I've long said a Duke 1.5 will hold a coyote but it finally come to bite me in the tail.



I still have a few in use as a beater "throw away" trap for high risk/damage areas. I'm switching over to Wolf Creek #2, but set this one in a yard that I thought might see a yard crew. It did.

I knew what happened when I walked up to it but the neighbor confirmed. He was wondering why the coyote he saw at sun up was still there at 8. Then wondered where it went when he heard the lawn crew's leaf blowers going.

I'm still kicking myself. I know better than to set in a yard but the client insisted.

Now I've got to go to dirty tricks on this one.

Everything works until it doesn't

Why would you intentionally set a 1.5 for coyote?

Because they work until they don't. I've caught well over a hundred in 1.5s over the last ten years.

But mainly because I work and operate inside the perimeter of Atlanta on an urban landscape. Every trap I set is at risk of discovery by the public or being run over by lawn equipment of all types or even construction equipment.

Damage and theft are part of the job.

Also when presenting to potential clients and HOAs the smallest "bear trap" is less fearsome than a 650.

And while we do have good leash laws the occasional dog occurs and cats can be anywhere. Caught one just last month and the crazy cat lady was able to free it before I could get headed that was.

I have plenty of other traps and use those where better security exists and have started switching over to Wolf Creek #2 as they cost about the same but the Wolf Creek is not as foot friendly so there's that issue.

BTW that's over a hundred in just 1.5. I run mostly #2 sized traps a mix of bridger, duke, montana and northwoods.

1.5 also double up for fox and I get about an equal call for fox as I do coyote.

One from this spring was called in as coyote but was fox. Theres no telling what these city folks think they see.

Seen that happen to a few Victor 1 1/2's in PA, and a few 1 3/4 here in Iowa

My smallest coyote trap is a Bridger #2, had no issues other than bent dogs, held a few HONEST 40 pounder sin the #2's

Just my own observations

1.5 caught thousands of yotes until the internet said they don't work !!! Bet you that just as many 2-3 have popped the jaws as you have done.......

A high grit grinder paddle wheel on the jaw edge and face of those WCs helps a ton. Really smooths them out. I took the offset down some too. My closed jaws were easier on things than my offsets were. Just fyi.

LOTS of coyotes have been taken with 1.5 coils but a popped jaw will happen. For you ADC guys who use the 1.5's at times, a spot weld on end of jaw tips may do good if you can get trap to set & fire right

And here I was sure you'd got into a bar fight.

Yup, that or baseplate but why drop $ into what's essentially a throw away trap. But I don't weld and would need to pay to have it done.

So, are you going to bend up the jaw tips going forward?...Asking for a friend.

If the dukes stay in use they probably will.

It happens.....

I used stock victor 1.75s in NW Minnesota for years with no problem catching and holding coyote. Then in recent years I started seeing more popped jaws, so went through and bent up the jaw tips on them all. The popped jaw business quit, but I found out it was probably Wolves, as I'm now catching and holding far more of those than I'd like.

You can fix that problem with a pair of small vice grips, clamp the end of the Jaw just close enough to be able to roll the end up. I've never had jaws pop since I did this maybe 25 years ago.
Rich

Yep, roll them jaw tips up! Will slow them down a bit, but they'll work. Personally I LOVE RJ Duke #2. I know you're dealing with 1.5s, but still like the way the 2s hold the foot.

I would take that bet jbyrd63. Maybe we can add misses to the list too. we would need to run a line together for a couple 3 weeks to keep score.

I have a small but growing population of coyotes on my trap line The most I ever caught in one season is . 4 So most of my traps are 1.5 coil springs and are used for red fox and coon . I have put heavier chain and swivels on nearly all my 1.5 .Plus I replaced most of the springs on the 1.5 's with 1.75 springs or #2 springs .Some time ago I purchased a dozen 1.75 coils for coon trapping in water .I did not like them because I caught a lot of coons that had leg damage I bought some lamination kits for the 1.75.s and had them put on by a friend that is a good welder .I have not had a coyotes pop the jaws on the 1.5 .s but the trap was really bent up on few times .And the coyote was only in by two toes a time or two also .But with the likelihood of catching more coyotes I have been setting more of the 1.75.s with laminated jaws and base plates .And the nice thing about it is the modified 1.75.s are a better trap for coon as far as eliminating foot damage on coon .Also most of the coyotes in the area I trap are under 50 lbs in weight .