I ordered a half dozen Bridger #3 dogless full mod yesterday on a closeout sale. I've been seeing videos where one guy had problems with the frame bending, then there were problems with the springs coming off, another had an issue with his loose jaw being raised and not sitting flat because of the levers.

My question for you guys is did I buy a bad trap?

Never used one but only one way to find out. Bed a couple up. If not trapping season bed one and set it off with a stick to find out what happens
Is this fully modded trap not base plated? Levers can be tweaked to have loose jaw flat. As for the springs. I have no idea

Short answer, NO.

I use the Dogless #2's and love them. I use the regular dog #3's on beaver with no issues. If you have any of the issues that you mention its a very easy fix.

The biggest issues with traps is what someone says about them and it gets spread out all over the web. There are many, not just in trapping but everything out there, that claim if you don't use the most expensive newest "thing" you can't do "it". I love my BS and MBs, but when I reach in the back of my side by side whatever I grab is going into the ground. It might be a Bridger dogless #2 or a Duke #3. It might be a old North Woods, its going in the ground. I know that the predator traps in my crate have been tweeked, pain tension is good, and they have good anchors, I have confidence in all of them. When I reach in my beaver/otter crate I know the same. All traps have issues or will develope an issue sooner or later, and its an easy fix.

That’s a good trap. I would say NO as well.

Are they a bad trap? No.

Are they an overrated trap? Yes.

They’re pretty cheap, low quality steel. I don’t understand the fanfare about them. You can buy a Duke for cheaper and have pretty much the same quality. (Yeah I said what I said).


I used 18 of the #3 dogless once for about two weeks in some high traffic areas hoping they’d grow legs instead of my good traps.

They did nothing but aggravate me, and of course, not a one got stolen!

Next time watch videos first, then order traps, lol. Research man, research. I never buy anything without researching first, almost to a fault. I spent almost 3 months picking a thermal. Spent longer than that on a suppressor. Spent 3 weeks looking at different traps, lol.

The Bridger dogless design and platform has resulted in one of the best, if not the best, predator foothold trap down here in the southern US.

I have 11 dozen of the B2 dogless (not modified). I've used about every modern predator trap made over the years in my pursuit of the best coyote live market trap. (I don't live market any longer).

A Bridger dogless that is modified (with laminated jaws and 4-coiled ) is a super trap...for most conditions...amd would be acceptable, even for live market.

I have no experience in deep freezing or snow conditions so take that for what it's worth.

Bottom frame bending? It's doubled, so that would take a large, hard pull.

Springs coming off? A coyote tooth prying in the right spot...maybe, but extremely rare.

Loose jaw not laying flat? Rare, but sometimes on a 4-coiled trap. Easy fix...torque the spring levers a little towards the loose jaw side with a pair of bigger pliers.

I've used 3 dozen #3 Bridgers for a bunch of years, maybe 7 or 8. Dogless, offset, 4 coiled and outside laminated. Have never had 1 failure in those years. If the Bridger was sprung, there was a critter in it. In my opinion, they should never be compared with Dukes, twice the trap. I find it hard to believe that the base was bent, have never had that happen either. Very good trap, second only to the Extremes.

no, used them right along side mb's and jakes.. They held up just fine and I never worried once about using them... I trusted them completely

link to video in question?

I have a friend that only runs Bridger #3, 4-coiled. He’s never said he’s had a problem with them. He traps in MN and down south. I’ll bet he runs 100 of these traps so he would know.

The problem with getting all your news off the internet is that everyone who traps has a different opinion based on their own experience. If they have little experience it’s the trap’s fault—every time.

You’ve got the traps. As has been recommended, set them. Spring them and then draw your own conclusions.

Yea that and to put it bluntly a lot of them are just flat out not good trappers... Simple as that.. They have a camera and some traps then all of a sudden they are authorities on the subject but then its that way with many things on youtube.. Some very good info on there but theres also plenty of very bad

I have plenty of Northwoods and Bridger #3 offset, all modified along with MB650s. I personally have not experienced any of the problems the OP mentioned; except they don't hold on to tractors very well, but then that's off labeled usage.

Pretty light weight base plate in video. Way thinner than what came on my bridgers years ago

I have not bought a bad trap but have bought traps that did not work with the systems I used. I bought some 1.5 Northwoods round jaw coils and I reallly liked those traps, so I bought a dozen of the 1 longspring stoploss. The bail flings back instead of forward and I many times had the trap fire when trying to bed the trap at the set. After a few dozen raps on the fingers and hand the first year I sold them.

Bryce

The frame bending was due to the trap being four coil which I find hard to believe. I appreciate everyone's response, I'll have till this next fall to play with them and see what needs done with them. I am partial to the dogless design and that's what kind of pulled me in, especially at the price I was getting them.

One of the few bad things about center swiveling traps is it creates a pressure point when setting traps on hard ground. I help with our convention trap setting contest and the center swiveled traps kept getting destroyed frames when we had to use concrete floors. Now all the chains are moved to the side.

What trap or traps did you purchase?

Mudcat

Well not that my opinion means much, but it should be sufficed by me asking where'd ya get the closeout sale prices?! I'm looking to add another 2 dozen or so to my line.... I've been running #3s fully modified, 4 coil for some years now. Never had a lick of problems aside from one bent trap and that was thanks to ol Bessie. So unless you plan on trapping cows I'd say you're good to go. From my experience as someone else stated a sprung trap means a critter waiting as far as the Bridger #3s are concerned.