed and generate a small amount of thrust, with their webbed hind feet being the main means ofpropulsionand the unique tail mainly important in directional stability. Muskrats spend most of their time in the water and can swim underwater for 12 to 17 minutes. They live in families of a male and female pair and their young. They build nests to protect themselves from the cold and predators, often burrowed into the bank with an underwater entrance. Muskrats feed mostly oncattailand other aquatic vegetation but also eat small animals. Ondatra zibethicusis the onlyextantspecies in thegenusOndatra; its closest relative is theround-tailed muskrat(Neofiber alleni). It is the largest species in the subfamilyArvicolinae, which includes 142 other species of rodents, mostlyvolesandlemmings. The species is native to North America and anintroduced speciesin parts of Eurasia and South America. The muskrat is found in variouswetlandsand has crucial effects on their ecology. It is also a resource of food and fur for humans. An adult muskrat is about 40–70 cm (16–28 in) long, half of that length being the tail, and weighs0.6–2 kg (1+1⁄4–4+1⁄2lb).[2]That is about four times the weight of thebrown rat(Rattus norvegicus), though an adult muskrat is only slightly longer. It is almost certainly[clarification needed]the most prominent and heaviest member of the diverse familyCricetidae, which includes allvoles,lemmings, and mostmicenative to the Americas, andhamstersin Eurasia. The muskrat is much smaller than abeaver(Castor canadensis), with which they often share a habitat.[3][4] Muskrats are covered with short, thick fur, which is medium to dark brown or black, with the belly a bit lighter (countershaded); as the animal ages, it turns partly gray. The fur has two layers, which protect it from cold water. They have long tails covered with scales rather than hair. To aid in swimming, their tails are slightly flattened vertically,[5]a shape that is unique to them.[6]When they walk on land, their tails drag on the ground, which makes their tracks easy to recognize.[3][4] Muskrats spend most of their time in water and are well suited to their semiaquatic life. They can swim underwater for 12 to 17 minutes. Their bodies, like those ofsealsandwhales, are less sensitive to the buildup ofcarbon dioxidethan those of most other mammals. They can close off their ears to keep water out. Their hind feet are partially webbed[7]and are their primary means ofpropulsion.[8]Their tail functions as a rudder, controlling the direction they swim.[9] Muskglandsare situated in the tail.[10][11] Muskrats normally live in families consisting of a male and female and their young. During the spring, they often fight with other muskrats over territory and potential mates. Many are injured or killed in these fights. Muskrat families build nests to protect themselves and their young from cold and predators. Muskrats burrow into the bank with an underwater entrance in streams, ponds, or lakes. These entrances are 15–20 cm (6–8 in) wide. In marshes, push-ups are constructed from vegetation and mud. These push-ups are up to 90 cm (3 ft) in height. In snowy areas, they keep the openings to their push-ups closed by plugging them with vegetation, which they replace daily. Some muskrat push-ups are swept away in spring floods and must be replaced yearly. Muskrats also build feeding platforms constructed in the water from cut pieces of vegetation supported by a branch structure. They help maintain open areas in marshes, which helps to provide habitat foraquatic birds.[4][12] Muskrats are most active at night or near dawn and dusk. They feed on cattails and other aquatic vegetation. They do not store food for the winter, but sometimes eat the insides of their push-ups. While they may appear to steal food beavers have stored, more seemingly cooperative partnerships with beavers exist, as featured in theBBCDavid Attenboroughwildlife documentaryThe Life of Mammals.[13]Plant materials compose about 95% of their diets, but they also eat small animals, such as freshwatermussels,frogs,crayfish,fish, and smallturtles.[3][4]Muskrats follow trails they make in swamps and ponds. They continue to follow their trails under the ice when the water freezes. Muskrats provide an important food resource for many other animals, includingmink,redandgray foxes,cougars,coyotes,wolves,boreal lynx,Canada lynx,bobcats,raccoons,brownandblack bears,wolverines,American goshawks,bald eagles,golden eagles,gyrfalcons,great horned owls,cottonmouths,black snakes,[disambiguation needed]American alligators, andbull sharks.Otters,snapping turtles,herons,bullfrogs, large fish such aspikeandlargemouth bass, and predatory land reptiles such asmonitor lizardsprey on baby muskrats.Caribou,moose, andelksometimes feed on the vegetation which makes up muskrat push-ups during the winter when other food is scarce for them.[14]In their introduced range in the former Soviet Union, the muskrat's greatest predator is thegolden jackal. They can be completely eradicated in shallow water bodies. During the winter of 1948–49 in theAmu Darya(river in central Asia), muskrats constituted 12.3% of jackal feces contents, and 71% of muskrat houses were destroyed by jackals, 16% of which froze and became unsuitable for muskrat occupation. Jackals also harm the muskrat industry by eating muskrats caught in traps or taking skins left out to dry.[15] Muskrats, like most rodents, are prolific breeders. Females can have two or three litters a year of six to eight young each. The babies are born small and hairless and weigh only about 22 g (0.78 oz). In southern environments, young muskrats mature in six months, while in colder northern environments, it takes about a year. Muskrat populations appear to go through a regular pattern of rise and dramatic decline spread over a six- to ten-year period. Some other rodents, including famously the muskrat's close relatives, such as the lemmings, go through the same type of population changes.

Hunting Season

General trapping/hunting season: Nov 1 - Feb 28, 2026.

References

• Iowa — Muskrat