Muskrat popping up the ice hole

[JeffSimms]

So, this is my first year going ice fishing. And The first time I went out with an ice tent, my friend and I set up about 20 or so yards away from an overgrown island. It was a good day, caught some nice pike and perch, but then while sight fishing in the tent, I saw an odd head appear about a foot below the ice. At first I thought it was another Northern coming in for my lure, and then I noticed this pike had fur lol. Within a few seconds the Muskrat swam his way up my hole and my first reaction was to @#%^ myself haha. Fortunately I didn't, and he seemed to only come up for air. I was sitting there shocked for a moment considering I've not spent much time on the ice, I didn't know it was even a possibility that a mammal would come up for a breath while I was jigging lol. He managed his way back to the hole at least 4 more times that day, I wish I would've had a camera ready because it was pretty cool.
So has this happened to anyone else, or is this an odd occurrence?

 

[Shawarma]

"Muskrat swam his way up my hole and my first reaction was to @#%^ myself haha"

Wow.. That sentence.. Lmfao .

 

[JeffSimms]

Hahahaha, woops didn't notice how that sounded lol. I knew I should've specified ice hole lol

 

[Shmogley]

lol thats awesome.. coulda tossed him some minnows and made a new buddy

 

[JeffSimms]

Haha I thought about it, but I assumed he'd scare the fish away lol

 

[salmotrutta]

"Muskrat swam his way up my hole and my first reaction was to @#%^ myself haha"

Wow.. That sentence.. Lmfao .

Hahaha unnecessary censorship by Jimmy Kimmel comes to mind! :lol: :lol: :lol:

 

[Knuguy]

Missed opportunity----could have had surf and turf for dinner!!

 

[RedCat]

I have heard of it from a couple guys here. One place I know of a lot of guys stear clear of for pike only because of the mammals. They eat the herrings off your quickstrike rig and sometimes you catch the buggers.

 

[JeffSimms]

That was my first thought, I really didn't want to try and unhook a mammal from my gear, in a small tent haha. I avoid that spot now lol

 

[AKnook]

Ha! This happens to me EVERY year at least once or twice. First time freaked me out but now not much. I pop a few holes outside the hut for realease holes and to jig away from the hut sometimes, perhaps they are getting air through those holes since our encounters have been fewer and fewer.

 

[Dozer]

Whack a mole? Cool experience

 

[AKnook]

The first time this happened was the funniest. I like to fish the shallows in about 5 to 10 feet of water in a hut since you can sight fish like this. I enjoye watching the fish strike. You pretty much spend all day looking down the hole very focused jigging away. When that little bugger came out of the hole my buddy jumped back three feet knocking a bunch a stuff down. I laughed so hard. Good share, thanks for making me remember some funnier moments on the hard water.

 

[JeffSimms]

Haha AKnook that's awesome, nice to hear i'm not alone. that's pretty much the exact same thing that happened to me, 6 1/2 feet of water, completely focused after a nice perch and pike, and lo and behold a muskrat haha.

 

[MartyLee]

LOL kool experance, but just incase you want to try and feed it next time, carrots not minnows, muskrats eat plants not fish. and I have not had a muskrat, but afew years ago an Otter popped up a spare hole I had drilled , they are Far less afraid of people and the otter chilled on the ice for around 5 or 6 min before taking off. this is one of the reasons I take a cheap camera with me fishing now.