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) ...