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Re: Bobcat trap pan tension? [Re: rpmartin] #6536854
05/13/19 04:56 PM
05/13/19 04:56 PM
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SW Georgia
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I’m new to this but why would you want travel? I make sure all my traps fire at 3.5 pounds. I don’t want any give when he steps, I want a tripped trap and caught cat. I’ve had one cat catch that wasn’t exactly perfect and it might be considered a toe catch, but it was all four toes...just wasn’t my normal full pad catch.
What is the purpose of travel in the pan?

Re: Bobcat trap pan tension? [Re: rpmartin] #6536869
05/13/19 05:35 PM
05/13/19 05:35 PM
Joined: Apr 2014
Posts: 3,235
S/W Wisconsin
rpmartin Offline OP
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Does a crisp trigger and no travel mean( hair trigger )to everyone?


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Re: Bobcat trap pan tension? [Re: 8117 Steve R] #6536899
05/13/19 06:55 PM
05/13/19 06:55 PM
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Posts: 1,028
West Cent IL
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Originally Posted by 8117 Steve R
Originally Posted by illinideer
I'm running 2.5 to about 3 lbs on my traps with very little pan travel. I have a mix bag of trap duke #2 rj bridger dogless #2 and a few 550's.
4 of the the 5 cats that I caught were with Zags pipe dream good front foot catches the other one was a flat set by the hind toes that pulled out when I tried to get a picture.
J



Just curious, which trap did the cat pull out of?


It was either a bridger dogless or a 550. I narrowd the offset of the bridger to about 1/8 inch to help with the stray coon. He was caught by 1 or 2 toes and he hadnt been there very long barely a catch circle. Probably the biggest one i caught since i started trapping he was big big tom
J




Coyote 5 Badger 1
Coons 17
Bobcats 2 Released
Grinners All of them
USN AE2 VF-31 Tomcatters
Retired SMSGT IL ANG 183 Fighter Wing
Coyote U Class #4
Re: Bobcat trap pan tension? [Re: rpmartin] #6537055
05/13/19 10:47 PM
05/13/19 10:47 PM
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Posts: 3,235
S/W Wisconsin
rpmartin Offline OP
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My traps have basically a 1/2 inch from level pan to bottomed out.
I shoot for an 1/8 inch pan drop. I will except 1/4. I prefer not to have a hair trigger. These measurements are at the end of the pan.

I'm very certain this much pan drop is not an issue with coyotes. For cats I'd say very little to no issue.

I feel toe catch issues are more to do with foot size and placement when the trap fires as was stated above. That can wait till tomorrow.


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Re: Bobcat trap pan tension? [Re: rpmartin] #6537111
05/14/19 01:13 AM
05/14/19 01:13 AM
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N.C MO
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I agree rp toe catchs are more to do with how the foot fired the trap! No way any animal is fast enough to get there foot out of the way even with longs the slowest firing trap on the market. Do a test bed a trap solid and as fast as you can try and poke the pan and not get caught! I'd be willing to bet in a dozen trys you get hammered every try ! Not to mention you got a advantage you know the trap is there a critter don't or shouldn't! I tried to smack a cocklebur off the pan of one of my traps one day. Needless to say I had a catch cicle after! I'm just happy my son didn't dispatch me!


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Re: Bobcat trap pan tension? [Re: rpmartin] #6537163
05/14/19 07:43 AM
05/14/19 07:43 AM
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S/W Wisconsin
rpmartin Offline OP
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So if we were just targeting cats, should we be using smaller pans to get the cats foot farther in the center of the trap? Assuming we are guiding the best we can would a smaller pan cause more complete misses? Would it help hurt or make no difference?


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Re: Bobcat trap pan tension? [Re: rpmartin] #6537214
05/14/19 09:33 AM
05/14/19 09:33 AM
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Marion Kansas
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Or bigger traps if u can. More gap between jaws and pan seems like its helped me reduce toe catches IMHO.

Re: Bobcat trap pan tension? [Re: rpmartin] #6537407
05/14/19 05:01 PM
05/14/19 05:01 PM
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S/W Wisconsin
rpmartin Offline OP
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I agree, bigger traps would be better if the chance of non targets wasn't an issue. I trap in cattle pastures during calving season so I have to be very careful with bigger traps.

Anyone know of a good cat set that is cattle resistant? Notice I didn't say proof. Nothing is 100%


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Re: Bobcat trap pan tension? [Re: rpmartin] #6537512
05/14/19 08:44 PM
05/14/19 08:44 PM
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Cubby boxes with the floor cut out with a bird wing or fur critter tied to the rear of the roof. If natural fur or feathers are a no no then fake fur with plastic eyes. As bovine resistant as you're going to get. Keeps snow from burying the trap as a bonus.


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Re: Bobcat trap pan tension? [Re: rpmartin] #6537717
05/15/19 06:53 AM
05/15/19 06:53 AM
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S/W Wisconsin
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Sounds like a good set. Room is tight for extra gear but will make a couple to try. Thanks for the tip.


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Re: Bobcat trap pan tension? [Re: rpmartin] #6537885
05/15/19 12:22 PM
05/15/19 12:22 PM
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Originally Posted by rpmartin
I agree, bigger traps would be better if the chance of non targets wasn't an issue. I trap in cattle pastures during calving season so I have to be very careful with bigger traps.

Anyone know of a good cat set that is cattle resistant? Notice I didn't say proof. Nothing is 100%

Think of three or four teepee poles/tomato stakes tied at the top and spread out over the set, then size that picture down to where a cat can enter but a cow wouldn't- say tied at ~4' above dirt and spread enough to be stable; or lean a pole against a tree and set under it. The only extra gear is some hay wire and I always think hay wire (not rebar tie wire) is as essential as chain and stakes. (you can call this a cubby if ya want)

>>Are you concerned with bigger traps hurting the cows or the cows breaking the traps?

Last edited by tjm; 05/15/19 12:27 PM.
Re: Bobcat trap pan tension? [Re: red mt] #6537896
05/15/19 12:35 PM
05/15/19 12:35 PM
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Originally Posted by red mt
As far as pan travel causing toe catches there is a whole host of other things that could cause that .(lockup) being one of them.
The foot may start all the way in a trap but end up as toe catch when you get there.

I guess this happens a lot of the time (80%?-99%? of toe catches) and it doesn't look like that's what happened. It is easier to pull the trap jaw over the pad than it is to get the jaw out of the divot/groove between the toes and pad.

Re: Bobcat trap pan tension? [Re: rpmartin] #6537968
05/15/19 02:17 PM
05/15/19 02:17 PM
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Marion Kansas
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If a cat pulls hard enough to pull jaws past there pad no harder than they fight a trap I would think every coyote would be toe caught or completely pulled out in same trap as it seems they fight a lot harder than a cat. Take a foot from a cat u catch, bed and cover the trap like normal but leave a small enough area to see end of pan and the jaw. Fire the trap with paw on the jaw and on the pan and c what you get. Remember when you bed a trap your putting dirt over the jaws so the cats foot is already a half inch higher than the jaws.

Re: Bobcat trap pan tension? [Re: rpmartin] #6538302
05/15/19 10:15 PM
05/15/19 10:15 PM
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S/W Wisconsin
rpmartin Offline OP
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I feel the same yes sir. My partner caught several old dog coyotes by the hind foot this past season. I watched them start from one side of the catch circle go straight across and hit the end of the chain so hard I was afraid the trap would stop and they'd keep going but it never happened. Once they locked up it was game over. After seeing that enough times I'm convinced no cat is going to pull part of the way out especially by a front foot, not in my traps anyway. Just sayin.

I agree with your points on the feet and is a excellent point on the amount of dirt over the trap. Like what was brought up earlier it can come down to fractions of inches and seconds.


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Re: Bobcat trap pan tension? [Re: tjm] #6538316
05/15/19 10:25 PM
05/15/19 10:25 PM
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S/W Wisconsin
rpmartin Offline OP
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Originally Posted by tjm
Originally Posted by rpmartin
I agree, bigger traps would be better if the chance of non targets wasn't an issue. I trap in cattle pastures during calving season so I have to be very careful with bigger traps.

Anyone know of a good cat set that is cattle resistant? Notice I didn't say proof. Nothing is 100%

Think of three or four teepee poles/tomato stakes tied at the top and spread out over the set, then size that picture down to where a cat can enter but a cow wouldn't- say tied at ~4' above dirt and spread enough to be stable; or lean a pole against a tree and set under it. The only extra gear is some hay wire and I always think hay wire (not rebar tie wire) is as essential as chain and stakes. (you can call this a cubby if ya want)

>>Are you concerned with bigger traps hurting the cows or the cows breaking the traps?


That's an excellent idea, I will definitely be using that one.

Not worried about the cows so much as the calves.


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