Posting for a friend and looking for opinions on this trap. So we are talking an experienced fella. He is on a one man crusade to knock back the wolves to help out the caribou and moose both of which are down around here.
Sets up a new Bridger #5 soft catch and (by the track) gets a very big wolf to step into it. Trap has 12' of chain and 2 drags. Short story nil struggle or drag as trap just popped a jaw almost right away.

Have others had this experience with the Bridger? Is it a freak happening or is this trap prone to malfunction.

Am aware of other wolf traps and would like to past along suggestions of better ones if the Bridger is a lemon.

The Bridger #5 soft catch is not modified and not intended for wolves.The Bridger #5 Alaskan modified has a few additions that help it stay together with a wolf in it.

In my opinion for what it is worth. THERE IS NOTHING WORSE THAN LOOSING A WOLF, ESPECIALLY A BIG ONE AND PROBABLY THE ALPHA! He is now educated and you'll play heck getting him near a trap again. Why would you set out on a crusade to lower the numbers of wolves and do it with a sub. standard trap? My preference was a #9 Alaskan. Never failed. You work too hard and spend hours setting up to lower the wolf population to have that happen.

I have a buddy near me who has been catching around 16 wolves a year for the last few years. They have been using the Bridger #5 Alaskan as their wolf trap with good success. Not sure how the soft catch compares to the Alaskan. Had another buddy that uses the Bridger 5 with generally good success, but had the D ring that holds trap to chain fail on a wolf this year.

The jaws on the soft catch do not have welds on the tips so when an animal the size of a wolf gets caught the jaws pop right out. The Alaskan modified #5's have spot welds on the end of each jaw plus stronger baseplates to keep the trap frame from flexing which also allows the jaws to pop out.

That is what he asking - is this incident a one off or is this trap known to be substandard. Correct he would not knowingly set a substandard trap and correct he thinks it is the alpha male and that it is now a well educated wolf.

That would not be a good feeling to find.

Tks STT - will mention about the D-ring or whatever else is along the attachment part of the trap.

Thanks Bronco. Was looking at the trap today and he commented on the lack of welds at the ends of the jaws. Will pass along to him re. the modified # 5's and stronger baseplates. And good Bronco "#5 soft catch is not modified and not intended for wolves" - will pass along. He either has to do mods or get other traps.

Unfortunately the D ring "weld" is obscured under the welded on baseplate so it is hard to verify if it is actually welded.