Has anyone tried these floating palaces for muskrats? They ain't cheap ( $210 & $185 ) but are they worth it? The next muskrat I catch on a float will be my first, so I'm more than a little gun-shy when it comes to muskrat floats. Any comments would be appreciated.

I have tried muskrat floats around here with very little luck. Many different kinds, sizes and shapes. But i have never tried one of the automatic Palaces.

The colony traps work extremely well around here and are cheep to make your self.
No bate, and i have caught as many as 9 rats at a time with multiple traps hooked together.

I am sure they would work well in high populated muskrat areas, we do not have that here.
Dave

Like stated in high population areas the floats seem to perform well. We dont have many rats in our area so they never did well in my experience.

Not a big fan of floats. Too big and bulky for me. There are some applications where they make sense but overall I think there's a lot faster and more efficient ways to skin that cat.

I'm really glad you guys chimed in. I had always hoped that a really good float would take that last muskrat on a pond that was hard to trap anyway. I knew better, but I've seen enough miracles to believe in them!

Mikes traps work well,,,, Not sure that they are the tool for the "last" rat in the pond,,,,but they are a good tool......

I agree with Vinke.

I did a Tested article on them in WCT last year. For spring/summer work, I recommend installing some additional wire on the back by the bait or you'll have issues with turtles taking it.

Ultimately, they are another tool in the toolbox but I feel it is worth having them for when they are needed.

If I were to use them..(under right circumstances)......I would use them to take the majority of rats and then do cleanup work on the remaining few with colony traps or 110s in runs, den entrances or blind sets. I don't think its a set that would take the last few rats.

Why is it that just when I start thinking properly, two people, Vinke and my boss, Eric, start messing with my mind? ( It's already a mess )

That is how it all starts, you do not know till you buy one and try it. Then you need to buy another one because the first one was just a test run. Then you have to buy another one so the first two do not get lonely.
I think the wife is catching on to me over the years.
Dave