This is going to be my first year trapping and I’m trying to get everything set and done early so I’m not trying to do too much when the season gets closer and I can just concentrate on my sets. I’m pretty set on my conibear traps but I’m having a heck of a time figuring out my foothold traps. I can’t figure out which one I should get the duke 550pro or the duke 1.5 both are supposedly good for coyote fox and bobcat. I understand that the 550 is pretty much ready to go out of the box and the 1.5 might need some tweaking. But which one is better? Or is it just preference? Thanks in advance for any help.

First of all welcome to t-man! Smart move to do all your prep work in advance. Personally I'm not a fan of Duke but that's just my personal opinion. The 1.5 size trap will hold coyote and bobcat but is a might small, where as the 550 has a larger jaw spread and it gives you a better chance of getting a better hold on the critters foot with a less toe catches.

If you're after coyotes, go with the 550s. The 1.5s are better suited for water trapping.

The 550 hands down. While the 1.5 will work and hold you are using a bare minimum type trap. Should things go south, and they will, it will fail. The 550 is better built to hold up under a wider range of issues.

BTW the only trap I've had a coyote pop the jaws on was a 1.5.

Or use both. I regularly use 1.5 because I'm an urban trapper and strange things happen in the city. I'd rather lose a cheap 1.5 to theft or damage than a more expensive "better" trap. And a non target catch fares better in smaller traps than big ones.

Thank you. I most likely will go with the 550s for my land sets. Even though not everyone is a fan of the dukes most people are saying the 550 is the way to go. Thank again for welcoming me and the response.

Thanks. This year the only water sets I’m going to be attempting with footholds is probably otter. And I got a couple of the 1.75 4x4 traps for those. Next year I will probably do some more muskrat/ mink/ raccoon foothold water sets. Thanks again for the help.

Agree with the 550's. Newer better design. I used Duke #2's for a while and they worked fine. They just needed a little more prep work.

Get the 550s. The 1.5s IMO are just too small for coyotes and cats. Especially for someone with no experience, you don’t want to handicap yourself with inadequate traps.

550s over the 1.5s with out a doubt. However, I would still buy some 1.5s and you can modify them like bubble tipping them to prevent jaw popping and you then also have a trap for things such as coon and fox or what not. 550 style traps with that pan setup haven’t always been my favorite but they are built to withstand abuse.

I use MB 550's and Bridger #2 dogless

Once your get that first one they start coming

When I was starting out, Darin Freeborough gave some great advice…. Get the best equipment you can then get more as you can, lol…. I love Alpha’s and No-BS Wire lever Jr’s

In my experienced opinion, good advice not including/discounting the trap recommendation.

I"ll preface this by saying I'm a long time duke user, I'd never trust a duke 1.5 to hold a yote, the 550 will outperform it overwhelmingly, stronger for yotes and larger for big cat feet. Don't be shy about using 1.5's for coon, mink, and rats, they're very good in that arena.

Forget Duke and get MB 550's you won't be disappointed

I targeted and caught quite a few coyotes in Duke 1.5's. They were all I had and all I could afford. Glad I found out on the internet later on it cant be done, imagine how dumb I felt. lol

Did you modify them at all, or use them as is? I'm truely curious, I like my dukes just never figured the frames could handle the jarring.

Welcome aboard! Be sure to come up to Herkimer for the annual NYS convention Labor Day week-end. Try to get there before Saturday. You will find great deals on new and used traps. Plus attend as many Demo's as you can. But most of all, pick everyone's brain. There is a lot to gain there. Good luck trapping and most of all, be safe!

I run MJ 600 Sterling. I have almost 200 of them now. IF I had to start over ??? NO BS wire levers !!!! Have 2 dz of them made with the system = I = want They do fine work.

MB 550's are a very good choice, easy to bed and a durable trap.

As a general rule great advice. You can never go wrong buying quality tools. They function better and hold up over time.

Now that said with experience you can learn to make use of lesser, read less out of pocket, equipment if the situation dictates due to potential loss or damage.

I welded the J-hooks shut and put little bubble welds on the jaw tips. I think bending them jaw tips up would have sufficed but I had the welder out anyway. I lost one coyote to a J-hook coming open, reason I welded them shut. I'm not sure if the coyote opened it or if I had opened it by pulling the trap by the chain at a previous location, but regardless I didn't want it happening again.



I'm not advocating using them as the best option or anything, but it can be done if they are all you got and can't afford or just don't want to buy others.

Forgot to add, the dogs got bent nearly every catch but I carry a small pair of pliers and straighten then back out in a couple seconds. Seriously no big deal but you should be prepared for it if you try them. No trouble with the frames or jaws bending.

Thanks adc, I happen to have a welder and there's some dukes hanging in the shed that aren't doing anything right now might have to go wake em up.

One thing's for sure they will never catch and hold a coyote while they are hanging in the shed.

And again I'm not saying they are the best option for that purpose,,, but you'd be surprised by what they will hold. I know guys who use them a lot for coons in the water that have held a LOT of incidental BIG beavers and otters in them as well as the occasional coyote.

As the old saying goes. By once. Cry once. BUT on the other hand. We caught 1000s of coyotes in the late 80s and early 90s before the internet told us = You cant catch coyotes in. 1 & 1/2 size traps !! LoL! BUT also. You cant catch coyotes with no traps in the ground

Yep. I'd hate for someone, with the time and desire to set more traps for coyotes, to leave their 1 1/2's hanging in the shed because they can't afford to buy more traps and the guys on the internet said they won't catch and hold any coyotes.

ADC. When the coyote first arrived in the south in the late 80 s. We had nothing else. Fox traps. Where modified. To be coyote traps. The small. BMI K9 Wolfer 4 coil was a 5 inch spread trap trap. But caught coyotes like crazy in the early 90s. Heck. 1 year ago. I was still using them in Alabama to catch coyotes. True it was more of = nostalgia = fun = old memories type thing. Or digging a small hole thing. But small traps work. Just. Foot placement must be kore precise

I’ve caught quite a few coyotes and bobcats in the MB450’s which is basically a 1.5. And every single one was set for coons and had full pad catches.

This is true, caught an aweful lot of coon and fox in #1 victors back in the day, loved those things.

My son caught his very first coyote in a stock duke 1.5, so yeah it can be done. If you have the money, buy the 550s though. It’s worth it in the long run. If cash is real tight, buy the 1.5s and use you fur check next spring to upgrade.

I’ve tried many, many different sizes and styles of traps, and I’ll tell you one thing is for sure, I’ve NEVER regretting shelling out a chunk of money for high quality traps.

If you can swing MB 550's do it,if not try the Duke 550 not as well built but cheaper I don't know how the Duke will be 5 year's down the road as I think they have only been out for 4 years,cheaper swivels and chain for sure don't know about the springs and metal.Buy the best you can afford,it only hurts once!Good luck this fall,practice making set's hole sets,flat sets and bed the trap really good,scout locations and find the best location's.You'll probably want to make up some waxed dirt/sand mixture.