Greetings,
I have 2 Duke #160 conibears and one single-spring Bridger #150. I'm looking into perhaps trapping some coon and skunk with them this year. Any sets, or tips to share? What kind of stabilizers would be good?
Thanks,
AT

Leave the single Springer's at home for dryland trapping anything bigger than a squirrel.

For stands, any h-type stand for the size works. I don't like the ones that turn inside the trap at the top.

I don't use stands much anymore unless the ground is sand. A tbar stake and jam the springs in the ground will elevate the trap enough. If ground is hard, take a hatchet or sodbuster blade to cut slots for the springs.

I have found when using 160s In trails It's very important to have the bottom jaw at least 5" off the ground. And then you should shove some grass or some type of debris to close up that space under that jaw. A trap to close to the ground Is going to have most of your coon climbing over the top.
With that height off the ground you need a H stand to stabilize that trap. All my H stands have my trap stake welded to the stand. The legs are cut off at 6" so when I drive In stake the H stand legs go Into the ground about a Inch and that keeps the stand from turning.

Thank y'all!

Do you need stabilizers in conibear box or bucket cubbies?

No,Author.The boxes and buckets usually have slots cut in them for the springs.SEt the trap,slide it in the slots and then bend the springs upward.This should create enough tension between the springs in the slots and the lower jaw against the floor of the box.I hope that makes sense for you.

Absolutely, that makes perfect sense! Thank you!

These are deadline bird dogs. Check out options for using off ground for coo n and other animals

put a 10" roof on them for ground use to keep dogs out
2 bolts and wing nuts make them attach fast so they can still stack
cut a window in the back and pop rivet rat wire over it
suspend the bait so there attn is UP
when you stake it down, run the stake thru the trap ring too
cut the notches only 3/8" about and 4-5" deep, so the springs don't slop around when tripping.
a pan system works well or circle triggers too.,,homemade from the xtra long wires from Southeastern Outdoors...the catalog I urged you to get last year.

they don't like their whiskers hitting stuff, think it out

here's a pic WITHOUT the roof
my bait cups are caps from spray paint FREE from local body shop but I also use the bottom 2" from a bottled water or drink, SAME AS IN A CAGE TRAP...suspended.

The extended roof is required in MN, but my dog trainer still had one of his pups get caught in one. Fortunetly, one of the jaws caught on its electronic collar and Steve, being trapper as well, knew how to get it off quick. I apologize for shifting the focus of the post. I am passionate about this as I am both a bird hunter and trapper.

If your concerned about catching dogs when using 160s In trail sets just get some page wire fencing and build a cover to put over your trap. Make them In the shape of a loaf of bread. If your keeping the trap off the ground a few inches just make the cover about 2" higher then the top of the trap. Make them about 18" long and you will be good to go.
This cover will improve your coon catch In 160s about 60 some percent. The coon will not climb on top and once It's committed It won't back up. Deer will jump over or go around. I have caught 100s of coon On tails with little or no cover when using these covers. The old rusty wire just seems to camouflage the trap. The thing you don't want to do Is put any grass over the wire then it just sticks out like a sore thumb. They are a real pain In the butt when It comes to hauling them around and storing them but they will increase your coon catch and eliminate your dog catches.
It seems to me when you try and force a coon Into a baited BG box with all the dog proof devices added on you tend to also make the box coon proof. Sure you catch some coon but your success rate goes way down.

I have a set i am going to try this year. It involves a conibear clip mounted to a short piece of 1x4, a bait holder (top half of a plastic water bottle) and a small bucket which is slim between the board and free once the lower part of the board is attached to a tree 5-6 feet off the ground. The coo n will have to go through the conibear to get at the bait

Thanks, everybody!

Skydancer, if the 220 sized conibear is in a bucket on public lands it has to be set so there is a 7-inch overhang. On private land there is no such restriction. It’s all based on jaw spread. But it’s still a good idea to have the overhang regardless of where the bucket sets are located. Bunny hunter type dogs come to mind on this one

I have had great success with 160s in blind coon trail sets and it's one of those sets I'm always glad I make several of especially when freeze and and other weather are an issue. Late in season I had issues getting coon to commit to boxes but hitting the tight spots in trails almost ways paid off huge.
I like taller grassy trails or places where the trails are narrowed like up a steep bank, through tall grass, anywhere along a brushy creek, etc. A good 160 sized stabilizer works awesome you can both anchor the trap and set it a few inches up off the bottom of trail. I've taken skunk and coon in these on tight coon trails, once and a while a fox or mink too. 160s nail a big coon right behind the ears. It's amazing how a huge boar cannot fit through a 160 but in a tight grassy trail you only need its head in the trap and coon is done.
My stabilizers are made by blue valley trap supply around here locally, but seriously any decent stab in the ground type stabilizer works great in 160 trail sets. Pull some of grass back over the trap to hide it and keep coon forced to the narrow trail, they will never know what hit them. No bait, no fuss, and usually work well right through a lot of weather for us here.
Jin

Do you ever have any problems with using the H stand to stake the trap? I bought a 1/2 dozen 160's and stands this year to try out, and that was my big question, whether I would have to use a rebar stake to anchor the traps or if I could just stick the H stand through the ring on the end of the chain.

I've never had to go look for one, they barely move the trap once it closes behind the ears. They are always just laying there at the aet.
I have my 160s cabled to the stands so I can grab them from the back of the truck to go make a set, all one unit stand and all. The stands are my anchors I guess.
But seriously it's not like there is a fight circle or anything, they are DOA when going down the trail and hit that blind set in the tall grass.

Jim

That Isn't always the case. I weld a 3/8ths rod to my H stands so I have a stake incorporated with the stand.