Hello everyone. I recently sold all of my bigger traps since I moved from Texas to Georgia. Then I had to sell all my other traps since I was in a bind with my wife’s medical issues. Now I’m pretty much starting over as far as traps. My question is, should I buy the Duke #2 square jaws or the Bridger #2 traps? I have not had any experience with either. I’ll be after fox, cats and coyotes. I have heard some negative views on the dukes but I also know there are a lot of people who just hate dukes. What’s y’all opinion? I’d like to eventually have all of the same kind of traps. Thanks for your help

I run them both along with 550s dukes have better springs and come 4 coiled Bridger has better chain. Basically a toss up but dukes are cheaper and right now fnt has them on sale for $88.00 for regular jaws and $90.00 for offsets a dozen. I would buy the dukes. Jmo

Dukes are very good for what they cost, they are not advertised as the same thing as the higher priced traps, they are for people on a budget who still want to trap. I have cought many critters in dukes espicaly there body grips I learned on them I no u asked about foothold in just giving an example, and there great for high theft areas.
Now that being said, I have used both brands in 3 and 4 sizes and the parts on the bridger do seem thicker and I like there dogless pans much more.
Not require work out of the box and for the people who put them down rember that many kids who want to trap could not afford it if all traps were priced like mb s and beslile there is a time and a place for everything and I rember my youth trapping and adult trapping with both brands being enjoyable to say the least.
So as long as you are not expecting a box of mb 550s and can do some tuning and fileing you will have a good trap either way you go.

Also when I called duke and left a message about getting offset jaws for my num 4s on a Saturday bill duke himself called me back within 15 minutes and answer my questions in detail. He now's the product he sells very well and is very proud of them.
That real y endeared me to duke, I use any and all brands of trap I can get but I never look down on a duke.

Bridger, the dogless ones. The plain ones work well too

I wouldn't be afraid of the Dukes either. I have used the older round jaw trap and with a little work they work just fine.

I used duke 1.5 and they’re my go to fox traps. I also liked the #4s but there’s a size restriction here in Georgia.

Bridger hands down, flimsy built traps are worthless when trapping coyote

I wouldn't call a #2 square jawed Duke a flimsy trap.

X2, every time there a post like this its starts a little feud. I would say Duke traps have caught just as much if not more fur then any other trap.

My advise is buy what fits in to your budget, prep/tune them and you will be fine. I use Duke and Bridger both, but I have far more Duke then Bridger.


B

I'm with the Beav # 2 Duke square jaw is NOT a flimsy trap. Ran some last year and they worked fine for me. I do mod ALL my coyote traps as I live market.

I didn't like the Bridger #2 at all. I've lost very few critters out of any of the Dukes, however. Never tried the square jawed Dukes but I'd choose a Duke 1.75 or round jaw #2 duke over a Bridger all day long. OR step up to a #3.

And don't discredit the Victor line of round jawed traps. I/ve become a fan of round jaws over square.

I was pretty happy with the last Victor #2s I bought.

Personally I think people fall in love with the Bridger 2s looks. "built like a tank" I hear...pffft. Well looks has no value in fur in the back of the truck. Took me a long time to figure that one out. I'm a bit slow.

Agreed. I know they fixed the D ring issue for the Duke square jaws but what about the dirt gap?

Our restrictions are 5.75 INSIDE clearance. They can be any outside measure so don't discount larger traps with inside lamination.

That said, our song dogs ain't that big and evidently not as hard a fighters as others seem to have. At least I don't experience lots of trap damage and I've caught yotes in #2 SJ vics, MB650C, 1.5 stock duke, 1.5 and 1.75 montgomery low lever dogless, MB450, Bridger #2 modified, Duke 4x4.

I like the idea of big iron and big kill zones but experience says a 1.5 is all you need IF your set construction/lure gets the pad on the right spot. Make that a well built 1.5 though as damage does occur and a souter trap will have less down time overall.

I'm contemplating adding Bridger 1.75 SJ to my collection if only I could find a crimp on paws pan and heavy dog with bump to do away with the pan bolt.
If not that either the montana 1.5 or 2 hopefully similar paws pan.

I bought the #2 Duke 4 coiled and had no troubles what so ever. Now I did night latch them and tune them as far as pan tension . They held everything that got in them. Bobcats, Coons and even had a couple of hounds too. So they aren't crap. I would but more if I needed them

I bought a dozen to try out. I was really impressed at the quality. Of course I didn't leave them stock at all. New chain, double 3/16" lamination and doubled the thickness of the dog. Added a double stake ring And welded the baseplate. Not saying they aren't a good trap stock, but I like to tinker. This is the new Duke no. 2 I'm talking about.

Hmm the dukes are on sale this month as well

Check out the bridger 1.65 I like them better than both you have listed...

Buy what you can afford. It sounds like you have a budget in mind already. With that being said have you considered Bridger 1.5 Specials or Wolf Creek #2's? I've heard great things about both. I have a couple of the WolfCreek they are stout. I ran a very small short line and didn't see how they do.

The Wolf Creek # 2's have and inside spread of just under 5.5" if I remember correctly it's 5 7/16"

You want to see a stout solid trap, look at the Duke #3. That is a well built heavy duty trap.......jk

Bridger #2 dogless has performed very well; stout trap, beds well, caught fox, coyote, and timber wolves so far in them; probably buy more.