yote traps

[hoytviper]

i've been trapping canines for the past 4yrs and the fruststration is starting to set in due to equipment failure.this past yr alone i've had numerous jaws popped and spring levers bent and these traps were no 2's and 3's not to name a brand.i believe they all were damage by yotes because they were the targeted animal and also watched one pop the jaws right in front of me.but decided this coming season to go with the mb 650 is there any reason why i shouldn't ? and is there any short comings to this trap?

[robertw]

You must have some Bionic Coyotes to be getting all of these tore up traps. I catch and hold black bears, mountain lions and Great Pyreneese guard dogs and haven't had a trap tore up in 7 or 8 years!

As for the short comings of the MB 650, yes it has some but...I'll let you figure them out. I suggest you purchase ONE and look it over real close then make your decision.

[walkercoonhunter(Aaron L.)]

so you think animals will bend spring levers huh.....all i have to say for that one is show me where these animals are and i will show you how a 1.75 will hold them.....i tend to think if you have stuff tore up that bad you have more than animals working your sets....sounds like someone is smashing them to me....unless your useing really old traps from the early 1900's ;D....i would seriously relook things over.....

[Bristleback]

I realize I likely WAY over modify my coyote steel.........but some basics: reinforce the dog, base plate and laminate will do wonders for a trap.

I go way beyond that......but those 3 things will prevent most damage delivered by coyotes.

[bubcat]

If you've got real old traps, then it figures they might bust up, they were going to anyways.

I've got a bunch of MB-650, they'll hold a bear, and not flinch, a coyote no problem, I've got offset laminated, and think that's the way they should be. they're a tough trap, the biggest problem I see with them is the notch on the lever set can wear out and round off making them slip fire on a hair trigger... I'm talking maybe one out of a dozen now and then, and you need to take it apart to file out the notch, I find it's hard to square off on left on the trap.

Other than that, the cost is up there.. a 4 coiled #2 bridger will hold every coyote an MB650 will for a lot less money.

that's as much as I know about it. Good luck!

[trappincoyotes39]

robertw, please explain the short commings of the 650? basic copy of the sterling mj600 which I prefer better but I'm all ears as to the short commings of the MJ 600 as well?

A well built trap is nothing but a plus, you pay more but you get more. Some will/some won't.

[robertw]

TC38,
If you think the MB650 is as good as the MJ600 knock your self out!

The MB650 is certainly a NOT a good copy of the MJ600 and will never catch the fur that the MJ600 will.

Personally I think if you took a few minutes and looked at the MB650 you would figure things out for your self.

[Stanley]

"the biggest problem I see with them is the notch on the lever set can wear out and round off making them slip fire on a hair trigger." Bubcat hit that nose on the head! First year with mine were fine. Then bamm, what Bubcat stated. On another forum, last year, there was a thread about this. A trapper redid the dog/notch on this trap. I wish I would have marked it and saved it. It was way better than, the factory. I prefer the Montana #3.

[briankroberts]

As far as traps go the MB 650 will hold anything that fires the trap,however I no longer use the trap as it does have some shortcomings, its all about pan tension and dead areas on the pan, plus pan covers, in my opinion!
A properly modified #3 bridger is all I need.
As faras bent levers, I have yet to see a bent lever, but I've seen every other trap part bent or taken apart.
I have also taken steps to correct these shortcomings of these traps(baseplates,laminations, renforced dogs& pans, better chains and swivels). hope this helps U....B....
Ps steel screen on the No 3 bridger is a plus....B...

[etcwoods]

As far as to what hoytviper said in the original post about spring levers being bent, Im pretty sure he meant the springs where bent away from the levers, I say this because hes my brother and Ive seen the traps.

[jwr64]

The only thing I have ever had to bend a lever was a deer-----John Deere.

[trappincoyotes39]

Robert WQ, I thought you where knocking the concept of the trap, I have used sterlings for many years, and yes the mb is not a sterling agreed.

[trappnman]

The only traps I've ever had blow out with coyotes, is some unmodified #3 double long springs that I used starting out on coyotes. I had some of tese traps scattered like a bomb went off under them.

But on Duke 1.75s, with a fair amount of coyotes caught in them and my bridger and montana coil springs- I've never had a coyote loss through a trap breakdown. I was told that this was because my coyotes are only MN yotes (average is about 30 lbs- big ones get upper 30s, low 40s) and they didn't fight like western coyotes. Well, they apparently don't fight any different from WY coyotes, because I didn't lose any there either. Short chains, and you aren't going to have many blown traps.

For those that have a lot of blown traps, can't help you cause its never been a problem for me.

So what traps to use? High end someone else will have to advise you- I've used Jakes and Strerlings, and but not long enough to catch anything in them, but they are indeed good traps.

But I'll probably never use them, because I am more than happy with the Montanas. I almost stocked up during changing over to bigger traps the Bridger #3, and man oh man am I glad I did not. Aftyer using dogless, I 'll never go back. I can see why those that used the montgomerys loved them. Can only guess many afraid of dogless as to why they faded out. I know I was a little leary of them to start with, but now prefer them.

AS to the 4 colided smaller traps- why bother? Theri limitaitons aren't holding power- it' jaw spread size thatl imts their use or more exactly- makes them "harder" to use.

[robertw]

Brian Roberts adequately explained the problems with the trap in his posting above.

[17HMR]

I not knocking Montanas and going to get more this year but..This year I had a fully modified montana laying there with a jaw popped out, bent a little, add on springs missing, and very bloody with only big coyote tracks around it... after a little closer look at the trap, the bubbled jaw tip wasnt bubbled enough to keep the jaw in the frame, It was 1 of the first ones I bought that I lammed with a strait 1/4 inch rod on top, with the massive chewing of the trap it may have took the bend out of the jaw tip a little and then the poorly lammed jaw flexed andout popped the jaw out. I now use a 1/4 lam that gos over the cornner a lttle and I dont think this would have happened if it was in one of these.

[Jeffrey]

I had a couple of traps bent this year and they where all run over buy trucks, atvs, bulldozers and tractors.

[renny1]

T-man,
You have reds? How are the montanas on reds? Are you using them stock? I have both reds and coyotes. Looking for something that will handle both. Thanks.

[trappnman]

A few reds- I've taken....maybe..... 55-60 reds i nthem, 1 grey. the grey was fine- but think tat was fluke unless others with more experience say its not. It is a heavy trap for the grey.

On reds, good and bad- more good than bad- I'm using unlaminated and prefer them for coyotes- A good lamination would solve it I'd think.

[Wright Brothers]

Don't feel like you are the lone ranger hoyt. Not blown up, probably because of good mods, but most always need readjusted.
My last one bent the cross frame in. Hammer fixed it at set though.
These are not older traps, and are well cared for 1 3/4 modded Dukes.
I wont even use my "old", pre coyote fox traps in land sets.

I see a couple more things to do to them in the off season. Reinforcing the dog for sure.

[robertw]

There is no dead spot on the pans of any other brand of traps that I am aware of.

Bobcats commonly only step once on the trap at a set. Western bobcats will probably average around $300 again this year. High dollar traps that have dead spots on the pans have no place on my trapline.

If you guys like the trap then keep using it!