Bridger 5 question

Hey guys, a couple years ago, I bought some bridger 5 coil springs for beaver. I love these traps, and of the many beaver I’ve caught in them, I only missed one and that was my fault. Seems like if they are missing from the bed, the beaver is at the end of my drowner every time. This year I bought a half a dozen of the number 5 long springs. On multiple occasions, I found my trap at the end of the drowner snapped and empty. It doesn’t matter if I’m setting for front foot or back foot, I keep getting the same results. What is the deal? The springs seems strong, and I’m setting them the same way I set the coils. The only difference is that I’m using less pan tension with the long springs. Thanks!!

Paul taught me several yrs ago to use at least/about 5 lbs tension, to assure their foot is committed.....per se.

I'd raise your tension if it was me.

Sounds like they are tripping the trap with just a claw possibly.

I was suspecting that. The long springs come with a cheap brass nut and bolt, and they always strip out when I try to tighten them. Right now, I’ve got about 5 pounds of tension on the coils and 2 pounds on the longsprings.

You might consider trying the PIT pans on them. I only have a couple #5 longsprings and did not like the pan system so put the PIT pans on them a number of years ago. Just a thought. Don't know how available these pans even are for those traps any more.

Make it a point to replace the factory bolts sith stainless #10 bolts. You'll have to drill the holes out in most cases.

I have nothing to add but I am surprised that the bridger 5 coil and long have different pan systems. I wonder if the pan/dog setup from their 5 coil would fit on their 5DLS???

If it could you wouldn't want to. Its not very user friendly, especially if you're wearing gloves.

I guess I haven't run across too many of those 5 size traps that are "user friendly"...more like "user scary", but that is just me. I definitely wouldn't be working with one that had pan tension under anything other than "heavy".

Well trying to fit a dog into a slot that's just barely bigger than the dog has probably resulted in a few laying in the bottom of a pond with the bridger 330s.

I find the Bridger 5 stock pan a pain in the rear and not much better than an old un modified Victor #4. Once a PIT pan is put on the trap they are very user and finger friendly and the pan tension is adjustable easily. I do this to all of my bridger 5 longs. It does trouble me though when i see how much i paid for them new knowing i need to drop $4 into each one to get it my way. Probably why i am seeking a different plan for Beaver legholds moving forward. I love the trap just not the pan and cost to get rolling my way.

Duke #5 DLS come stock with a PIT pan.