While cruising the refuge roads of Squaw Creek NWR (northwest Missouri), I came upon this rodent foraging along the grassy area between the refuge pond and the road. Muskrats (Ondatra zibethicus) are very common in a lot of Missouri’s waterways. Normally, they are seen swimming the refuge waters, with only their heads above water. And often they have a large wad of grass/plant material in their mouths, which they carry back to their “huts” for either food or for nesting materials. As I approached this little guy, I don’t think he ever saw me. Shooting from my car, he continued to forage as I fired away:
