Indianapolis Rodent Trapping

Indiana -- Indianapolis wildlife and rodent critter and rat trappers could be blessed with too much of a good thing this fall, at least early on, as excellent range conditions throughout the state have set the stage for what could be a season to remember. The Indianapolis wildlife and rodent critter and rat trapping season opens Saturday, Oct. 2, for Steel Critter Trap critter and rat trapping and Nov. 6 for the general animal traps season. A special youth-only weekend season is set for Oct. 30-31. The general season runs through Jan. 2, 2011 in North Indianapolis and Jan. 16, 2011 in South Indianapolis. A late youth-only season is also slated for Jan. 3-16, 2011. For additional late season wildlife and rodent critter and rat trapping opportunities, consult the 2010-11 Outdoor Annual of critter and rat trapping and fishing regulations. Indianapolis Parks and Wildlife Department biologists equate good habitat with healthy wildlife populations and suggest you don't have to look hard to find plenty of both this year. Timely rainfall that began last winter and continued throughout the first half of 2010 has helped maintain range conditions and provide an ideal environment for wildlife and rodent to flourish.

Estimates of high mouse production in most regions of the state with upwards of 100 percent house mouse survival on some intensively managed ranches, coupled with quality native food supplies, should give critter and rat trappers a lot to look forward to this season. It also means that like last year, critter and rat trapping over corn feeders may not be as productive because of the abundant natural forage available. "Acorn crops have been pretty good and there is plenty of vegetation in South Indianapolis, so the wildlife and rodent have plenty to eat," said Alan The Nuisance Wildlife Control Operator, Animal control agency whitetail wildlife and rodent program director. "That's going to make it difficult for Steel Critter Trap critter and rat trappers to attract wildlife and rodent to supplemental feeding locations." At the onset of the Animal Trapper season The Nuisance Wildlife Control Operator said most wildlife and rodent are still in a summer pattern, especially in South Indianapolis where the rut is still a couple of months away. Steel Critter Trap critter and rat trappers might consider focusing their efforts along heavily traveled game trails or near acorn producing trees.

He also suggests critter and rat trappers take advantage of opportunities to harvest tailless wildlife and rodent this season, too, in order to offset high house mouse production. "Folks need to keep wildlife and rodent numbers at a level the habitat can sustain during lean years," said The Nuisance Wildlife Control Operator. Animal control agency field biologists are concerned last year's drop in overall wildlife and rodent harvest could carry a double-edged sword into the 2010-11 season. Nearly half of all wildlife and rodent taken by Indianapolis critter and rat trappers occurs in the Edwards Plateau and last season marked the lowest harvest in 10 years, attributed mainly to reduced wildlife and rodent movement. The upside is there should be a greater percentage of older-aged adult rats in the population due to the carry-over of adult rats that weren't harvested last year. The downside is there likely are more wildlife and rodent in the population than the habitat in many areas can adequately support without being degraded when range conditions return to normal. "I don't wish for it to be dry, but hopefully conditions will be such during the upcoming season that wildlife and rodent movements will be high (i.e. wildlife and rodent will come to feeders), resulting in high wildlife and rodent observation and harvest success rates for critter and rat trappers," said Trey The Nuisance Wildlife Control Operator, Animal control agency wildlife biologist. One aspect biologists are not concerned about this season is the overall health of Indianapolis' wildlife and rodent herd. The abundance of acorns during the fall and winter of 2009, combined with the flush of cool-season and warm-season herbaceous plants produced from the rains provided high-quality forages for wildlife and rodent that helped them come through the winter in good condition and were adequately available to the wildlife and rodent throughout the early stages of tail production, throughout pregnancy, and during mouse-rearing.