Page 11 - Clear Lake Mirror Reporter E-Edition 1-6-2016

Local NewsClear Lake Mirror-Reporter
The lowly
Muskrat
Serves an
important
wetland role
by Lowell Washburn
Overcast skies, chill winter wind,
rural landscapes cloaked in nine inch-
es of new snow. Absolute perfect con-
ditions for an end of December goose
hunt. But for hunting companion
Curt Stille and I, the anticipated slam
dunk outing was rapidly turning into
the proverbial wild goose chase.
The dilemma wasn’t for a lack of
birds. There were plenty of Canada
geese on the wing. The problem was
that the birds could care less about
joining the decoys. As line after line
of honkers disappeared on the south-
ern horizon we were beginning to get
the message. The regal birds had had
enough of snow and ice. They were
packing it in; heading south toward
easier pickings. Happily, there had
been one notable exception when a
single goose suddenly peeled away
from a passing flock and nosily sailed
all the way down to our spread. As
the plump bird prepared for a land-
ing, Stille rose, shouldered his gun,
and sent the honker tumbling to the
fresh powder. No surprise. That’s
almost always what happens when
Curt points a shotgun at a flying bird.
What we did not suspect, however,
was that it was to be the final shot of
the 2015 waterfowl season.
Our assumption that passing
flocks were leaving town proved pain-
fully accurate. And although we ex-
pected losses to be significant, we were than the lowly muskrat. The muskrat
amazed to learn the following morn-
ing that all the geese had migrated.
The open water air hole that had sup-
ported several hundred birds 24-hours
earlier was now completely void of
fowl and as iced over as the rest of the such as cattail. It is an undesirable
lake.
The southward migration of
Canada geese is far from unique.
Most Iowa birds leave the state during
winter. For those wildlife species opt-
ing to stay at home and tough it out,
winter is a time of hardship and attri-
tion – a life or death, day to day quest
for food and shelter. There are a few
classic exceptions to the rule, and the
muskrat may be our finest example.
Unlike most wildlife species,
muskrats began preparing for winter
well in advance of the season. Com-
mitting their unique work ethic and
sharp incisors to the task, muskrats
play the role of aquatic lumberjacks,
felling cattail stalks at a rate that
would make Paul Bunyan sit back and
take notice. Muskrats have adopted
a communal approach to life, with
several individuals working toward
a common goal. Once the fall work
commences, Iowa wetlands soon be-
come dotted with the familiar dome
shaped condos where colonies will
spend the winter. As days become
shorter, muskrats embrace the task
A muskrat feeds on a cattail root.
Winter muskrat lodges dot a Clear Lake wetland. -Photos by Lowell Washburn.
with increased vigor, creating ever
larger openings within dense stands of
cattail. As lodges begin to take shape,
muskrats add additional food and
insulation in the form of arrowhead,
bulrush, and a wide variety of aquatic
roots and tubers. Each completed
structure contains a single room lo-
cated just above the water’s surface.
Never knowing how long or harsh
the winter will be, muskrats continue
construction until cold weather arrives
and marshes begin to ice over. By the
time winter arrives, building activities
have ceased as muskrats retire to the
lodge’s interior where they will enjoy
the fruits of their labor – literally be-
ginning a process of eating themselves
out of house and home. When prepa-
rations have been sufficient, food sup-
plies will outlast the winter weather.
Come spring, muskrat lodges repre-
sent a favored nesting spot for giant
Canada geese.
Acre for acre, square foot for
square foot, native wetlands represent
Iowa’s richest ecosystem. No habi-
tat supports a greater abundance or
broader diversity of life. From trum-
peter swans to painted turtles to drag-
onflies, hundreds of plant and wildlife
species depend on Iowa wetlands for
survival. And of all these life forms,
no single species has a greater impact
is the marsh’s best friend; and is also
its worst enemy.
Following extended periods of
low or no water, wetlands become
completely choked with vegetation
condition that favors few species. In
time, a handful of pioneering musk-
rats will return to the repopulate the
marsh. As new colonies begin to har-
vest cattails and other aquatic plant
life, areas of open water soon appear.
The ratio of vegetation to open wa-
ter eventually approaches 50/50 – a
condition known to science as ‘he-
mi-marsh’; a balance that produces
maximum wildlife diversity and abun-
dance. Times are good. But as ex-
ploding populations of foraging ‘rats
take the cycle to its inevitable ‘open
water’ stage, the pendulum swings.
As the vegetation needed for food and
nesting disappears, wildlife declines to days, most young people appear more
its lowest level. The scarcity will con- interested in cell phones, iPads and
tinue until the next drought triggers a
cycle of renewal.
Muskrats are a valuable native
furbearer. Their high quality pelts
are beautiful, rich and durable. From
farm boy to furbearer professional,
muskrat trapping historically enjoyed
recreational and economic impor-
tance in Iowa. Although I no longer
trap, mink and muskrats were easily
my favorites when I did. During the
1970s and 1980s, trapping partner
Ed Kotz and I pursued muskrats on
several North Iowa wetlands, running
our lines morning and night from
small “pumpkin seed” boats that we
navigated through the cattails. Dur-
ing cycles of abundance, success could
be excellent. On one memorable oc-
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casion, we took 135 muskrats in one
day from a single wetland near Fer-
tile. We didn’t have time to skin and
stretch our catch; just sold them as
they were and went back to the marsh
for more. Prices were also at high
cycle; with good unskinned muskrats
bringing $8.87 – the 2015 equivalent
of $27.15. Nearly four decades later,
top carcass ‘rats barely fetch $2. The
Iowa pelts are as luxurious as ever;
the sad fact of the matter is that these
Facebook than in running traplines or
doing anything else in the great out-
of-doors. Fortunately, there are still
enough young trappers out there to
carry on the tradition.
Enjoy more wildlife tales online at
Washburn’s Outdoor Journal at
iawildlife.org/blog
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Jan. 6, 2016 • Page 11
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