The 16" to 18" of chain gave the coyotes enough chain that they couldn't reach the end of it over the top of the trap stakes and pump them out of the ground. The three links of 3/16 " chain let me put up to three trap stakes in the ground if need be. they would be put at an angle to each other so as to bind together and make removing them nearly imposable at the same time but easly removed one at a time when I wanted to. the round shape of the chain links allowed the chain not to bite into the stakes and help with the animal being able to jack the steaks out even if only one steak was used. When you buy an offset jawed trap the trap jaws are stamped out so then the inside edge of the offset is sharp so I would take a file and break the sharp edges so they wouldn't cut into the skin helping with the holding power of them in that way. A lot of people like to put another piece of metal on the frame of the trap that has a dee ring in the middle of it so they can then swivel their chain from the center of the frame. I experimented with that, I did that to a few traps then put the swivels and chain at the center of the frame, put the trap on a coyote's foot and pulled it with a jerk. then took the same traps and swiveled them at the end of the frame and repeated the process. I consistently took more to pull the trap off of the foot with the swivel at the end of the frame, the foot would slide to the opposite end of the frame and then the springs put more tension of them as well as the spring lever on the swivel end raising higher on the jaws. Thats just my observations.
Ramblings and Such From Hunting Coyote
- Thread starter DSheetz
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trapper1954
Well-Known Member
Have you used any Duke 550 pro traps? Just got a dozen in today
No I haven't. do you have a picture of one of them. The last traps that I bought were Wyoming traps that were a copy of the #3 Montgomery off set jaw dogless traps. As I'm just coming out of being retired from it for 7 or 8 years the only thing, I am using at this time is calling and snares.
The vee notches on the pan and dog fitting together set the pan tension, I never checked it to see how much weight it took to spring the trap. To level the pan, I bend the frame where the dog is attached toward the dog to lower the pan and away from the pan to raise it. I clamp the loop of the dog closed tighter on where it attaches to the frame so as to take the back-and-forth movement out of it, taking the creep out of the pan so it fires crisply. I don't use any tension on the pan if it has a bolt and nut, I just mash the threads enough on the bolt so that when a coyote is pounding the trap on hard ground the pan doesn't come off of the trap. I found that if the pan wasn't pretty free moving that in my frosty winter weather frost would build up on the metal and bind the pans movement just enough to make some creep and get toe catches, instead of good deep high up above the foot. While making all of my pan adjustments I start with just the dog and pan not setting the trap. Then to check how the trap sets and finish making adjustments I set it but lift the free jaw and put my thumb under the pan as I am leveling it to its final setting place. It doesn't feel good to catch my thumb, but it really doesn't feel good if you have it staked down and hit the end of the chain with your thumb in it. Yes, I have done that!!!!
trapper1954
Well-Known Member
Im not sure Im gonna like them all that much. I tote victor #3 fully modified on 8' of #2twist and homemade 1" sucker rod shank & sharp U bolt drag with a kicker/anti half hitch deal. This setup all fits in the hole I dig for the trap. Nothing ever stays on top of the ground. My pans have all been drilled, the brass screw up sized, brass bushing washers, no slop, file the notch so you have a weak 5/64 and is square, good trigger, and run an easy 2-3# pan tension. No night latch. I trap in the rocky part of Texas , carry dirt and a crow bar. If I find dirt I use a dirt hole set. I use aluminum screen wire pan cover but been experimenting with coffee filters, all natural. works but don't hold up in wet weather they seem fragile but nothing does. I might add they are odor free.
NO-BS K-9 X-Treme Coil Spring Trap - Offset - Laminat-Minnesota Trapline
www.minntrapprod.com
It looks pretty much like the Stearling traps, the pan set up is one that I saw in the late 70's but I can't remember what the traps name was. They didn't last long on the market as the rest of the trap didn't stand up well. It may have been a diamond trap or a kangaroo trap. I think that the shock absorber spring would be okay if it's strong enough, when I tried them, you pulled a loop in the chain and installed the springs so that if they failed you still had the full strength of the chain, and they did fail. I am not sure if a stake is being driven through the end chain swivel or if they are putting something else on the end of the chain to stake with, but they will jack the stakes out of the ground even with the shock absorber springs on a short chain. The jaws with the two bumps on each jaw is kind of like the modification kit that Mongomery sold to convert their jaws to an offset jaw, but that didn't work well as it wasn't fastened tight enough to not move on the jaws. As long as they line up well with each other and don't interfere with the trap closing they should be okay. All in all, a lot of Crag O'Gorman's innovations went into that trap. I use denim or heavy unbleached muslin cloth as my pan covers, cut rectangular with a split in it for the dog and long enough that it goes under the jaws wide enough that it covers the inside of the jaws and keeps dirt or debris from getting under the pan. I do like the square or rectangular pans better than the round pans, on the round pans some of them would catch on the spring levers and stop the trap from closing so you needed to bend the edges upward or trim them off. I tried drags on my long chains but gave up on them because looking for a trap on a cow, deer or other big animal sucked for me even 8 feet of chain would be gone with those critters.
Bucklowery
Well-Known Member
I have used these and they are nice I added the expand a pan square pan to a couple last year. I have always been concerned with a chain too long. Afraid they could get too much momentum and pull out. I always use a streaked trap. Sounds like you both like longer leads
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Buck
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Buck
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For what I do I think that the 650 would be a better sized trap than the 550. I do like a little longer chain so that they can't get above a stake and get full strength pulling up on the stakes, but that's in my area with muddy, frozen, bone dry, sandy or gravely and every now and then clay soil types. I have only had a problem with the 16-18" length of chain I use if my springs get weak. One gray morning, we had 2-3" of new snow and more was still falling, I was out checking things when some strange tracks came onto the road from the direction on the neighboring ranch. They went down the middle of the road then cut off to the left heading toward the creek. I had a snare set in the fence in that direction. as I went toward where my set was so did the tracks. I pulled up to the cut bank got out and saw a coyote about 15 feet below me hung up in my snare still fighting it with fresh tracks leading right to the set. I shot the coyote went to my truck for the stuff to remake my set. when I took the coyote out of the snare it was wearing a nice #3 trap with a short chain on a dee ring in the center of the trap frame, the stake still in the end chain swivel. That was the strange tracks in the snow, trap chain and stake. I back tracked him and just over the fence was the catch circle by a dead horse. So, after I finished my run, I took him over to the guy's house that was trapping over there and gave him his coyote trap and my snare that he had been caught with. The guy used add on base plates for a center swiveled dee ring, a swivel 8" of chain a swivel with a large lock washer welded closed at the end of the chain with a 3/8 rebar 20" stake pounded straight down in the center of the trap bed. The ground was frozen but with the coyote standing above the stake pounding pulling and jumping the washer would bind on the side of the rebar on the upward motion then slide down when the coyote relaxed its pressure but would bind as it lunged again, working like a steel post jack A 1/2 dog knot steak with dirt filled in on top of the dog knot would have stayed in place. Or even wrapping some tie wire around a 1/2" rebar stake and doing the same thing with filling in on top of the wrapped wire, but a 3/8 rebar stake is just too small and the ribs on the rebar let the anchor point bind just enough to jack the steak out of the ground. there are many ways to get the job done a little thought and experience helps. this guy knew better then to do it that way, but he got in a hurry and tried to go with cheaper stakes. He wouldn't admit that it was his trap but said he would take it if I didn't want it.
They remind me of the Stearling MJ 600 traps an awful lot. There is no doubt in my mind that a person could figure out how to put them to good use. But as with any thing I use I'm sure that I would be playing with them to see if I could make them fit me and my needs better. I can't even buy a new truck without changing something, generally starting with the tires lol. Always pleased but never content with leaving stuff as it is. I've been told a bunch of times why you can't just leave s026 like you buy it.
trapper1954
Well-Known Member
I use 1/2 rebar and cross stake or the cast reusable earth anchors. JC Conner inline springs are on some of my stuff, 75# rating I think they were. I have a few Bridger #2 fully modified on 4' of chain with the spring mid way. This picture is Bridger #2's, First triple in first 24 hr of setting. Remember if its worth one trap its worth two at least, be clean. And there was a fourth coyote howling at me 50 yards away in the cedars.
trapper1954
Well-Known Member
I used a trap dog most of the years and I must give them credit for most of my catches by finding the invisible sign. They dont have to be big either. This guy was named Cowboy and again I cant say enough about that dog. He would mark for me, watch me set on it and check it next day with me. He knew exactly how to play this game.
Did you use Cowboy when you were calling? Smaller dogs that are lighter colored tend to aggravate coyotes when they will move around at your stand. They need to understand that you are there to protect them and stay where you are well, a bigger dog can go out and play with them more. Gene's dog Jack, a Jack Russel, worked well as his calling partner, Gene had a good wide heavy canvas collar made for him that saved his life more than once. My dogs were mountain curs and southern black mouth curs. Good companions but they liked to do their part on the trap line too.
trapper1954
Well-Known Member
Yes sir I did some. Curs are a good dog. My fox terriers didn't know they were small.. I didn't call with them a lot because seems there was always 2 coyotes come in on us. Was looking for a den once and the bitch came in on us and took my dogs away. Over the hill and out of hearing for over an hour finally they found me and that coyote was right there again in the cedar howling trying to get the dogs away again. I tied them and she focused on them and I slipped my shoes off and went barefoot and belly crawled till I saw her feet in the cedar and ended that lamb killer.
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