I get a lot of questions about current production traps, and which traps are good. I usually tell folks to try a few and see what they like.

My question is to you, of the current production traps. New, not used.

What would you pick? And I know it is an open question, but I’m looking for a wide variety of answers.


Coil spring #1-5

Long spring #1-5 single and double

Body grip traps #110-330


Please indulge me and give what you like and don’t like.

And why!

Example, I don’t like some guard traps because they are a pain to set and the guard spring gets in the way of the pan.

Coil spring I’d have to say Bridger until number 3. Then you might as well go with a a Jake or MB550. Bridger because of the ease of modification or just order them fully mod from F&T. They do a great job. Only down side to a Jake is having to reset pan tension after a catch.

I don’t use body grips that much but always got along great with Dukes, BMI, and Victor.

Haven’t set a long spring since I was 10 so no help there, but they are great traps.

Thanks Pawnee, that is what I’m looking for.

Coil springs, I only really buy MB550's with cast jaws new. Best out of the box trap it's size, IMO. Night-latched SS dog, no rough edges, good chain and swivels, nice size pan.

Long springs, I prefer the Sleepy Creek #11. Center-swivels, good springs, pan has adjustable tension, and they hold anything that steps in them. They may no longer be in-production, but they're still available new in lots of places.

Body-grips, Sleepy Creek's 110's (450 by their sizing). Good strong spring, the dog is heavier than most, and they kill mink. In 220 and 330 it's Belisle. They have good safeties, and they hold everything swimming through them.

Coils I get bridgers. Well built, a little tuning and good to go. I own some dukes but for same price I'd get bridgers all day long if I had my choice and I've used both for many years. They both get cussed and discussed on here often but my experience with coyote and coon using both I reach for my bridgers first now. I like mb 550s too but for price the bridger 2 or 3 works great if I had choice. I have some montana 2s round jaws with new pit pans and steel rods, 4 coiled, and those are tenacious coyote holders. Identical to the legendary montgomery 2 round jaws.

Longs I mostly have older Victor's and Blake and lambs myself but newer model ones I did buy bridgers there too and really like them. Adjustable pans, nice springs. Bridger doesnt make a 2 or 3 long unfortunately but their the 3 coil bridger actually has same or bigger jaw spread than a 4 victor long. The bridger long 4 isnt too big for coyote like a 4 victor so 4 long bridgers work for me. The bridger 11 is a great coon taker. Sleepys aren't made any more is my understanding. I did like sleepy 11s for coon but especially liked their older round pan 11s those were really nice traps.

Body grips I have 160 and 220 dukes for modern produced traps, inexpensive and probably their best trap in my opnion. Duke body grips and duke DPs are their best traps and I've used em all. I have some smaller bridger body grippers but the eyes on springs are small and makes em a pain to set sometimes. Belisles are real nice body grippers.

Jim

Coil springs. I strictly bought Northwoods for years, well made trap. Now I have turned to Bridger for the same reason. Don't buy much any more I have enough to last me for some time.

Do you think the newer Victor, Blake & Lamb or even the Newhouse long springs are similar in quality as the older models? Or would you say Bridger is better?

Now I think the only two making double long springs bigger than #11 are duke with the #5 and Bridger with the #4 and #5. It would be nice if someone made a #2 long to replace Sleepy Creeks, but I’d still be too cheap to buy any. I’d like to try them for red fox one day.

Anyone have any experience with these CTM #126 traps?

https://www.minntrapprod.com/mobile/CTM-126-5-x-5-Jaw-Spread/productinfo/CTM126/

Sleepy Creek closing down is a big loss. They made very high quality traps. Sorry to see them go.

You can say that again.

Many years ago, I used Victor and Blake and Lamb longsprings. The B&L # 1 longs had very strong springs and if you can still find them, I doubt those springs would have been weakened with age. As I got older, I switched to Victor 1.5, 1.75 and 2 coils. At one time, I had close to 200-1.5 coils which I found to be excellent muskrat, coon and fox traps.

Then I went through a conibear/body grip phase. My traps of choice were Victor, Montgomery and Sleepy Creeks in 110 to 330 sizes. They all worked. However, my favorite beaver body grips have been 280s because they seemed to hold their strength the longest. I still have some that are 30 years old.

When coyotes displaced fox here, the smaller coils were no match and I got rid of all #1.75 and #2 coils and bought what I thought would match the bigger animals. That meant MB550 and Montana #3 both in closed and offset jaw configurations. Both catch and hold fox, big boar coon and coyotes. We don’t have many fox, but the ones we do have, find no problems depressing the pans and staying caught.

If I were to recommend traps to anyone, I would suggest to new trappers to read a lot, buy some traps, and see what fits your style of trapping. Over time, you will find what worked for me in my journey may not be your choice. But, I hope your journey gives you insights into what works best for you.

This is my thinking also, but I run into a lot of new trappers and wanted to see if I could shorten the learning curve by finding some places to start and possibly some traps that aren’t worth the trouble. That way, they can make more of an educated guess.

Mb550 and Bridger (any size) #3 is my fav.

duke #2 square jaw 4 coil for coyote,flemming 1.5 coil for muskrat and coon they come galvanized just camo spray paint and go,ts85 or bridged#5 for beaver and otter and duke 330 bodygrips ii have found duke 220 bodygrips to work really good on muskrat den sets and if you catch a coon or otter its big enough to get the job done.

I run mostly all coils, Bridgers #1.75 OS night latched and #2 Dogless, Victor #2 square jaw ( my great grandpas still going strong ) and then some Duke 1.75s they hold good and do the trick with no frills. Bridgers are my favorite at this point. I do have one MB 550 that someone decided to set on my land and therefore lost, good trap but price/production wins me over always. I do set a couple #2 double LS every year just to make sure i still can, just caught a yote a day ago in one.

I've got a mixed bag of coilsprings. Mostly Duke 1.75 OS's, a couple Duke #2 OS, and a Victor or 2. Just added a dozen Bridger #3 OS Dogless this year, and so far I am loving them! Easy to set, and they hold like the devil!
My advice would be to get what you can afford, and whats legal! I think 1.75 is a good all around for out here in the SW. I've caught coyotes, cats, coons, badgers, and skunk in them with no major problems!

Good post Justin.

I was wondering how 1.75s would work for bobcat. I have a few, so may try it this winter.

Great post.

I usually give the same advice about buying what they can afford and what is legal. I just wanted to ask around to see if their were any that really weren’t worth the time or money.

#3 Bridger dogless and K.O. Extremes.

I bought a dz of duke #2 square jaw offset 4 coil. They are good traps for the money. I like them way better than duke round jaws ones. Remind me of northwood #2 traps.