Bridger 3 worked uo

[rionueces]

My partner ordered some of the Bridger dogless traps, and he ended up sending them back. Only about 1\2 of the dozen that he ordered functioned properly out of the box. Montanas always work for me straight out of the box with no fiddling around with the dog or pan.... I also have about three dozen old Monty's that I wouldn't trade for anything....

[trappincoyotes39]

Not a dog less trap guy. Each to his own. caught coyote in Montana's but jaw spread too small for my liking and also the pan is too narrow for my liking. Like the surface area of the PIT pans inside the jaws of a 3 Bridger. If they could make a 3 Bridger with a pan like the PIT and dogless well then maybe I might switch.

I do not need wire screen for these traps or sterlings which I used for many years.

[trappincoyotes39]

Well the new Bridger 3's all done up ready to go I compaired them to a coyote cuff 33 at a cost savings and a few benefits over the coyote cuff.

The larger pan should help with even less guiding needed, I have a dozen with steel rod dogs and a dozen with reenforced straight dogs. I see PIT now makes SS rod dogs.

My older 3 Bridgers will keep the standard pans but all will get the inside jaw lamination next spring and I might just switch all out to rod dogs see how it goes.

I took off the standard 4 coils and raced with smaller music wire helper springs plentynofmpeoer even with the lamination.

Look forward to the enlarged pans first go around with them. Also I have liked the chestnut rings for a period of years now makes anchoring with about anything easy .

My Bridger work compared to a coyote cuff 33

[trappnman]

even with re-enforced dogs- I don't know why you would prefer them over dogless traps-

[trappincoyotes39]

Tman each to his own, with the PIT pans I get consistant pan tension with little maintenance to them, as the spring weaken then I just replace springs but that takes a few years, no filing to maintain like my sterlings, over time they need filed not hard to do but if I don't catch them then I end up with more shallow catches.

The PIT pans are a great addition that offers me a bigger kill area and the dogs cause me no problems. Just like vary few dogles traps are the same notch so are dog on traps, one can go many ways I choose to go with a larger kill area and super consistant pan tension. They have proven there worth to me.

Not to mention I think the jaw size on the Bridger 3 is perfect for coyotes and cats.

easier to laminate as well on a dogless to get that thick jaw one has to notch out or weld two pieces under the jaws. I like thick jaws and 4 coils. I wish Tom B would just sell the coyote cuff jaws like years back I would swap them out and be done, but I can laminate them good with my mig welder and when setup they do not take much time.

[trappincoyotes39]

Tman you asked why I like my bridger 3 modified traps, here is another reason I catch more than a couple this way each year.

[trappincoyotes39]

Another victim of the Bridger 3 with the enlarged PIT pan liking these larger pans all the more! This is a great location and yet only 80 yrds off a major hwy.

5 sets total on this location.

Notice all the trash 3 rd one from this set and the chain and spring clear as a whistle.

[trappincoyotes39]

Just got in a few more dozen of the large PIT pans to put on some of my older Bridger 3's and making up another new dozen. This year these larger pans have proven there worth to change them out over the std size to me.

[trappincoyotes39]

Next season all of my bridger 3's will have the larger PIT pans over the standard PIT pans and a my older ones will have the inside lamination, I will have all of my traps exactly the same by next season. The 3 Bridger has been a work in progress for me and I feel now I have an excellent coyote trap after making changes through the years on many areas, from chain length, to spring rates, to shock springs, to PIT pans and modifications making the jaws the proper width.

In this area my system of using pogo's and wolf fangs for anchors in various soils has also proven successful and fast to pound in sets. My pogo driver will be a custom deal though the 24" predator seems to be a tad to short in some cases and the 34" heavy duty is far too long so I will be cutting off my 34" driver to 30" and will have a driver that will be easier to use and still extract better than the shorter 24" driver.

Was a steel stake guy for many,many years. Hard to make a change but seems to be working out well for me. Out west in hard pan the driver tip on the pogo would not last long and the wolf fangs needed only to go in 12" max in many areas, the farm soils easier to work with and disposables for sure IMO.

[wink]

TC

Are those the 9 C pans and if so where u gettin em?

[trappincoyotes39]

Yes they are, and the only two places I know of are PIT and F&T they both have them in stock.

[trappincoyotes39]

Well,doing up a few more dozen of these traps should be set for a few years.

Sure wished I would have bought the hobart welder a few years back, like this welder for trap work just the ticket.

yep PIT 9C pans on all of these as well.

[trappincoyotes39]

Worked up more chain setups tonight for more Bridger mod traps. JC rings and springs, and MB crunch proofs and 3 American made chain.