I've been digging around in the archives on these because I want to add some to my line next year. I run MB 550s for coyotes and cats but was thinking of mixing it up. Would you recommend my 550s or should I go to something else? I've never tried longsprings but they seem to show up when reading about exposed sets. If it is longsprings, which ones/size would you recommend?

Thanks in advance.

550's are fine - there's some great pics in the archives of shingle pan covers for them. As far as DLS, a #3 or 4 work great. If you really want to trick them out you can put the 3" PIT pans on them and glue a shingle on. Enjoy the digging thru archives! Fun activity!

Thanks Jump. I was looking at #4s this morning.

Your 550s will work just fine unless you are looking for a reason to try a different trap.

I was looking to try something else. I'll admit, I really don't have a good reason.

Stay with the 550's. Add a Mike Kelly enlarged pan, glue some sand or better yet, some corn cob grit, to it and go catch cats.

Thanks guys.

I have a couple #4 sleepy creek dls that I modified by adding a large square piece of roofing tile to the pan that I use for exposed sets.

I like that pan!

I just can’t do it. Every year I say I’m going to try it. This year I actually did try making an exposed set. Maybe I did something wrong, I don’t know. Left exposed for two weeks, nothing. Covered it and caught a coyote and a cat. So looks like I will be digging beds and sifting dirt.

It does seem different for sure. I'm going to give it a shot just to learn something different. Thanks all.

I'm a believer

The ( former ) thread : Cat Sets and Locations and Cat Sets and Locations Vol II, a number of trappers shared their views and photos of exposed of 'exposed pan' sets for bobcat.
My personal thoughts on it is : ( even if it's partial ) , cover the trap !
I have used 'exposed pans' and can tell you I have missed some 'cats.
But. . .if you are deciding to use traps in this manner, here's a tip I can share with you that may help : Spray your pan with Silicone spray and quickly cover it with
a natural ground cover in your area.
Let the pan dry, then 'lightly' brush the pan and what has 'stuck' will stay and what hasn't, will 'fall away'.
You will be surprised how well this blends a trap.
Silicone spray is, after all, odorless, not that will matter that much to a bobcat. . ,
I use 'hay dust' to 'coat' enlarged pans and routinely catch coyotes with the pan exposed during summer months all the time.
Used this way, it will add to your success !

Lazarus, do you ever see sign that a cat just stepped over trap and all then kept going?

Good info. Thanks guys.

Only in the snow, but then your blocking is all covered up so the cat just didn't see any obstacles to avoid and he just happened to miss the pan. I respect the opinions of other trappers on this thread, so if you think you will miss cats by covering your traps, go ahead and cover them. For the system I use, and in my humble opinion, I just think covering the trap is not needed.

Good thread. I have attempted to narrow down and set up old skidder trails here in the Northeast when I have noticed cat walking the roads the winter before.
The biggest issue I have with this type of set, which I truly is great (I have seen Lazarou's and others pictures) in the right spots. I swear when ever I make a set a four wheeler runs over it or a hunter checks it out. LOL

Not really complaining just sharing.

Mac

in the midwest we don't have as many bluffs an boulder rock areas that are so prone out west in the mountains. I catch more cats on hedgerows an edges than up where I use exposed sets but that's my lay of land. IF I'm strictly trying for a cat an a natural pinch point is available I set exposed.
=

A cat doesn't know what a trap is. He does know a good place to step when he sees one. To a cat a bare metal pan probably looks questionable as a place to put his foot.. Cats like to step on rocks, so I used roof shingle pan covers of a color about the same as rocks in the area. When made as walk-through sets that method also took a fair number of coyote.

Regarding DLS's, long springs frozen to the ground still work. Coil springs frozen to the ground don't work. I had mostly #3's but preferred #4's. Depending on the amount and frequency of ice involved, coil springs can fairly easily be insulated from freeze down.