A neighboring rancher wants me to trap coons with DPs only what are the pros and cons of different brands also what is a good bait? Any advice on setting techniques?

Dukes work great & the price is right. Put some grape jelly on marshmallows. Use some molasses with the set. Try to set them on sign.

I use dry cat food and marshmallows. I have some Dukes but the Coon Daggers are my favorite.

I have a lot of different brands and each have a place on my line for different situations.
Dryland, I like Z traps and dukes.
Water I like coon cuffs on drowners.
Barns and old buildings, I like duffers and egg traps.
But seriously any of those will work well in any place depending on the set and location.
Set right on sign, use good bait, and have fun.
They dont works as well for me in late season or extreme cold. Then I do better with dirthole sets, 160s, and sometimes cages.
Jim

Duffers and egg traps? You learn something new every day.

In my mind, the main thing that differentiates DP traps is if they have a push/pull or pull only trigger. That changes everything as far as how and where you might set it and what you might catch with it. Sub set of the same thing, but big difference just the same. Technically, a trap with push/pull trigger is no longer a DP (dog proof). The only safety feature left on one of those is the size of the paw that can get inside.

That's why I like the Duke, HayDay.

And as for a duffer, I've never heard of that either.

The duffer was a decent DP. And the egg trap you had to take It apart to release the coon. All DPs will work.

Duffer's and egg traps paved the way.

I remember getting original Lil'Griz's when they were first commercially available and guys told me they were just a glorified egg trap. No, they were definitely taking things in a different direction.

Yep I have 5 left out of an original dozen duffers DP traps. I bought them back in early 1990s at the Nebraska convention from the guy that made them. He was.from kansas I believe. Caught a jillion coon in them over the years and im still using them. Neat little easy to set trap.
Jim

The problem with them Is they wouldn't pass the BMPs to much foot damage they said.

Anyone ever try the Alcatraz?

It will catch coon.

Yes it will. I just don't see them up for sale.

Diablo DP's work great for me and a lot of other trappers. They are usually 15-20% cheaper than Duke or Z traps or Bridger. Give them a look. Wolfcreekproducts.com. They sell the Alcatraz traps as well. I however am not familiar with them as i haven't used them. If they make it though it is a solid trap.

I have used every one mentioned here and a bunch of others. Been using them for a lot of years now. The BEST one for catching and holding coons I have ever used is the Yancy's DP Trap (slightly modified). Never had a single tripped and empty trap with them, ever! If they were tripped they held coons. However the need to modify them, need for the setter to set and release coons made them less desirable. The best of the modern tube type DP's IMO is the EZ-Traps. They are pull only, which catches coons just as well as push-pull designs, they have the best coating offered on DP's (zinc chromate) it doesn't get rust, even after tons of catches. It has a Z-trap type stabilizer which is the best most versatile stabilizer for any weather conditions, and it flat out catches and holds as well or better than any other tube type DP out there. UNFORTUNATELY, they are no longer being made, so IMO based on actually using the traps there are TWO to choose from, there's the Best Choice (of what's available today) the Z-Trap and the Best Value, The No-BS dp. There are others that I have not tried, but not many, and they may work as well but the stabilizer is what puts these two choices over the top for me. I don't put them away when the ground is freezing or if its too rocky or inside a building, you can easily make a pilot hole with your stake or a drill to set them in, yet they will pull free of it easily so not to stop the swiveling action of the trap (extremely important). The drawbacks to any of the tube type traps are the exposed spring and trigger. The springs can be compressed by big coons wrapping them up tight against a solid object, releasing themselves. The springs will also get hung up on things such as a stake not fully pounded in the ground, or a nail in a building ETC, which stops the swiveling (not good!). The exposed triggers can be tripped from the outside of the trap by a coon or other small critter playing (especially if you have any bait on the outside of the trap itself) with the trap, or larger non-targets trying to hold it like a dog chewing on a bone does while licking in the trap. These lead to tripped empty traps or worse.

There is one other NEW to the market design that shows promise but I have not used it, Cedar Creek Traps. (you can google them)

I started with the Yancy’s and Egg traps. I had losses from both. I am partial to the No BS for pull only traps. I have done well with the Z Traps. My kids use the Freedom Brand traps because the ease for them to set.

I started with the Alcatraz and had multiple losses with them. Switched to Dukes which I still use. I use some as pull only and converted others to push/pull. They catch and hold coon.

I only have Dukes so I can’t compare to anything else. Haven’t lost a critter yet, even catch rats in it if I don’t cover the tops. Only draw back is I have to use setters to set.

He still sells them at conventions. Neat trap and he has some good tips when he gives demos

If you are around concrete figure out how you are going to set them. A brake rotor can be made to hold a trap and acts as a drag, if its heavy enough

I've only used Duke dp's & always set them by hand. I don't know if I figured out some sort of trick. I do not have stronger than average hands

I thought the Alcatraz was going to be the ticket for me but I had about 50% pull outs. Don’t know if it was my inexperience with them or the fact they didn’t have much holding power for Mn coon. Our coon start about 12 pound average and when the big ones start showing up, we’re looking at 27-33 pounds.

Egg traps worked and I got to the point of resetting them in less than 90 seconds but the base plates sort of warped and I lost confidence. I started with Griz, had a couple freeze in, broke the “V” stake off the bottom getting them out and went to Dukes. They were the ticket and I bought more.

A couple years later, I got introduced to Ztraps. My trapping partner had a bunch and we put them on drowners. Coon in every one, every time.

Since then, I’ve bought Dukes and lots of Zs. They both work or maybe I have the most confidence in them. They have the holding power I believe I need.

You’re going to have to buy some, try some and decide for yourself. It’s a learning process and fun to do.

Duke's have incredible holding power.

About the holding power of a duke, I caught my thumb in one this year. I have always set them by hand, so no tools with me. I could not get that thing off with just one free hand. Wound up taking it back to the truck with me (after I pulled the stake) where I used the emergency lug wrench as a prybar to compress the spring. Needless to say, my thumb was a tad sore and I will be buying a setter, if nothing more than for safety.

As far as the OP is concerned, there might be another advantage to the Dukes. Around these parts, Dukes are the only traps a guy can walk into a store and buy locally. Our local farm and home chain stocks a few traps for farmers and home owners and except for havahart cages, the ONLY traps they have are the mass marketed Dukes. Walked down the aisle the other day and shelves were thin on BG's, coil springs, etc, but they must have had 2 bushel of DP's in one bin and they were all Dukes. High priced, but they got em.

As for Z Traps, mine all have push pull triggers. I would not be using them to trap coons around my back porch or in the barn where the cat's hang out.

The Iowa DP trap from Cedar Creek looked interesting, but they are out of stock.

Lastly, was standing in line at the hardware store yesterday and the end cap had a selection of bait.......errr....candy for the customers with a sweet tooth. One that caught my eye was a bag of yellow circus peanuts........another was a bag of salt water taffy. Anybody ever try either of those for coons?

I let this slide the first time you said it in this post so as to not sound argumentative but, they are no more likely to catch a cat or small, or large, k9 than the pull only designs. I know it seems like they would be, but it just does not play out that way in the real world. However NOT setting any DPs around pets is a GREAT idea. I never set them where I'm sure dogs will find them, like farm yards and where I know guys hunt with dogs real often.

All pull only traps (not all my pictures, some gathered off here) ...