I use peat moss and I've never used a pan tensioner on mine and been using them for years mine are offset and small coon and deer will pull out but that's a plus. Maybe you need to tighten your pants up some to make sure they are committing and not light footing your pans.

Look close on the trap jaws. I've found guard hairs from a coyote more than once from rolling

my bet is: deer.

Sounds like deer. I've seen deer tracks going right to my sets and then away, leaving the set exactly as you described. If you are using urine at the sets, stop.

Normally, if you look close at both jaws, you can see the scuff in the jaws where something has pulled out. Normally, with a deer, there will be two distinct marks on one jaw, and a solid mark on the other. A 650 is a exact copy of an MJ 600 sterling, with the exception of the pan and trigger. I have a bunch of sterlings, and you will not hold a deer in one, never have in prolly close to fourty years. But they will leave that distinct marks in the jaws.....just look at things a little closer! You cannot assume anything when trapping!

Sounds like every deer spring I've had. Trap at the end of chain out of bed and no circle. I've never had a pullout from a 650 either

If trap pan has little or no tension it goes off easier, too easy, if pan has like 3 lbs it Should only fire when weight of a foot is applied to the pan

no catch circle? deer. catch circle with a little blood on the jaws? front footed coon.

no catch circle it was a deer

Foxkid,I don't know if you remember but you got six MB650's from me,several years ago.I'm still using the other six from that batch plus more.So I have been using them longer than you with not one pull out and don't plan on any in the future.

You have a deer problem,plain and simple.I won't even use them in cat areas because of the presence of mountain lions.Coyotes pulling out?Sorry,no.

I don’t have 650’s but I do have 550’s and at least one set a check is tripped. I know mine are deer. The fact is, just one a check is awesome for the amount of deer we have, lol. I’ll take that all day long. But then again, I do my best to set where a critter wouldn’t mine coming in to check things out but a deer would. I learned quick not to set on trails on the plantation, otherwise I’d be resetting every trap after every check. Doubt it’s the traps fault. I’m dang glad a deer can pull out...deer are mean!!

I sold my 650's always set off and hard to set and bed , love the 450's easy to set and bed hold most anything

It sure sounds like deer. How far back from your dirthole are you bedding the trap?

Is the peat moss keeping the jaws open when they are triggered? MB 650's are well built strong traps. They are what I use and have not experienced the issues you are having. I have seen MB 650's solidly hold mountain lions so maybe deer, cattle or elk.

thanks for the replies guys....and I guess i'll have to accept that its deer messing around. I kinda question it though,because after I remake the sets.......no action. wouldn't deer come back and keep screwing with it?

as far as bedding issues and coon messin around...always a possibility....but i'm using a cookie cutter. don't think I ever had this much issues when I ran bridger #2 ...........I just quit using them cause I got tired of having to fix the dogs all the time .

for those who are wondering............the trap is usually 9-10 inches away from the attractor.

This is a kitt fox. The trap is a 650. Kitt fox are smaller than a big tom house cat. They hold small animals just fine. I don't know whats going on with your sets or traps. I am sure that failure to connect with coyotes is not due to a trap design flaw. Pan tension aint it either. Those traps are fast . Even after years of use.

Generally deer here they pull the chain just tight enough to pull their hoof out and no catch circle. Coons pulling out from offsets front foot caught will have a catch circle and blood on the trap. I'd bet on deer they are curious about many scents not just urine and some seem to like dirt/peat moss.

I run MB-550's and 650's with offset jaws and am having the same issue. One had rabbit fur on the jaws, the others had no fur, no hair, no catch circle, just a tight chain. We have a lot of pigs and deer and I am assuming they are the culprits. I'm very surprised the 650's would not hold a pig.

Very strong odors will draw lots of interest in rolling particularly when applied at ground level or on exposed objects. Lots of skunk, hard aged odors, tonquin musk, rotten aged materials and a strong urine application will attract deer and other hooved animals not just furbearers.

Get those odors deeper if using that kind of product in a hole or cut back on the amount used if applied to a near surface set area.

My evaluation of these situations has proven to be the above conditions in most cases when troubleshooting for some trappers over the years. It seems to be the logic amongst some trappers that more lure or bait is better. I see and hear this all the time.

Cut back on your usage to the point that you think it isn't enough then it is good. You may be surprised at the result.
Set conditions like crusting and pan tension etc can all impact such things as well.

Been using 650s for about 5 years, love them, still my favorite coyote trap to date. Had my 1st legitimate coyote pullout this year.




Pondered on it quite a bit. What could of happened? Best I can figure is that I used to much local dirt, causing a thick crust over top of the trap, resulting in a toe catch and as I was pulling up, he was pulling out I've been more midnful of the amount of local dirt I use to blend and I don't expect any more issues. Still love the 650, hated that I lost that coyote, but 1 in 5 years aint too bad, and I am 99% sure it was my own fault. Learn, adjust, move on Good luck!