As the season progresses, feedbeds will develop as well. Don't pass these up as they can pop up overnight. I've passed up many harder to access huts for a feedbed or two. Also in loon poop bottoms like you describe there will often times be bank runs that you can't see due to the loose debris. These rats often times use feed pads so hut rats aren't usually the only rats there. If you're just trapping the huts, you're are often times missing rats. You don't HAVE TO touch a hut if there are feedbeds in the area and you have law restrictions as those hut rats don't just stay at the hut...they swim circles around the area.

Trapping those loon poop bottoms can be a challenge. I've used 10 foot poles in some of those places and never touched hard ground. Always wear your life vest trapping rats. Took me a few decades and a couple close calls to figure that out.

There will also be toilets to trap out in the marsh, sometimes close to feed beds. Some huts have toilets on them as well. I never pass up a toilet, usually a sure bet to catch.

Beavs tip of leaving cable or wire is good. Dont do it if you use willow stakes though. They can mow that stake off right at the waterline

Make a little spot on the side of the hut to set your foothold basically flat. Put a little drop or two of carman's hudson's seal by the trap. Use some 14ga trapping wire out to a tall stake from the trap. Collect your rats. So easy a kid can do it.

How many rats per hut do you think . Do other rats move in after you cacth some.

Heard biologists use a 7 count per hut for population studies. Personally I believe muskrats have an intricate infrastructure below the ice and travel good distance to share houses. Huts are winter necessities, generally nonexistent and not needed after breakup.

If you use any lure here it better be way out in the marsh as any hut half way close to the bank will be tore apart by the coon you'll catch. I can't believe how far out they will swim to get to a lured set. I gave up using any rat lures just for that reason.