Do you really think they make much of a difference?

No clue never used one. I run short chains and they never get much of a lunge or momentum on short chains anyway. I’ve had very few losses in my 40+ years of coyote trapping.
Jim

I use them I think they work, sometimes it can be hard to bed them in frozen ground but I still use them.

I ran them for a while, I think the short chain is better, less power on a lunge with a super short chain. I could see them being a plus on a drag with all the jerks and longer runs. I have some on my number 4 dls Bridgers.

The trap I use (KB), has them built in. When we could keep Lions I added a 100 pound shock spring and welded everything, held several lions some were compressing that 100 pound spring! The KB was built for coyotes and the shock spring adds to its effectiveness!

I used/use them. Honestly it maybe helps a little bit on a few catches, but as the ground starts to freeze I use traps without them as it to much messing around trying to get them in the bed.

What concerns do you have? I run them on all coyote sets.

I trap coyotes for the live market and run shocks on all my traps I can't really say it makes a difference but I do like to pull up and listen to the spring making a squeaking sound as it compresses from a big dog stretching it out.

They sure do on wolves. I haven't trapped enough coyotes to know about them

I use small trap[s, 1.75, two coiled, center swiveled, laminated traps with shock springs. I use the springs because I felt the shock springs take out some of the energy the yote has when fighting the trap. I know many use larger traps due to fewer misses but this is what I set up 35 years ago and I still use them. My chain is now about 16 inches long with the shock spring included. Made them longer 5 years ago so the are easier to set.

Bryce

What problem does a shock spring on a coyote trap solve?

They are for short chain setups under 20"so they can't pull out of the trap when it fires
Ed Medvedev explained it to me
I don't use them anymore, I run longer chains and more swivels

I run under 20" chains and don't see that I have a problem like that

No coyote experience, caught them in wolf and wolverine sets though. My experience has been nothing else matters as far as springy thingys or swivel doodles until the last connection to the trap.
Maybe hard to bed, for some, but I am a believer that the last swivel or shock spring belongs right at the trap base. That’s if you want to use them.

Meh.

Overrated.

I do run them on some long chain rigs just because I had them.

Only thing I notice is the stakes (rebar) sometimes maybe every once in a while seem to wallow out less at the very top. Sometimes.

… I’ve had jaws busted out by big animals… would shock springs have prevented that ? … don’t know

.. have also held some big animals

Does that mean you don’t use them?

I bought some shock springs to test on my #3 coil spring traps and made enough catches to make a decision based on my short chain and earth anchor set up.

For my set up there was No advantage by using them. They where just in the way. So I took them all off.

I put them on half my traps starting out. The other half I ran a 16” chain without. I couldn’t tell any difference as far as paw damage. Couldn’t tell you about shoulder damage. My first coyote I caught in Nevada was held by one toe. That old northwoods had a shock spring. I recently got rid of my PIT stick springs and bought two and a half dozen JC Connor’s springs.