Lock up, very important! Don't buy these traps!

Interesting video. Thanks for sharing!!

Who uses offset jawed traps for water or coon trapping? Nobody who knows what they are doing. That the jaws flex open 1/8 inch more wouldnt bother me one bit. Feel free to put an animals foot in each and show difference that makes. No one I know traps screwdrivers.

X2

I already know they lose animals because I've experienced it.... not just coon, but I want to hold coon because the landowners want them gone...No I don't use them in water generally but a small offset will definitely hold 90 percent of coon if it locks up. It was way more than 1/8 inch on the sleepy creeks. If anyone wants to buy these traps I'll make you a good deal.
If an animal steps in the trap I want it to be there in the morning.
I would have no problem at all using the BMI offsets for example, for coon on land. I've done it and it's not an issue unless you get a toe catch, which you shouldn't if you have any pan tension at all.
I do buy mostly closed jawed traps now, but if there's a good deal on the right used off sets, they will do fine on all land animals.

I can’t count the number of coon I’ve held by three or four toes in a #3 Bridget offset.

That’s not rocket science! You have a 3/8 of an inch gap so you have more leverage with the screwdriver. Unless only thing legal why would anyone use a trap that lacks that much room from closing completely? You wouldn’t close the chicken coop door and leave a brick in it and expect to keep things in or out would you ?

Because depending on where you live, you might need good feet on coyote.

So I think your wanting to leave the feet on them when you skin them right? So does the added price increase of the “ one’s “ that the feet get damaged make up for the number you miss or pullout because of the trap design? Never used one like that but ain’t no way that trap doesn’t increase the chances of a miss or pull out.

I'm glad someone gets it.

I think the need for good feet comment is for live market, coyotes, jybyrd.

I wonder if the jaw design is different on the #3's. All I know is that you could not hold a coon in these #2's by the toes. They have no pressure on anything under 3/8 of an inch wide.

I have caught lots of coon In my coyote traps. And most of those coon are caught higher on the wrist or pad so It's not a toe issue.

Those #3 Bridgers have about 3/16 gap when closed and they do not spread apart once locked up.

NO! Live pens require good feet, any damage is a no sale.

I wouldn't use those traps either for coon Closed jaw for me. Not a good comparison with a T handled screw driver in my opinion.

When there's a gap between the sides of the levers and the sides Jaws when the trap is closed, you'll have some movement with the screwdriver test. If the levers open with the screwdriver test then that's a problem. I've held hundreds of coons in 3/16th offsets. But not 1/4...

I don’t understand the reasoning for your video I guess. Of course you are going to lose a few coon in an off set trap, wrong tool for the job. Same as saying you may lose a mountain lion in a #1 jump, I added a bunch of offset MB 550’s just to use in areas on my coyote line that are prone to raccoons. I bought them a few years ago just so that I don’t have to deal with as many coon catches, I still hold any that are caught behind the wrist and big boars that are pad caught. The marginal caught ones are not there for me to deal with. Reset and away I go, I’m not wasting my time for coon that are not profitable. You mentioned water, I don’t know anyone personally that targets numbers of coon, that uses off set traps of any make. If and when prices return to workable point, I’ll be back to trapping them on my line, til then I will just work the ones that my friends and permissions need gone.

It's not the offset, (for the second time) and it's not just about coon. If a person can't see the problem with no force holding anything under 3/8 of an inch, I'm not going to argue about it.
Why anyone wants to practice catch and release trapping I can't imagine but it's your loss, not mine.

I used to trap alot in pheasant dog sensitive areas and used many sleepy creek 1 3/4 traps targeting coyotes. Those little traps caught and held a ton of coyotes and never let a coon go either. front or back foot catch. They were not my first choice of traps but it wasnt because they didnt hold what was in them.

I've had the opposite experience... empty traps and catch circles. I bought a dozen, and sold half of them to another guy and he had the same problems... Maybe sleepy Creek changed their design at some point, but with the already offset trap and the extra give, the ones I had didn't work for me. Which is why I said to check them out before purchasing.
Another trap that a lot of people had these problems with was the 1.5 bridger before Minnesota changed the jaws. I had a dozen, not offsets... my little girl caught a coon right away in one, came home for me and it pulled right out. It wasn't caught low either. You could make them work with extra strong springs but it was the same thing, the jaw angle didn't allow for good lock up.

That was before the internet and trappers didn’t know 1 3/4 won’t catch coyotes lol

Wouldnt the swivel have to be non working in order for that to happen? I noticed your traps were stuck in the grooves of your bedliner,, not allowing the trap to swivel.