Bridger 3 worked uo

[trappincoyotes39]

I bought some more of my coyote trap of choice this time went with a dozen of the larger PIT pans and welded the key stock onto the dogs and just have chains to change out and add J. c. Conner springs and rings and these will be ready to go. I want to see if the slightly larger pans give me any added benefit or not. I will also work up a dozen with another lamination on the bottom side of the jaw I feel this will make them even better . Need to get some flat stock to weld on.

[Deleted]

Yes, I put them on 5 doz #4 Dukes and 5 Doz #3 Bridgers last year.  I didn't like how high the purchased Pit Pan pan was in relation to the jaws and I didn't like the "humped" step-down pan being offered so I made my own step-dow pan that was below the height of the jaws.  They worked flawlessly!!!  I spent considerable time testing a prototype in order to ensure the 3" pans wouldn't wedge the jaws because depending on the force applied to the pan, the jaws can wedge!!  A 5/16" stop welded under the pan to the trap frame prevents any chance of wedging yet allows for a full foot catch.  I like my modification on the traps mentioned BETTER than the same size pan on the MB-650's!!!  It's all in the distance from the pan edge to the jaw hinge.  At least that's my opinion.

PS:  I reenforced all dogs with 1/8"x3/16" flat stock as well.

Click to play video

[trappnman]

welcome...never!

on your dogs- those aren't the ones you reinforced, or are they?

didn't see that was a double until video- I know my doubles went up, when I started placing traps closer together

[Deleted]

Jun 18, 2014 7:07:47 GMT -6 trappnman said:

welcome...never!

on your dogs- those aren't the ones you reinforced, or are they?

didn't see that was a double until video- I know my doubles went up, when I started placing traps closer together

The trap in the photo had not had the dog reinforced yet.  I was still working to finalize my design of what I wanted for my step-down pan.   

[trappincoyotes39]

Jewels rubbed from breeding A female coyote? can't say I have ever noticed that?

I have gotten my pans low enough for my liking by using the back frame and closing the eye of the PIT dog just so it doesn't catch on the lamination or hang up on the back post Lu's takes all the slop out of the pan, fires like a gun trigger. The nice thing about the PIT dogs is 1/32 of an inch with pan tension makes for deep holds and more commitment weight wise from the coyotes. I don't see these pans hanging up being an issue? The width should keep them from getting under the levers. Never had a problem with the standard 3 PIT pans either.

It like a deeper trap bed as well so having the pan just a shade below the jaw post works well for me.

[Deleted]

When I modified the PP to set lower I forced and held the pan harder after firing than I'm sure than any coyote ever could. By going to that extreme was likened to adding an engineering safety factor to it. Initially I stock, I could fire the trap with a hammer handle and lock-up the jaws with the pan IF I USED ENOUGH DOWNWARD PRESSURE ON FRING AND HELD IT on both the Dukes and the Bridgers. With my stop, that can not happen even if an elephant fired the traps.

With your 3/16" stock-size spring pins, they would have the pan a little lower than mine with the 1/4" spring pins. One thing that I found is completely understandable is that the PP is directly dependent on the spring pins and they WILL shift especially depending on what the coyotes do while in the trap. Any movement of the pins, even the slightest will directly affect the pan levelness, the dog position, and of course tension. What I found typically was an ever so slight movement rearward toward the dog post. That is no longer a problem on mine.

[Deleted]

Jun 18, 2014 16:00:26 GMT -6 trappincoyotes39 said:

Jewels rubbed from breeding A female coyote? can't say I have ever noticed that?

I e.

LOL! My comment is nothing more than conjecture because I'd already killed the old female. I will say this though, I have seen similar on older males caught late season.

[trappincoyotes39]

Well they must really go to town as coyote are pair breeders and not like whitetails or rabbits. I guess get it when you can Maybe some of the old males are so old they are dragging the jewels on the ground

[trappnman]

I do think that the main reason for those red crotch areas on old males is from the licking

why did you prefer dog on over dogless?

after trying dogless, I'd never go back to having a dog- I can see where welding flat stock on takes care of chewed dogs- but do you perceive an advantage with the dogs?

[trappincoyotes39]

Tman don't know who you are directing the question too? But I see NO disadvantage to,using a dog on trap with those that have a dependable and reliable pan system like the PIT setup. When you look at a sterling mj 600 it is like a hybrid trap it has a dog but everything is inside the jaws. The only issue is you do have some maintenance on them never been a big issue for me, but when comparing parts and maintenance I have decided to make the switch over to the Bridger 3's. The state bought us many more of the over the sterlings just do to cost, I had a pile of my own sterlings and did use them for work purposes as well, the Bridger 3 didn't really do much for me until I tried the PIT pan system, prior to they worked well on coyotes but I had a gun notch trigger filed into the pans and a catch on the dogs even re enforced they still required file maitnence over time, so. Was gaining nothing over the sterlings so I used and set far mor mj600's over the bridger traps. Until I decided to try a dozen PIT pans and what they add to a Bridger, double legged pan very stout , easy to set, very consistent pan tension, proper pan tension IMO, and a pan that fits the inside area of the trap well just like the mj600" both result in very deep holds time and again but the mj600 without filing at times leads to holds not as deep. You don't have that problem with the PIT system, it works off spring rate and not a fine notch so less issues over a longer period of time. Another trap I really liked was the coyote cuff 33 great trap but very heavy and he quit making the cold rolled dogs that where indestructible, so figure their cost versus Bridgers again an easy choice for me. If he still sold just jaw sets for the Bridger 3 's I would be running all of my Bridgers with the coyote cuff jaws, but he won't do that as that effects his trap sales for sure.

if I was a richer man II would have them poured somewhere but I can't order just 100 sets of jaws without paying a price that is much too high. So I go with the laminated jaws and move on.

[trappnman]

the smaller the pan, the deeper the hold would be, unless really running heavy tension

I think if I could afford it, I'd go with the original Montgomery trap- I only own 1, but can see its a Montana, but better I na couple of areas.
but since I cannot afford to re outfit, assuming I could find enough of them ,I'll go with the montana, and will probably try some of those bridger dogless

trapped with pans for a long time, freely admitting I never reinforce dogs, and still prefer them in water......but the dogless are just so darn maintenance free, and so easy to use screens (that's a separate issue, I like and will continue to use screens) that I just prefer them for coyotes

[dtraper]

I am running 7doz, 3Bridger's full mod.-off set and changed out all the pan to the PIT system - what I am wandering about are you running the round dog ?? in the last 5-6 yrs. I might have changed 3-4 -- this is my 2nd yr. on the new Dogless 3s -full modified -buying a doz. MORE for this yr.--Trappinman , got a full doz, Montanas off-set/modified/laminated and just a couple has seen dirt -- ya want to trade on some full mod. Bridger 3 dog or dogless?-LMAO-D-

[trappnman]

trade what? bridgers for montanas? If I had more than the few Bridgers I won, I'd trade I na sec

if you want me to trade montanas for bridgers?

no

not a bridger fan, but will try some of the dogless eventually to see if they are the equal of the montanas

[bogio]

Shoot Tman, it's just money. They print more everyday.

Besides, with the premium we recieve for these silkies we're working with, a complete retool would be chump change.

[trappnman]

ain't that the truth


I tell you- between the horrible gopher season last year due to all the winterkilled hay, with coon and coyote populations down, then the ice and snow of this winter, and the constant constant rain this year- its been they say the 2nd wettest Jan- June ever, #1 being in the 1880s

the tallest corn I've seen in past week, reached my knee when I pulled up top leaf. most is 6-7 inches tall- it can catch up quick, but another late harvest I'm guessing

still -been seeing fair bit of roadkill coon, and tracks in fields- plus am getting good reports from farmers concerning coyote activity-

starting to collect dry dirt (usually wait til much later)

[trappincoyotes39]

T,an not liking a smaller pan but a pan that sits better equal and in relation to the jaw space inside of those jaws. I also run adequate pan tension with the PIT system hard not unless you really hook bill the dogs LOL. I have deep,holds so no,worries there and with the higher jaws on a Bridger over a Montana which in relation is really more of a size 2 trap than a 3. talk jaw height here not width. That those taller jaws reach up and hold more. Also I do,not like the narrow,pans found on the standard Bridger, Montana or Montgomery's .

Here are a few pics of true 40 lb Missouri coyotes hard to tell but believe me they are,notice the holds the same even with the South Dakota coyotes once I switched to the PIT pan system.

The PIT system takes away any filing maintenance on the traps period. Plus gives you really consistent pan tension.



Another above the pad going no where with my son.



Now some from SD standard pan Bridgers one with a good gun notch trigger prior to PIT



One with the gun notch not maintained .

[Nick C]

Does anyone weld 1/4" key stock to their dogs? If I were to ever run dog-on traps I think I'd try that.

Everything is right on schedule for our crops as far as maturity. It's too early to tell what harvest will be like. I'll know for sure by the middle of august. For corn it's all about growing degree days/units. So heat will mature it faster. Soybeans go by daylight. The days start to get shorter after today? Right? Summer can end anytime now.

[trappincoyotes39]

Nick that is what I have on mine is key stock. Cheap enough and easy to cut. I get mine in 1 ft sections for 1.79 at a farm store.

[trappincoyotes39]

Never so by cutting down the length of the pan legs on the PIT pan to get it to sit lower I do notice the hook bill on the dogs, I would think and feel the shorter the legs the more pan tension is applied hence the reason to hook bill,those dogs.

Now it is my opinion and like that I Want the dogs to remain as straight as ai can get them and still have the pans at or below the jaw post, but what ever works they beauty of trapping many things end up with the same results, just different avenues of getting there to a degree.

Thanks for posting your results to get what you desire.

[Deleted]

yes, that is exactly right. When I installed the 1st PP stock the pan set set level with 2.5 lbs and 1/8z' above the jaw hinge(slightly more height due to the 1/4"spring pin). I did not like it and wanted the pan lower by 1/4" or below the hinges. There was a slight hook with the stock setup and the hook is just increased with the lower and rearward moved pan because of the change of fulcrum point. With me, I don't feel the hook is anything more than a basic function of pan tension as advised by the manufacturer.