muskrat floats

What do you guys think of floats.

Some times and places they work great,others not so much. Just another tool in the box if conditions or circumstances warrant their use.

I caught around 250 rats using them last year for 2 weeks running an after school line. I would say for certain regions they work better than others. But as far as I know, many places can't trap rats in the spring so most guys have never experienced it. Back to floats, I know of guys catching hundreds of rats in a day and thousands in just a week or 2. I'm going to go for 400 for this year since I added another 50 floats to my arsenal.

YT would you mind sharing a picture of a float.
I've had descent luck in the spring.
My biggest problem is keeping coon out of them

Floats work great in the Dakotas for some reason (probably a spring thing) and almost not at all here in MN where I'm at (no spring season).

The only guys I know that have had any luck with them here in MN are guys who use them under lake docks for nuisance rats, but by the time season starts those docks get pulled in...soooo.

Try a couple before building 100 of them is my advice.

As far as dimensions, you don't want the float much wider than the trap. I've watched rats climb all over floats (and traps) without getting caught. Rats hug the edge of a float most times and will walk on the outer rails.

Watch a rat walk all over your freshly tuned trap and you'll re think how little pan tension is necessary to catch the bulk of your rats. It's an eye opening experience. Its not how many rats you are catching but how many rats you are missing that's the key. It's more fun when they walk over your competitions traps, though

Floats work well if you have water depth fluctuations.

I'll get you a picture tomorrow, I had to work a little late today and they're all outside in a shed.

I think floats work well where you have huts and thick winter ice and in the spring. Once that ice melts those rats will start climbing on anything. Thus perfect for the Dakotas. When you have partial ice and the rats are sitting on the ice, floats are probably going to work well. Be prepared to attack them with all methods, floats, colony traps, feed bed sets, etc.

Thank. You YT.

I used them where the water fluctuates a lot , did really well with them years ago when we had rats,

in the fall, we have never had a spring season,

Are floats attractive to geese? I have a project in a HOA and was considering floats but was curious if the resident geese there might be an issue trying to roost or nest on the floats.

Not if the floats are small,and dont use any bait(apples parsnips etc) on them.
Lure made from rat castors really works good in spring on the floats.

Thank you! Nothing like having a goose caught in a pond with 40 houses full of people watching every move.

I will add nothing is 100%,you can tent some chicken wire over the float if you are too worried about it.That could deter some rats possibly.

You really are missing out not reading through the archives. This post alone --> making muskrat floats has tons of pictures and enough written info to fill you with more knowledge of muskrat floats than the average guy would gather in a lifetime.

This

I was never impressed. Quadruple the weight and mass of your gear.

I’ll set 6 today to show I’m not close minded