Etymology of to muckle on to something

It appears to be a regional, AmE usage:

Muckle:

To grab on to an object, usually with a great deal of force. May also be used figuratively to indicate a strong attraction for an object or person. Ex: "When I saw her down the bar, I muckled right on to her." Origin: Downeast Maine.

(Online slang dictionary)

Muckle

(US, dialectal) To latch onto something with the mouth.

From: 1954, Elizabeth Ogilvie, The Dawning of the Day‎, page 199:

  • And how'd she get such a holt on you, Terence Campion, let alone the way she's muckled onto those Bennetts?

(Wiktionary)