Can any body tell me the pan tension that the Duke 850's have? Anybody know a good method to adjust it? MT requires 10 lbs for wolf traps. thanks JBS

I’d assume it’s adjustable just like any trap with a pit system. Bend the dog up for more tension and down for less tension.

Possibly use an under the pan filler to increase pan tension also...if allowed.

Thanks, I am sure I can figure out a way to get them to 10 lbs. Probably just get one and tinker with it to be sure before I get a dozen.

Well if you figure it out can you post it? Alot of guys have tried without success to increase the pan tension

I have never held a 850 but have put paws i trip pans on many traps.Looking at a picture of a set 850 the jaw is to close to where the dog attaches to the trap to be easy to adjust.Look at a picture of a set 550 and the jaw is in the middle of the dog.This makes the dog carry the pressure of the jaw and makes it where you can bend the dog up or down some to change the presure.

Has anyone tried to change the fulcrum point where the jaw presses against the underside of dog? The trap is suppose to have 3/8” wide jaws, where does the jaw contact the dog? Does the entire 3/8” contact the dog or just a small portion of it? If it’s just a small portion of the jaw and it’s the outside jaw edge, you will have a lower pan tension compared to if it was the inside jaw edge which would be a higher pan tension. Probably the first thing I’d look at is the jaw-to-dog contact.

If the jaws are malleable iron, they can be welded on. Welding would make it possible to increase or extend the inside edge of the jaw toward the pan in a small area of the jaw. The extension/addition can be made to be the only thing contacting the underside of the dog, this would increase the pan tension by changing the fulcrum point.

Thanks guys, seldom I will try your suggestions when I get the trap. I was hoping you would respond when I posted. Merry Christmas all

How does the state test the tension? Do you have to have a state tested trap before you use the trap?

And...often after making a catch the pan tension changes....what if the wildlife official check pan tension after wards?

I have not heard of any enforcement action, the intention is to keep lynx out. It is actually pretty unenforceable since we have almost no restrictions on coyote trapping. Calling it a coyote trap would make it legal. I think increased pan tension has more benefits than just regulatory compliance.

What pan tension does one right out of the box have?

I had heard that some wardens in Montana had the little pan tension stick testers that click at 10#, but have also never heard of them really enforcing it. I suspect it was a feel good regulation put in place to try and make wolf trapping more palatable with the big traps when it was first legalized there. If you had your pans at 2.5# they would probably hassle you, but if you had 8-9# tension on them if they checked I doubt they would bother you unless they thought you had done something else illegal and pan tension was the only thing they had proof of.