I've dug through a bunch of posts and am still not 100% clear.

Is the location of the paws in these two traps what is considered optimal (full pad catches)? Both traps are #2 Bridger dogless.

I'm guessing you wouldn't want the trap any higher based on a coon I caught by the hind foot (leg really) in the same size trap and any lower would be considered a toe catch, correct?

That is a full pad catch. Very optimal.

Don't look like all the toes are caught to me. Good enough for cats but I prefer them deeper especially on coyotes

If the trap jaws get above that foot pad.....you got em.

Or, in between the pad and a couple or three toes...

There's a difference between what will hold them a what is optimal. Not every catch is the same. Some will be marginal some will be a little deeper than necessary. If your optimal is a toe or two out your marginal will be more misses than I want. He did ask what is optimal (full pad) not what will work

look at where the foot is in trap.
All it matters it's still when you get there do not get worried about all the bs you hear or read..
You will find a trap that will have a higher percentage of feet in middle if you look around.

Ok, I understand better now and see why A lot of coyote guys like the Bridger #3. Thanks.

I know traps will hold pretty often with very little of the critter actually between the jaws. I accidentally caught a coyote last year in the same size trap and she was only held by a couple of toes. I say "accidentally" because when I put in a set for a coyote either a coon clogs it or digs it up, lol.

Actually, optimal for me is the coyote or cat to be in the trap when I drive up...and remain there until the revolver fires. One toe, 4 toes, high catch, low catch.....we can never know for sure where the grab is gonna be as we cant 100% control the approach or the actual steps.

I used to use 1.5s (modified) for live market coyotes. Those smaller traps clamp above two or three toes..across the soft part of the foot....coyote aint going anywhere. To me that was optimal.

Im not sure how it can be better than that.

The majority should be around that range under the same conditions but conditions change but with consistent catches like that the percentages are in your favor. I’ve seen some catches under bad conditions that did well with the strong, wide, cast and O/S jaws of a MJ traps that broke a lot of the normal rules of holding a coyote.

A lot of factors play into everything with trapping a guy never knows or has seen it all until it happens to him.

Swamp Wolf, Law Dog, point taken. The conditions will never be the same or optimal but as long as that critter is there long enough for you to load him up that’s the bottom line.

I have some Bridger 1.5’s laminated, Bridger #2’s and just bought some Bridger #4’s that I put big pans on and some Sleepy Creek 1.75’s and just thinking about the differences in the sizes and how deep each trap would grab with the proper pan tension.

I’m a fan of the smaller pans myself further to the center of the trap to get it to fire is my outlook. Look at a froze in trap with snow on it the area looks like the yote did a hat dance on the pan.

I think to much pan can hurt a guy some will argue that but smaller pans is the way I like it.

MB450 blind set on a pond dam…optimal, probably not. But he wasn’t going anywhere.

The now here’s a MB550 blind set…definitely not optimal, but he didn’t go anywhere either. And I watched him get caught at 7:30pm the evening before.

When that butt-sniffer is caught so deep he shines your pan with a couple toes.

A couple of some good catches this year.