Aluminum wire screen pan covers?

Purchased some aluminum screen to make pan covers and didn't like what I saw when I put them on the trap. No matter what I did there would be a bubble over the pan and I couldn't get the pan to go down unless I pushed on the pan itself. Pan tension on all traps was between 2 and 4 pounds. I doubled up on them and didn't make any difference.

I've seen trappers on videos using them and swear by them. I think I would be swearing at them! Anybody use them and like them? I think I will be buying some steel wire pan covers from someone. Can't find anyone that sells rolls of the stiff steel wire screen any more.

Marty Smith sells it by the roll. http://www.kegcreekbaits-lures.com/index.html

Thanks!

I use it for my pipe sets I cut mine so it just fits inside the jaws I don't tuck any of the edges under the jaws I alway got bubble or humps in the middle when I tried that. Another thing I do after I cut them I'll take a stack of them and put them between 2 boards and put them in my vice and cinch it down and let them set a while. Makes them lay a lot flatter still have to tweak them a little but your not dealing with a curled piece of screen.
J

I'm using some screen that is fairly limp and doesn't bubble. I guess it is fiberglass maybe? Not sure, it was just an old roll of screen my dad had laying around. Cuts easy with scissors and works great. I went to this from pillow stuffing and won't go back.

What trap?

Most dog on style traps have a higher pan which makes screen it just slide in. You’ll probably have to “form” the screen. Stick your thin under that pan to keep it from firing and with your other hand mush that screen around the edges of the pan.

Screens go great with the old low pan Montgomery style dogless.

I use the same type of screen OP. I cut it when I set. I crease it to stop it from bubbling and make sure its long enough to go under the jaws. If I dont put the jaws on top of it, even with a crease, it rises up a little. After some playing around I have it where I get them good, but the first couple times I had big bubbles I was fighting. I also cut mine more rectangular.

I'm fitting them for Montgomery and Montana #3s dogless. Only problem with fitting them inside the jaws is it gives you no increase in kill area.

What it does do is, keeps the outline of the trap from showing on those big rain storms.
On steel wire screen it helps give a bigger kill area for me ,
But I really intend for them step on the pan .
But if my pan tension is to light when I cover the trap with dirt the trap will fire. So I guess what I am saying is if trap stay set bedded jaws down screen is in place. Then cover the trap with screen in place and it fires with no other thing touching only the added pressure from dirt.
To me that's a bigger kill area. Just some thoughts To consider.
I might be looking at it wrong but has been my experince

Don’t overthink it.

Use em.

I’ve used heavy duty aluminum before, it worked fine. If a coyote steps mostly inside the jaws of a Montana #3, he’s caught. No matter what you use for a pan cover.

Yeppers exactly.

I like like dogless so well I converted about 8 dozen bridge 3 to have Montgomery pan system.
For deep snow coyote ,bobcat trapping very pleased with the results so far.

It's too flimsy, I prefer galvanized steel screen

I'm planning on using the aluminum screen on about 50% of my sets and see how it goes. I am also converting over to the Montgomery dogless type traps. Tired of messing around with dog and pan fitment. The Montgomery style dogless system is so far as I can see very simple and easy to adjust. Takes about one minute to adjust pan level on these type traps. And a few swipes with a file gets pan tension spot on. Also I believe that once pan tension is set on the dogless style trap it will not change and be very consistent.