I plan to give canine trapping a go this coming fall. I have never went after them seriously, caught a red fox once, he must have been dumb! Anyhow, like most places, coyotes are everywhere here. I have collected over the years several different brand traps that should work. But what would you experienced canine guys use? What I have to choose from are, Victor 1.75OS, Victor #2SJ, Montgomery #2 standards. All of them are 2 coil, with adjustable pan tensioners, just the way they come out of the box. The 1.75s are newer than the #2s, although all of them are in fantastic condition. I have base plates/center D-ring that I plan to install along with straight link chain and a couple crunch proof swivels and double stake swivels. I have a handful of #2 Sleepy Creeks all set up like this and plan to copy it. So my question is are the 1.75s stout enough with 2 coils or should I use the older heavier #2s? Primary target will be coyotes, but there will be fox, both gray and reds, around. I have a dozen baseplates, should I try 6 and 6 and give them the field test?

That question is looooooaded around here , good luck

As long as you base plate the 1 3/4s they will do,not my first choice but sometimes you just got to use what you got .

1.75 will.work but as important as baseplate would be bending up fast tips or bubble welding so jaws don't pull out. I used 1.75 my first year and then bought coyote traps the next season.

smaller traps like 1 3/4s cant be covered as much as larger ones but can be used with foot guides or step downs that center the foot in the trap the monty's are fine i'd baseplate the vics if possible id laminate the vics also unless your offsets have the newer forged jaw which I know nothing about

Check your mail box

I like my MB550s but I also have some Bridger dogless #2 that I will try this fall. Just get something strong and with quality so it will last

I like the bridger #2 4 coil offset dogless modified for coyotes. I also use mb 550 650 duke #2 square jaw and #3 coil all offset all of them 4 coil too. But that is what I like.

we have the best traps available than any other time in history.. Buy some of each and decide what works for YOU and YOUR conditions and style best. Big traps take more dirt to cover but small traps are a handicap. Eastern yotes have big paws, and are very powerful. A lot depends on how hard your gonna trap also. Get the best you can afford, quality trumps cheap... Especially for yotes..

AMEN

I mainly use a #3 4 coiled Bridger outside laminations. I agree it takes a lot more dirt to cover and a bigger hole to bury. I usually set mine late in the season or just before the snow and even if we get 2 - 3 inches they still have the reach. I also have used the #2 Duke round jaws in areas where there is more human traffic and have had no problem holding coyotes with them. This is what works for me and everybody else probably will be different.

Have a friend that uses mostly 1.75's 4 coiled and catches big Maine coyotes with them. He has them all base plated and laminated - as they should be if targeting coyotes imo and as others have stated. I think he's nuts but it works for him, lol. I prefer bigger traps, biggest I can use legally, and really like Monty #3's laminated for my trapping. They are not 4 coiled and never had a problem and have caught some big yotes. If I was trapping in frozen ground and perhaps if I didn't have plenty of waxed dirt (which I do), I'd 4 coil them - not really for holding power but to come up out of the ground faster. I do 4-coil them, though, if the springs begin to weaken after a few years.

I have to disagree. A lot were longsprings, but many companies made coils that would hold their own to the newer companies traps. If what you say was the case why are so many people modifying them?

Thanks for all the insight guys. Of note, I already have the traps I listed. Actually after looking things over I have at least a couple dozen Victor #2SJ, and some Blake and Lamb #2 mixed in. They are very strong, I don't think many of the Victors have ever been used. No matter what, anything I set for canines will be baseplated at a minimum. The 1.75s would need to be 4 coiled I think for me to trust them. I don't think I will use them as I have quite a bunch of the #2s. So now the question is, what mods, other than base plate/swivel/chain, if any, would be advantageous?

Oh, here we go!

If you are talking about the old #2 victor square jaws, the 1.75s are actually a tougher trap. The old 2 square jaws had a very weak base, thin jaws, and the levers dont ride high enough on the jaws. I had some I wanted to tinker with, and spent way too much money on by putting 1.75 jaws and levers on, brand new #2 music wire springs, and then baseplated them them to fix the weak base issue

Yep true that

Ya. I started using those last season. There are good traps. Hold fox In them with absolutely no foot damage at all. And yet will also hold any coyote.