I recently had a coyote dust off and remove the wire pan cover on my pipe dream set. I use mb550s and 650s and have trouble getting the screen to lay flat across the pan. Sometimes it "domes up" over the pan and I wonder if the coyote feels this.
I try to slide the screen under the jaw on the dog side and have it end just inside the opposite jaw on the other side.
Am I doing this wrong? How should the pan cover sit on these two particular traps?

Try crumpled wax paper instead. On my #2 Bridgers, a 7x7 piece is good. Just roll it into a little ball then open it up. Water proof and silent.

It’s tough to do with the mb550s because they want to dome up like your experiencing. Live more outdoors has a good video of how to make it work but for me I just use wax paper and works great. With the pipe set traditionally they use no dirt to cover the trap and use grass clippings only and wax paper may not work well for that. Check out live more outdoors on YouTube and see what you think.

Darknight
I had trouble with screen cover on my 550's, duke RJ #2's and bridger dogless #2 with pipe dream sets. I spent more time messing around with the screen than digging the set. After a lot of trial and error I went to the black coated fiberglass/nylon pet proof screen that you see at lowes or menards for screen doors. For me with my smaller traps I place it under the pan I found out when I was putting it on top the coons would pull it off and mess with the trap.Sometime I would catch them but mostly the trap would be out of the bed. With it under the pan I would usually get them if they started messing with it. And another reason for me with the smaller traps and putting it under the pan I was always afraid that if I increased the pan target area especially with wire screen that a coyote could be 1/2 way on the jaw and possibly trip the pan. The screen the Zagger uses with his jakes is like precut rigged panels that fit the inside profile of his trap lay nice and flat and for him increase the kill zone.
I cut the screen to just fit inside the jaws for my bridgers with a notch for the pan hinge and when I use it on the duke and mb I just knock the corners off and cut a slit for the dog with a pair of scissors. Also with this screen if you take a stack of your precut pieces and put them between 2 boards and clamp it in a vise over night they will stay nice and flat. The only negative for me with the screen under the pan your grass will sag down some if you get a good rain but as long as the wind doesnt blow it away its still blends in fine. Hope this helps
J

Thanks guys. I'll keep playing with it. I tried no screen but noticed the grass would settle into the trap around the pan making the pan more obvious. I'll try the black screen.

I put a rubber band under each lever stretched over the pan, works perfectly. Holds the screen flat and tight against the pan.

This is the method I use. Link down below.
https://trapperman.com/forum/ubbthreads.php/topics/6516971/1

I've tried the screen & it seems my waxed dirt goes through and fills under the pan every time. So I go with poly fill for pipedream sets & cushion foam for the rest. Found a roll at stuffmart for 8 bucks, cut just a tad bigger than the pan, put in a big ziplock with pieces of sagebrush then slide underneath. Have seen only a couple of messed up traps where mice or something pulled it out but that's mostly on resets if I don't use new.

If you’re using screen, why would you cover with dirt?
Only time I use screen is Pipe Dream sets or blind sets. Dirtholes get polyfil under the pan and covered with peat or dirt.

Didn't know any different till now.

I cut 2 slits in middle of screen and “thread” screen onto the pan so the area between the 2 slits is under the pan. I’m using dogless square pan traps so it works well.

Used it for years with great succes

https://www.amazon.com/Interfold-Paper-Bakery-Tissue-Paper/dp/B00HLAIS1K

I use the fiberglass pan covers, never had any issues with them and they always sit flat.

Crumpled wax paper is good too.

I haven’t used it in years but decided to try it again this year. Quality screen is the most important thing. Not the cheap aluminum stuff but steel screen. I was having heck too but Flint Hill Fur gave me a few tips. I cut mine in a square for 550’s, 650 Dukes and Jakes. All are different sizes but lay perfect every time. Here are a few pics.

That's the only way I was able to makem work for me. Sure saves a bunch of waxed dirt over using waxpaper or latex covers. Takes a lil time to cut them but it's worth it. I make a template out of cardboard for each size and wrote the trap kind on each one. As luck would have it my Bridger #3 size works perfect for Duke 650 so that's handy

Aaaaah, so you don't even put it under a jaw. Interesting. The context of this question was in relation to the pipe dream set where I cover the screen with grass but this brings up another point. When I used a screen pan cover with waxed dirt I noticed a lot goes through the screen which made me think it'd find it's way under the pan. What do you guys see/experience?

One of the problems with using screen Is cutting a slot where the dog contacts the pan notch. If you just drag the screen across the pan notch to create a small void then the dog Is placed OVER the screen keeping It In place. I do the same with any other type of pan cover I use.

Why would you use screen as a pan cover if you’re covering it with dirt? Maybe if you put grass clippings over it first then added dirt it might hold. 95% of the time if I’m using screen it’s for a blind or Pipe Dream Set. Dirt holes get poly under the pan and cover with peat/dirt.

Everything other then screen seems to get dug out by rodents.