Duke DP Update

Hi folks.  I mentioned in a previous post that I've been fooling around with Duke dog proof traps for the first time this season.  I've just sprinkled them in along my 'coon line here and there alongside my usual spread of foothold traps, just to see how they compare in terms of ease of use, catch rate, etc.

It takes literally no time at all to punch in a set with a DP trap compared to making a traditional dirt hole or trail set with a foothold.  I'm amazed at how much easier it is.  While a few of my dirt hole sets got washed out by heavy rain, the DP's stayed perfectly operational.  Also, I experienced no pull-outs with the DP traps.

Just as a little experiment I made a few 'coon sets side-by-side:  a dirt hole set with tuna as bait and a DP trap with marshmallows as bait.  So far the DP trap / marshmallow bait combination has outperformed my dirt holes.

I see no downsides to the Duke DP traps so far, and if they keep performing this way I may just use them exclusively on my 'coon line next year.

Best wishes, and tight chains!

Duke Dog Proof Traps

The Duke dog proof traps came out over a year ago, and they seemed to cause quite a stir of conversation on trapping blogs and forums.  Why?  Because, like all Duke traps, they are more economical than most of the competitors.  Dog proof traps ain't cheap, and to purchase a respectable number of them is a sizable investment.  The new Duke DP's were initially looked upon with suspicion by most, precisely because they are quite a bit cheaper than similar offerings by other companies.  However, after finally acquiring a few of my own for testing this year, so far I have found them to be of very good quality.

I have used foothold traps exclusively for years, but decided to expand my horizons a bit and add a dozen  Duke dogproof traps into the mix this season.  Besides the obvious advantage of cutting down on non-target catches, my main motivation for trying DP's is to keep my 'coon line running after the weather hits that freeze-thaw seesaw.  Keeping footholds freeze-proof can be done, obviously, but I personally find it to be a pain in the butt.  A self-contained, above ground trap offers many advantages when the weather goes bad.  So, that's part of my plan for this season.

Here's a Duke dog proof trap out of the box:

   
Here's another view:

One thing I like is the sturdy stabilizing stake on the bottom of the trap.  After anchoring the trap from the chain with a rebar or cable stake, the trap can simply be pushed into the ground and stabilized in the upright position.  The springs are VERY strong on these traps right out of the box.  The trigger inside the tube of the trap is activated by being pulled, so bait is placed on the trigger itself and/or below the trigger at the bottom of the trap tube.  These pictures show the trigger within the tube and the trap in the set position:

 

The only modification I made was to shorten the chain and add a mid-chain swivel.  I don't see the need for so much chain on the stock trap, and you can never have enough swivel action to keep the 'coons from twisting out of the trap or damaging a foot.  Here's my slightly modified trap chain:

 

I'll post some results once I get these traps in action.  I'm waiting until mid-November until our Pennsylvania raccoons are prime.  If you have any tips or experiences to share regarding these traps, I'd love to hear from you!

Using Cage Traps

by Tony Hursman

Cage traps are an important tool for catching animals and may have a place on most traplines. They will catch and hold animals alive and damage free. You may get more trapping ground by having this ability because most farmers have cats and dogs, and cage traps are by far the best traps to use when domestic animals are part of the situation. 

New Trap Design by Tony Hursman

Tony is a contributor to this site and a very experienced trapper.  For the last three years he has been testing and perfecting his new traps which are now available to the public.  Based on his experience, Tony has incorporated some unique design features that trappers will appreciate.  That's what you get from a trap designed by a trapper.  Tony provided some of the following info and pics as a preview. 

The trap is made of 1 1/2" 14 gauge square steel and measures 5" long.  It comes with 6" chain, two swivels, and a stabilizer, and has a centered push type trigger. This trap can be set with one finger making it easy to set for trappers of all ages. All mechanisms are on the inside of the trap, including fully enclosed springs, which eliminates external damage and freeze up. This trap is light weight and compact even in comparison to other dog-proof traps.  The interesting part is the design of the trap door. When a raccoon is caught and pulls it will tighten the door, when the raccoon lets up the door will relax causing minimal (if any) damage to the foot. If the raccoon pushes down on the trap it will only be caught deeper in the trap. The coons that Tony caught during testing still had circulation in the caught foot with no damage.  Tony reports having no pullouts during testing, and releasing a coon is as easy as pushing the door open with a stick or similar object. The bottom of the trap is open so you don`t have a clogged up trap after use, and they are easy to clean.  The trap is cost efficient at $13.95 and looks like it has better features than many other dog-proof traps on the market.

The manufactuer is HD Outdoors LLC, owned by Jason and Jessica Vandergriff, located at 3593 4th Street, Owensville, MO, 65066.  Orders and inquiries can be sent to demo33@fidnet.com.  The traps can also be ordered at The Trapboard.

Give this trap a try and support an innovative trapper!

All pics can be enlarged.

 

Tony also sent this short video that explains some of the features and benefits of his trap design.  His roosters get a little rowdy toward the end :-)  His video is also available on YouTube at this link.  Thanks Tony!

Conibear Pans

by Ron Lancour
Vice President, British Columbia Trapper's Assoc.

Here are 5 different methods of making pans on your conibear traps. Pans in my opinion are the only way to go for Mink. I like them at my Marten sets as well as they catch any Ermine that comes along. You can make these on any size conibear trap you are going to use in a cubby or in a box.

Review of the MB 550 Trap

by Billy Breland, Mississippi

A few years back Mr. Rob Caven of Minnesota  designed a trap of what would become a favorite coyote trap for many trappers. The trap that came to be called the MB550RC was a five and a half inch jaw spread with 3/8" thick cast iron offset jaws and built to handle most any coyote or Bobcat from across the nation. Though built rigid and extremely sturdy it was not the cheapest double coil spring trap on the market but definitely earned the title "You get what you pay for".

In early 2008 I purchased a couple dozen of these traps for my year around coyote line. I was very impressed to say the least. With well over 100 coyotes to its credit on my line it held every single one perfectly even with the occasional "toe" catch in the 3/16" offset cast jaws.

As time progressed and a lot of feedback to the Cavens, it was found that once a coyote was caught, many trappers were having problems with the long 2.06" 30 degree bend dog of the trap either bending severely or breaking off completely.  Of the more than 100 coyotes the first year, I had this happen twice and only saw it as a maintenance issue and not a problem. I was still in high favor of the trap. At this time I decided this trap was worthy of larger numbers in my arsenal. When I purchased  a couple more dozen from Minnesota Trapline Products, I was sent a "Newer" version of the MB550RC.

In 2008 Rob redesigned the dog and pan of the 550 and in conjuction with Mr. Ed Medvetz, came up with a "New Style" MB550RC. It had a shorter dog that measured 1.60". The pan also took on some new changes to accommodate the shorter dog. The new "Paws-I-Trip" pan has a coining where the dog contacts the pan, this coining raised that part of the pan and helped achieve the stock 2 lbs. of pan tension. It also has the spring pin formed after the pin is slid through the pan posts and not crimped on.This itself increased the strength and stability of the pan. The new pan style was brought onto the market on 06/01/2008. On this date there was no inventory of the "old" style traps.

As a trapper, Forrester, and Millwright for more than 35 years, I am a firm believer in one of my late dads quotes of "If it ain't broke, Don't fix it". At more than a half a century old, my hands and fingers are not what they used to be. The long dog of the old style 550 made for a better leverage when setting the traps. When your setting more than a couple dozen traps at a time this will make a difference on an older, worn out thumb. Another thing was that the old style dog was a good bit easier to set the poundage for those who required a little more tension than the stock 2 pounds. Several trappers have agreed with me on this statement.

If you were one of the "Lucky" ones to purchase the older style 550 and have had the broken/bent dog problems, a real simple fix is to contact Mr. Ed Metvetz of  M-Y Enterprises (Paws-I-Trip Products) 220 S. Lincoln St. Homer City, PA 15748. He has a harden stainless steel dog in his inventory that will resolve most if not all of the dog problems.

This review is in conjunction with:

Ed Metvetz of M-Y Enterprises
Rob Caven of Minnesota Trapline Products
and the personal opinions of
Billy Breland

Victor 1.75 Offset Trap

review by "Trapping4Life" from Minnesota

Not as many people use offsets versus regular jaw traps. Offset traps have their pros and cons, like most other traps. I will explain both the positives and the negatives. Offset jaws only come in certain brands, styles, and sizes, versus regular jaw traps, which come within a wide variety of sizes. The size of the offset jaw trap I will be focusing on is the Victor 1.75 offset jaw trap. The Victor 1.75 offset jaw trap is my personal favorite trap for a variety of reasons. I use this trap mainly for coyote and fox trapping. I like this trap because it is a relatively small trap compared to what most major coyote trappers use. This means you have to make sure you center the trap correctly since there is a smaller jawspread, which is only around five and three eighths inches, versus a Victor #3 offset jaw trap that many coyote trappers use that has five and thirteeth sixteenth of an inch jawspread. Cost is also a factor involved. Depending on your supplier, a 1.75 Victor offset jaw trap can cost anywere from $12-$12.50, possibly higher or lower for the new trap. A #3 Victor offset jaw trap costs around $15.00.

Offset jaw traps are a very good choice to use in situation such as fields that have running pets. Even if a pet is caught in a 1.75 offset jaw traps, the animal would most likely be able to be released with very little or no pad or foot damage. Some states even require that traps must be an offset or a softcatch trap. Offset jaw traps are made for many reasons, but an important one is that it allows blood to always circulate through the foot, which allows the foot to be felt and not made numb to the animal, which could lead to an animal pulling out and not feeling a thing.

There are cons to most every trap, supply, or most any items throughout the trapping industry and throughout the world. 1.75 Victor offset jaw traps are not as flexible as other traps, say as a regular jaw 1.75 Victor trap. They are a little bit more expensive, and cannot be used as properly in a "pinch". Raccoons are a good example. A raccoon's toes are longer and skinnier than most fox and coyotes feet. Offset jaws are like they sound, they have an offset in the jaws. If a raccoon is toe caught in a 1.75 Victor offset jaw trap the toe may not be much bigger than the offset in the jaw, which can lead to a chew out or a pull out. Raccoons are a common catch on many traplines meant for foxes and coyotes. Raccoons like to investigate, like fox and coyotes do, and will not resist your set using a scent specifically for a fox or coyote. Many trappers use traps improperly, which may increase the chance of catching a raccoon and having him or her pull out. A raccoon that chewed out and left part of its toes/feet in the trap is very bad for the trapping community, especially if the wrong person found out or saw it. Offset jaw traps are a great choice for fox and coyotes, even with the chance of raccoons that are caught on many traplines. If you use the trap correctly, and make sure the trap stays steady in the trap bed, the chance of toe caught raccoons and other fur bearers is greatly reduced.

With that being said, I hope this article encourages you to at least try a 1.75 offset jaw trap to personally experience the benefits and abilities that regular jaw traps do not have. Good luck and happy trapping!

Dukes and Coons: A Bread and Butter Combination

by CJ Williams

Duke traps are one of the least expensive traps on the market today, and very few people would say that they are the best.  Sure, there are better quality traps at higher prices, but in my view the Duke 1.5 coilspring is a solid trap at a reasonable price that can be used with great effectiveness on the average raccoon trapline.  If you can afford more traps you can set more steel, run a longer line, and gang-set your hot-spots.  Dukes may be inexpensive but they are not "cheap."  I have never had a problem with them, after a few simple modifications, and I doubt there's any raccoon who cares whether he's caught in a Victor, Bridger or a Duke.  If they get the job done and done well, and they cost a little less, it stands to reason that the 'coon trapper should give the Duke 1.5 coilspring a fair chance to prove its worth.  I have a few dozen Duke 1.5's that I have run hard for the past 4 or 5 years and they keep getting the job done.

You will read many opinions on what trap modifications are necessary.  Some spend hours modifying and tuning a single trap; others use them right out of the box.  I'm somewhere in between.  When it comes to raccoon trapping I don't really see the need to do any more modifications than the few I'll illustrate here.

Here's a Duke 1.5 coilspring right out of the box:

The first thing I do is shorten the chain and add a mid-chain swivel.  I leave two full links on each side of the mid-chain swivel but I would even go down to one link on each side.  The short chain gives the 'coon less leverage to pull, and the swivel obviously gives greater freedom of movement and less chance of a pull-out or a damaged foot.  Here's the trap with the short chain and added swivel:

 Next, I use a small file to square off the corners of the pan latch and the end of the dog.  As you can see from the picture below, these areas are somewhat rounded on a stock Duke trap.  You want the contact surfaces (circled in red) to be crisp 90 degree angles.

Some people like to night-latch all of their traps.  I do this sometimes, too, but I have honestly found it not to be necessary on all of my 'coon traps.  I usually just make sure these edges are nice and square so the trap will fire cleanly.

Next, I set the trap and observe whether the pan is level with the jaws.  Leveling the pan is quite easy; all you do is bend the portion of the frame that holds the dog (circled below) toward the pan to make the pan go down, and away from the pan to make the pan go up when the trap is set.

The goal is to get the pan to sit level with the trap jaws when the trap is set.

After I do these simple modifications, I degrease the traps in a dishwasher then dye them using commercial logwood dye.  I do not wax my 'coon traps.  It's not a bad idea, but I have not found that step to be necessary.

There are higher quality, more expensive traps to choose, and many more modifications can be done.  However, the good 'ole Duke 1.5 with just these few simple modifications has never let me down on my modest 'coon line from year to year.

Just a handful of 'coons from last season:

The Bridger 1.5 Coilspring Trap

Review by Jim Shore of Paola, Kansas

     I have been trapping 2 years and these are the first traps that I bought upon the recommendation of my brother in law, who has been trapping for a while longer than me. I am very pleased with them and have caught several coons and possum in them over the past couple of seasons. The first thing that caught my eye about them was the thick jaws when compared to other traps of the same size. I have looked over one other brand in particular in the local farm store and the Bridger is just an all around heavier built trap that will last many seasons with repeated abuse from aggressive coons. The frame is put together well and the chain is a much heavier machine chain rather than the double loop style. I also like the pan and dog on these traps. There is a bump on the dog that clicks when the pan is level (night latched) which saves the trouble of modifying the trap in that manner if you want a night latched trap. The pan is one solid piece and the dog goes under the pan instead of having a notched piece of metal welded to the pan. Modifications are easy with this trap. Pan tension is set with a steel bolt and nylock nut. The trap chain can be moved to the center just by spreading the rivet and putting it through the hole in the frame and crimping it back down and it has a long spring pin which will allow 4 coiling by just adding them on. Of course it should be baseplated if 4 coiling is done, the same with any other trap. Here are a few pics of the trap doing it's thing: