Muskrat Floats

[riverdog]

I was wondering if anyone has had much luck with floats for trapping rats. I've tried them in the past without much luck. I have a ditch thats about six feet deep with steep sides so I will be using a boat. Any plans or tips would be great.

[BK]

You are new here riverdog?

Here is the Little bit I know about Muskrat floats, guys that must deal with fluctuating water levels like them.

In my case I don't and it's more crap than I care to lug around to trap a muskrat.
I did use a basic one in culverts on creeks I crossed while trapping fox, (I didn't have to wear hip boots to check them), and they paid the gas.
If I remember correctly The Beav. likes them, perhaps he will chime in here.

[thebeav2]

I don't like them or use them. You can catch rats with out floats.
They don't work for me In my area.

It's like this why would you use floats In rat marsh when there are 100s of rat huts.No reason for the rat to climb up on the float.

Try a few and let the rats tell you If they will work or not.

[mostinterestingmanintheworld]

I think one thing that makes them work is to put mud on them.

Joel

[oldmink]

I don't use them and never have. I'm pretty straighforeward in my trapping. Old farmboy type here. Besides all our streams were rather small and wadeable in hunting boots.

However I do remember guys saying years back about using floats during spring 'rat seasons when the 'rats were mating. They claimed those sets were productive at that time of year, but they were using them in bigger waters. I don't know if that has something to do with it or not.

[mostinterestingmanintheworld]

It does. In the spring they crawl on anything to deposit musk.

Joel

[mattduncan]

and not just to deposit musk when the rivirs and ditchs are flooded over the banks and them rats have no place to go that is when floats catch rats they look for things to crwal up on to get out of that fast flowing water this is when i run my floats in the spring only i use fairly big triangle shaped ones with 2or 3 traps on them make mine from 2x4 or 4x4 lumber that is free from in between loads of lumber or other shippig crates and use 2x2 welded wire cross the bottom strip wide enough to hold the traps and a small stripof wood across the open side to keep the traps from flowing of in the fast water i run these from the truck so weight is not an issue just bridge hop and tie to the bridge with 11 gauge wire or 1/8 cable

[musher]

As Joel wrote, the work great in the spring. I tried them in the fall and it wasn't worth the work of toting them.

[dabrock]

How would they work on small lakes, farm or beaver ponds?

[sbhooper]

I have used a float near an overflow pipe that the rats plug. The float has worked great. I have baited it with carrots and also with just a white piece of PVC with some anise-soaked cotton in the center. I cover it with chicken wire so ducks don't land on it and just put it in some cattails. I have caught thirteen rats at that spot using only the float. I would not want to carry many of them around, but for specific spots they are great.

[sawdust]

there is a little segment about muskrat floats on matt jones' fur handling video.

he seems to like them.

i suppose the right situation must be present. put them where a muskrat is going to be and they would probably work pretty well.

most trapping is that way - focus on proper location and sharpen the skinning knife.

[BK]

The one I used was the same one Tom Krause wrote about in "The Trapper" years ago, two 2x4s on edge in a V shape held together with 1X s on part of the underside.
As I said before I used them in streams that had culverts under the road, I gave them enough wire so they were in about the middle of the road. Often the float took up a large portion of the culvert, for sure the rats had good overhead cover perhaps that's why they worked so well for me. Heck when you think of it it was really a,........... "resting set".
It's not how I care to trap rats, but as I said before I was really trapping canines and it took but a minute, I had already driven there, and I didn't have to wear hip boots. ;D
A caught mink in them too.

[sawdust]

BK hit it on the head as to the rationale behind the float set.

a resting spot is always appreciated by rats, especially in flowing water situations. if the resting spot has overhead cover, even better.

[motrapperjohn]

i have had good luck with then out west but only when partially covered with grass. Also have had rats sink them by piling grass on them after several catches!