Exposed Cat Sets

I've been digging around in the archives on these because I want to add some to my line next year. I run MB 550s for coyotes and cats but was thinking of mixing it up. Would you recommend my 550s or should I go to something else? I've never tried longsprings but they seem to show up when reading about exposed sets. If it is longsprings, which ones/size would you recommend?

Thanks in advance.

550's are fine - there's some great pics in the archives of shingle pan covers for them. As far as DLS, a #3 or 4 work great. If you really want to trick them out you can put the 3" PIT pans on them and glue a shingle on. Enjoy the digging thru archives! Fun activity!

Thanks Jump. I was looking at #4s this morning.

Your 550s will work just fine unless you are looking for a reason to try a different trap.

I was looking to try something else. I'll admit, I really don't have a good reason.

Stay with the 550's. Add a Mike Kelly enlarged pan, glue some sand or better yet, some corn cob grit, to it and go catch cats.

Thanks guys.

I have a couple #4 sleepy creek dls that I modified by adding a large square piece of roofing tile to the pan that I use for exposed sets.

I like that pan!

I just can’t do it. Every year I say I’m going to try it. This year I actually did try making an exposed set. Maybe I did something wrong, I don’t know. Left exposed for two weeks, nothing. Covered it and caught a coyote and a cat. So looks like I will be digging beds and sifting dirt.

It does seem different for sure. I'm going to give it a shot just to learn something different. Thanks all.

I'm a believer

The ( former ) thread : Cat Sets and Locations and Cat Sets and Locations Vol II, a number of trappers shared their views and photos of exposed of 'exposed pan' sets for bobcat.
My personal thoughts on it is : ( even if it's partial ) , cover the trap !
I have used 'exposed pans' and can tell you I have missed some 'cats.
But. . .if you are deciding to use traps in this manner, here's a tip I can share with you that may help : Spray your pan with Silicone spray and quickly cover it with
a natural ground cover in your area.
Let the pan dry, then 'lightly' brush the pan and what has 'stuck' will stay and what hasn't, will 'fall away'.
You will be surprised how well this blends a trap.
Silicone spray is, after all, odorless, not that will matter that much to a bobcat. . ,
I use 'hay dust' to 'coat' enlarged pans and routinely catch coyotes with the pan exposed during summer months all the time.
Used this way, it will add to your success !

Lazarus, do you ever see sign that a cat just stepped over trap and all then kept going?

Good info. Thanks guys.

Only in the snow, but then your blocking is all covered up so the cat just didn't see any obstacles to avoid and he just happened to miss the pan. I respect the opinions of other trappers on this thread, so if you think you will miss cats by covering your traps, go ahead and cover them. For the system I use, and in my humble opinion, I just think covering the trap is not needed.

Good thread. I have attempted to narrow down and set up old skidder trails here in the Northeast when I have noticed cat walking the roads the winter before.
The biggest issue I have with this type of set, which I truly is great (I have seen Lazarou's and others pictures) in the right spots. I swear when ever I make a set a four wheeler runs over it or a hunter checks it out. LOL

Not really complaining just sharing.

Mac

in the midwest we don't have as many bluffs an boulder rock areas that are so prone out west in the mountains. I catch more cats on hedgerows an edges than up where I use exposed sets but that's my lay of land. IF I'm strictly trying for a cat an a natural pinch point is available I set exposed.
=

A cat doesn't know what a trap is. He does know a good place to step when he sees one. To a cat a bare metal pan probably looks questionable as a place to put his foot.. Cats like to step on rocks, so I used roof shingle pan covers of a color about the same as rocks in the area. When made as walk-through sets that method also took a fair number of coyote.

Regarding DLS's, long springs frozen to the ground still work. Coil springs frozen to the ground don't work. I had mostly #3's but preferred #4's. Depending on the amount and frequency of ice involved, coil springs can fairly easily be insulated from freeze down.

must be as many ways to catch a cat as there is to skin one. i would have set up there at the end of or the gap in, that old rock fence

That set caught 3 cats in a week danny. It worked

Cats east of the big river will step on exposed pans too if the speedy possums do not beat them to the trap!

Mac, maybe something new. Walk through set with added tire guides. lol

Wax paper will freeze to a trap and it will freeze to the ground, but it won't freeze to it's self. Think about that and put it to use. Poke a few holes in it for drainage after set.
Lazarus catches a lot of cats, so it must work well for him, but I can see no less than three ways for a cat to get through that set and never be known it was there.
Flint, your pic is interesting and simple. Guess it works well also.
I don't understand big traps for cats. Mine are mostly two's and a few 1.65's with a small mod. Work well for me.

Not sure if you can accurately use a number size to compare trap sizes, my #4 bridger dls are 5 3/8 in inside spread, #2 bridger dogless are 5 1/2 in inside spread

#4 bridger dls not painted or dyed, exposed set, his paw fills up the trap

Some cats are too valuable to miss. Bigger trap, bigger pan, bigger kill area. That doesn't mean smaller traps won't work.



Use of 2 layers of wax paper is a fairly common practice. If there is ice inside the coil springs they may still be slowed or disabled.

If I was going to run Mb550 I would definitely increase the pan size or block them down as hard as I could. Cats have an interesting nack of stepping inside a trap's jaws without stepping on the pan unless you have it the only place they can step (I've seen it happen a few times over the years which is too many times). They are very nimble. I used to follow cats for miles in the snow. It'll really teach a guy a lot.

I really think the Bridger #2 dogless shine in that respect if I was running a #2 size trap exposed...their pan is already pretty much perfect for exposed sets. If you could use a larger trap coilspring wise a Jake Trap would be pretty hard to beat IMO for an exposed trap. I don't really have any experience using longsprings just was never my cup of tea. We don't have bobcats tripping over each other here but I've caught plenty in traps exposed, un-treated, and just on location. I've never seen any evidence where they've shied away from a trap that was uncovered. I simply set my pan where there was a track prior and patience seems to be the only issue. They're creatures of habit for the most part.

Well, for that matter, neither does a coyote, unless it's taught. . .

or a fox or a mink and so forth

This is a full trap. lol #2 Bridger

That's a purty sight!!

Sweet pic, had one similar in a cubby set this year, #3 bridger dogless

Not sure if it was froze down or he just jumped on it

Can't seem to get the picture to come up. Have to click on the link. Bridger # 1.65, 29 lb. tom. Got just a few of these traps, fun to use and every cat caught in them looked just like this. No misses yet. 3 coiled is plenty.


https://hosting.photobucket.com/alb...idth=1920&height=1080&fit=bounds

Lobo, do you have a pic of your bridger 1.65 with 3 coil?

The link on my l
ast

Finally got a pic to load. So bumped up.

Thanks. Just got it in my mind with just one spring on one side it would throw it off kidder . Must be wrong huh!

Try it. I find 4 springs a bit much at times, but do have some that way. Especially on exposed traps. Some of my #2 Bridger's are two coiled with music wire springs, some three coiled. The secret of trusting your traps is to have them lock up well. Kind of like an engine, you can tune a small one up right or you can put in a bigger one.

I like my #3 Victor dls, didn't get a cat this year, but caught 2 coons, and 2 badgers. One coon was even by a single foot pad, I love them!