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| this can't possibly be a serious question, but in case it is... why wouldn't they be in the water? why do we see deer swimming? bears? squirrels? these are terrestrial animals trying to get somewhere... it ain't rocket science. occam's razor. don't over-think it. |
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| Nice analogy - but when you see a deer or a moose or a bear in the water, it stands to reason that there's a legitimate reason for them to be there. Perhaps they are trying to get to food, or mates. From an evolutionary standpoint, the rewards of that behavior outweigh the potential risks of being in the water. But toss a frog on the water, and what does it do? It immediately heads for the shoreline, for cover, to avoid potentially being prey to all of the things that can and will readily eat it. There is no legitimate reason for something like a mouse to traverse a stretch of water where it may potentially become lunch for whatever is in that water. I can see finding ducklings, or a muskrat, or perhaps a small otter in the stomach of a muskie. Those are animals that largely dwell in and feed in water. It stands to reason. But a mouse? Land dwelling rodent that has much more to lose by being in the water than it possibly would have to gain. |
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| if you think there is no legitimate reason for a mouse to enter the water, then you seriously underestimate an animal's desire and need to eat. hunger is a huge driving force in nature. causes truly odd behavior. have you seen the footage of the pigeon eating wels catfish? why would an aquatic animal risk killing itself for a bird? hmm... could it be food? GASP! why would a killer whale drive its 1,000+lb body into inches of water, risking a pretty good chance of beaching itself, to snatch a seal on shore. hmm... could it be food? GASP! by your rationale, i should never have encountered (unless a human put them there) raccoons on multiple islands in the everglades, including in the gulf of mexico. god knows there's all sorts of stuff swimming in the water that could shred a raccoon in minutes.
you're thinking too linearly if you can't allow for the fact that something other than human intervention would drive a mouse to take a risk such as diving into the water to swim between habitats.
anyway... |
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| Guest - 12/13/2012 10:49 PM
if you think there is no legitimate reason for a mouse to enter the water, then you seriously underestimate an animal's desire and need to eat. hunger is a huge driving force in nature. causes truly odd behavior. have you seen the footage of the pigeon eating wels catfish? why would an aquatic animal risk killing itself for a bird? hmm... could it be food? GASP! why would a killer whale drive its 1,000+lb body into inches of water, risking a pretty good chance of beaching itself, to snatch a seal on shore. hmm... could it be food? GASP! by your rationale, i should never have encountered (unless a human put them there) raccoons on multiple islands in the everglades, including in the gulf of mexico. god knows there's all sorts of stuff swimming in the water that could shred a raccoon in minutes.
you're thinking too linearly if you can't allow for the fact that something other than human intervention would drive a mouse to take a risk such as diving into the water to swim between habitats.
anyway...
Well, that's all very nice. And it's all completely unrelated to mice. There is nothing in their diet that would ever require them to traverse water in order to eat. Maybe they have evolved more than we thought, and some have learned to read posts like yours and decided to end it all because they just couldn't deal with the stupid...
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| What was that story about some sick bastard (probably more than one) putting a string on a mouse and plopping down on a piece of board in the middle of the lake? Then, pull on the string, mouse off the board, swim, swim, swim, back on the board, over and over and over again untiiil… *WHAM!!* "Hey look!" the muskie thinks "new forage!!" That's where all of those ingested mice came from. Just my theory. I think it's pretty mean to the poor mice, but it has to be kind of funny to watch. Who doesn't love a surface bait? ; ) |
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| esoxaddict - 12/13/2012 11:53 PM
Well, that's all very nice. And it's all completely unrelated to mice. There is nothing in their diet that would ever require them to traverse water in order to eat. Maybe they have evolved more than we thought, and some have learned to read posts like yours and decided to end it all because they just couldn't deal with the stupid...
esoxaddict,
I have many less hours on the water than you and proportionately many less hours fishing musky, but wake up....Nothing in nature requires any animal to do anything, but to survive in the easiest way possible. If you were a mouse and you, like that dumb mouse, realize there is a nice Oak tree with acorns on that island 20 or 50 feet from shore and don't smell other mice around, you would go for it right ... Reason (i.e. evolution and feeding habits) tend to make sense from a broad perspective... Simply put, they are all stupid animals to us, but are pretty #*^@ smart that we spend close to half a day (on average) trying to put one in the net... We spend a bunch of the other half espousing our opinions on this or other forums... Mice swim, deer swim and hopefully we all can swim long enough to get back on the boat...Or we hopefuly can afford the $500 insulated float suit that will keep us afloat and alive for 30 minutes... And hopefully we all realize this elusive fish that doesn't eat when we want it to eat and is so hard to catch and ends up making us look like (at great monetary and relationship expense) we don't know wtf we are doing... Mice swim to islands because there is food there...those pine cones and acorns have to be yummy. Musky eat mice because it is food in the water and they see it swimming. A mouse looks a hell of a lot more realistic than my hawg wobblers, and musky eat both right? How many people fish that mile long weed bed because it historically holds fish? So, is the musky more stupid because it eats a fake lure? Is the fisherman more stupid because he spends an hour setting up and fishing that mile of weeds that 10 other boats before fished that day and 20 will after? Or is that 1 dumb mouse that swam 50 feet to reach a cache of nuts the one who will procreate more and therefore provide the apex predator with future bait the smartest of all... Circular arguments usually mean we missed something. How I take it is I need to learn more to become a better fisherman. I can catch northern hand over fist, but not musky. If it takes a dumb mouse to catch one, I will have a bunch of dumb mice in my boat in July. I will bring acorns to keep those dumb mice occupied while I fish too. And when you criticize me, I hopefully will simply wave and hopefully show you a 56 incher that I have caught on a top water lure that kind of looks like a field mouse. That is if you are on the V in July 2013. |
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| Any toy dog I see in some driver's lap. Great surface bait, twist the line when you troll them. |
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| Ranger - 12/14/2012 1:21 AM Any toy dog I see in some driver's lap. Great surface bait, twist the line when you troll them. They're good as footballs too. |
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| "Well, that's all very nice. And it's all completely unrelated to mice. There is nothing in their diet that would ever require them to traverse water in order to eat. Maybe they have evolved more than we thought, and some have learned to read posts like yours and decided to end it all because they just couldn't deal with the stupid..."
Ha, I love this sort of #*#*.....
Rodents are great swimmers. Think they paratrooped onto every single island in 10,000 Lakes? |
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Location: Bowling Green, Kentucky | Catfish are not gamefish in ky, therefore legal hook fodder.
I have an idea: mice like boats as homes, especially my boat. I have seen three total hop out in the middle of the lake and swim. Couldn't believe I never saw one "explode". |
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| Guest - 12/13/2012 7:45 PM
mice swim. more likely a field mouse hopped in the water and started swimming, but was intercepted en route to its destination...
I watched a gray squirrel making it's way across a fav. muskie lake her in the Twin Cities a few seasons back. It was fall and my son and I watched it swim across an entire finger of a bay, waiting for the "the swirl".
Never happened. It made it completely across...which sort of surprised us. It's a good lake! |
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Location: Ontario | Its obvious muskie will prey on whatever is the most bountiful in their water system.And, most of these fish the taxidermist was referencing were caught years ago when harvesting fish was more acceptable. Lets try and fine tune the point of diet.Is it reasonable to consider that these bigger trophy fish get more particular with their diet after 20-30 years of feeding ? I mean these big fish love feeding in the fall prior to the ice...and it seems that big baits work great in these cold conditions.If a 40lb fish only chooses to eat on one big meal,does the meal it chooses not become more select ?
Edited by Tim R 12/14/2012 8:52 AM
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| I have taken black Bulldawgs/Suzy Suckers and attached black Silicone whiskers to the heads. A slow meandering retrieve is deadly. |
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| I think a more likely scenario is that said mice were a case of someone out on the boat who opened up a compartment for the first time in the spring, got a surprise they weren't expecting, turned to their buddy and said "Hey, man. I don't want these things in my boat! Wanna toss 'em overboard and see how many make it to shore??
I'd probably take them to shore and turn them loose, because they are kind of cute. But I'm not going to pretend the thought wouldn't cross my mind!
In any case, it pretty well proves that anything moving in the water that a muskie can fit in its mouth will eventually wind up there. |
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| Ranger - 12/14/2012 1:38 AM
"Well, that's all very nice. And it's all completely unrelated to mice. There is nothing in their diet that would ever require them to traverse water in order to eat. Maybe they have evolved more than we thought, and some have learned to read posts like yours and decided to end it all because they just couldn't deal with the stupid..."
Ha, I love this sort of #*#*.....
Rodents are great swimmers. Think they paratrooped onto every single island in 10,000 Lakes?
I was thinking they probably made their way out there when the lakes were frozen. |
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Location: Ontario | Over 30 years ago,I remember reading about a technique in the southern States where they tied squirrels to a floating piece and have 3 sets of treble hooks tied to the squirrel.Half the body would hang into the water(tail end) and they would drag this critter down a river for muskie. It didnt seem so shocking 30 years ago.Right about the time Deliverence came out |
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| st clair the variances are seasonal.
fall=shad
summer=perch/smallmouth
spring=catfish colors/blk sucker/dog turd bait colors. |
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Location: SE, WI. | I've cleaned pike which had hairy rodents in their stomachs. Not sure if they were mice or small muskrat. Mice will use shore -line related liliy pads to migrate to their destination!!! ; 
Edited by jdsplasher 12/17/2012 6:01 PM
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Location: Perryville, MO | "Mice will use shore -line related liliy pads to migrate to their destination!!!"
Yep...quite common to see around "strip mine lakes" down here in the South...my guess is (not unlike when we travel a distance) it's the easiest path between two points...along the side of the lake or even out from the edge a few feet. Safer than what may lurk in the deep grass and what may be using the actual shoreline...at least at times...until big bucket-mouth declares she's present underneath the thick mat!
Seriously, not that uncommon of a sight.
I'm a little surprised that muskies take as much notice as the stated results earlier in the thread, but anything that moves and is an easy meal is food.
Edited by hawkeye9 12/17/2012 7:07 PM
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| Would the tail of a mouse foul on cast as easy as a bulldawg tail?
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