I use duke #3s and #4s for coyote with less than of 1' of chain and would like to center swivle the #3s and strengthen the #4s with a baseplate. I also want to 4-coil the #3s so I could trap later into the season. There is a potential for incedental wolf and I cross stake with 2 24" rebar stakes and want to make sure i dont loose a trap. I would like to know if these mods would be nessary or just a waste of $.

Baseplates are cheap insurance. I don't know whether you would need 4 coils or not, but I'd add the base if you do, especially when you put better springs on down the line.

Your staking is fine. You shouldn't lose a trap. A wolf would probably destroy your trap but I doubt it would pull the stakes before it dismantled your trap. Just my thoughts.

As for coyotes, all my traps I use for them are base plated, even my dry land coon traps are base plated just in case I get a coyote in them.

Base plating is good idea

Ive had a camera over a beaver carcass1a for the past 3 months and had pictures of rex fox, fisher and coon. Foes anyone have expierence on what my traps (stock duke #3s and #4s with baseplates) would do to the leg of red fox/fisher/coon

Pictures of yotes as well

Proper swiveling goes a long way to avoid leg and foot damage. Keep the backing small so they don't tangle in it as well.

base plates definitely it like stepping into a 4 wheel drive after a 2 wheel drive!

Thank you to everyone for your intputs

I wonder how a #3 Bridger would have held up.

Would you post a picture of the fisher?

Probably much better, I know a guy that held one in a #2 Montgomery, I here dukes are light duty, poor quality

Deadwolf, I'm glad you posted when you did, as I was going to comment about how," today's traps are much better built and reinforced... blah blah"....it seems that wolf didn't care.....lol
It looks like the wolf bit the spring pin and pulled the lever and springs off.
Base plating wouldn't have helped here but a spring pin retainer like a Taos kit system would have helped or a weld on the spring pin near the dogside.
Bulletproof I believe is what J.C. Conners calls it.

Deadwolf- What were the additional mods?

The skinned beaver for bait was 45lbs and a reference

I had a little over 1000 pictures and saw things i would have never extpected like the fisher, fox, large owl and young eagle. This is right on the edge of a pond that i have a bow/rifle stand over and previosly had a gut pile here.

Nice work! What are running for pan tension....as that paw was buried. Step down type of set possibly?

Im not very familiar with a trench set. Care to elaborate?