Been getting sprung off traps. I don't believe they r deer cause they are in step down sets. The trap is not moved. Still In bed in position. I position the trap in the trench to where the lever is at the mouth of the trench. They are very solidly bedded. Wondering why it's going on so frequently. Would a coon be responsible?

freeze/thaw cycles can do that. Also cattle. If it were a critter they’d be pulled out of the bed. Coons will usually dig em out and flip them over without setting them off. Deer will pull them out of the bed without leaving much sign. A pullout will usually have some sign of a catch circle.

What trap are you using? I have seen where cotton tails like to lay or dust in the dirt pattern. When they leave or push off they sometimes spring the trap. It will remain in the bed. Sometimes you will even see a little tuft of their hair in the jaws.

Bridger #3s laminated 4 coiled. I know dug up they would out of bed flipped over or what not. But they r still bedded in the trench snapped off. I don't think its rabbits. Running 3 lbs of tension on them

They r also Dogless filed down to a hair trigger

Cold snap. They are a little bit to hair trigger. IMO
Metal gets cold after sunset, contracts, and snap.
Sprung trap still in it's bed

Like most are saying its freeze thaw conditions that will cause a snap at times up the weight a bit it will help.
In your situation anything stepping on them should be on the way down anyway.
Step down in this country will get put out of commission pretty quick in the winter

This is why.

Probably this. No need for a hair trigger.

Well is a hair trigger on a Bridger Dogless any different than a night latch? I'm not entirely sure that's why I ask

A night latch is an audible click sound.

When my dogless traps do as you described, it tells me that I am cheating the pan a little too much. There is a little bit of a learning curve with dogless traps to find just the right amount of grip on the jaw.

The depth of the " latch" filed into the dog or pan catch ( depending on personal prefference), varies according to the person doing the night latching. Most that I have seen or some done by myself are approx. 1/16". I would consider anything less than that in the " hair trigger " range. I personally keep those engagements right at 1/16" , which is about the thickness of the rolled edge of a penny, as a gauge. There is some noticeable creep set up like this, but not enough to cause a problem when running 3 to 4 lbs. of pan tension. IMO. That is also the same engagement I use on the bridger Dogless models as well as the K-9 extremes,and has worked well for me for several years.Gary

That 1/16 is what I was aiming for too. It does seem they like to snap off when weather changes. Like other night we got alot of rain. I will retest pan tension and tighten to 4 lbs.

If you wax your traps, and I am assuming you do, be sure to scrape off excess wax from both engagement areas. I use a small pocket knife or a piece of broken flat file to clean up those areas when setting the trap at the location. This will help stop any "creeping" you are having with them.

I am guessing that the metal expansion and contraction on a dogless trap would be much more pronounced compered to a trap with a dog. The jaws, being much larger than a dog, would expand/contract on a considerably larger scale.

Exactly why I don't have any of my traps tuned to a hair trigger. I want a full commitment of the foot before it fires.

More than likely this is it...

I hear talk about hair trigger and think I am confused. In my opinion na hair trigger will go off if you breathe on it which means you have no pan tension which is almost impossible to have none. I think some are talking 2 different things on this post. I have all my traps for coyote set with 4 pounds pan tension and very little travel. Which gives me a trap that fires as soon as 4 pounds is exerted on the pan. I can't say never but I rarely get toe catches. Most catches I make are with the foot still touching the pan. Deep and solid. This is how I was taught to properly tune a trap. I am not an expert, just a guy who traps but this works for me.

trap bedding? what are you using for antifreeze? some dirt with moisture in it in the spring area of a tightly bedded trap can freeze and expand enough to move the jaws, snap goes the trap. just something to think about.

Using waxed dirt.