Most of the harvested muskrats are taken in the last month of the season. Eighty percent of the muskrats harvested in Alaska are taken with .22-caliber rifles. Only a small portion of the total muskrat habitat is hunted or trapped. Because transportation during the open season in spring is almost entirely by boat, only the larger streams, ponds, and lakes that can be reached by short portages can be hunted. Unhunted areas act as natural reservoirs of muskrat populations which serve to re- populate heavily harvested areas.
Muskrat fur is beautiful and durable and the meat is very tasty and commonly used as human food.
Often the casual observer will hear a big splash and see something swimming around in the water, giving the impression that the pond is inhabited by large fish which are jumping and surfacing. If the viewer sits quietly by the edge of the pond or slough, the resident muskrats will soon go about their business, providing hours of entertainment. All Rights Reserved .