Another pull out in a 550

Had another critter pull out of a 550 I'm guessing there just getting leverage bc I'm running drags . Got the offset 550 2 coil on 10 ft of chain with sabertooth drags I'm just having bad luck with the drags did hold a couple reds but thas the 4th pullout now an it's not like they just pull it tight an take off you can see there in trap for a little bit before they get out .....any comments would be great

MB or Duke? Just curious.

Mb

I’ve been running offset 2 coiled MB550s for 12 years, and I don’t remember ever having a pullout in one. Hundreds of critters caught, mostly coyotes, and the only one to ever pull out was deer. I don’t run them on drags very much but I’ve caught lots of critters in them in situations where the animal could get leverage and it’s never been a problem

That is very odd. My MB 550s have held every coyote, fox, badger, skunk, coon and bobcat these ever stepped in them

Did you mess with the pan tension?

Do you know what kind of critter it is? Is it possibly deer?

I also have bad luck with 550s. Wet clay conditions are the worst for me.

How old are the traps that are experiencing pullouts?

I started with 550s. I lost a critter or in them but I was just beginning and my skill level might have something to do with it. I still use them when I run out of other traps. But I see a much higher rate of toe catches with them than I like. And I've seen quite a few pics of toe catches on here with them. To me a toe catch is a near miss and I don't like to have to many. I will also say I like bedding my traps deeper probably than some people and that might be a contributing factor. I know there quite a few that like them and if u like them that's great. They just aren't for me.
Another thought might be if your covering traps with grass or hay, too much over the jaws will cause some problems

I know a guy that runs those 550s and I am not sure why but he gets a lot of toe catches.

That's strange I run almost exclusively 550s. I don't tinker with them at all just boil and wax and put in the ground. I can't remember having anything other than deep pad catches in them. I get pullouts from deer in them but furbearers are always waiting in the trap when I check

That’s been the opposite of my experience. In 12 years of using them I can count the number of toe catches I’ve had on one hand

Almost all the catches I have in 550s are deep pad catches. In fact a lot of the time you couldn’t shove the foot in there further if you tried

The MB 2 coil are strong.

I have a few hundred mb 550's and run them hard. Everyone that traps alot gets a pullout occasionally. It usually happens as you approach the set, but it happens. I have used many other brand name traps and I have had some pullouts with them also over the years.

I like the traps there not more than 5 years old or so it's just the drags first time really using them I usually just stake solid with rebar or Wolfgang an don't have any pullout that I can't think of idk might be seeing some Saber tooth on the trap shed soon haha

I have no experience with drags, yet, but I run MB550’s and have had a few tow catches but not enough to worry about it. My “pullouts” were in offsets…BUT when a small pebble or stick gets in between the jaws at the right place it will happen. That’s on me, not the trap. I’m buying nothing but closed jaws now.

Can you confirm it’s not a deer pulling out??? Doesn’t take much for them to slip out and it wouldn’t be right away with a drag

Yeah you can see the sticks are chewed up ya know I just don't have good luck with drags not sure

Ive had a handful toe catches but haven't had a pull out since I stopped bedding so deep. I would love to see them just a touch bigger though. Something like an MB-580 or MB-600 would be awesome. Change nothing else other than the jaw spread and maybe springs if they wouldn't be strong enough for the new design.

I run 550os so far no pullouts yet .i do remember one That was caught on the bottom of the toes around the pads. Its like he crawled up and set his foot on the trap pan.

NO BS K9 Extreme Jr

I like MB650s

I just got out of coyote trapping this year due to arthritis, but I used 2 kinds of traps: Montana #3 offsets and MB550 offsets. What I found was doing a Zagger pipe set gave me NO toe catches from any of them. But, with ordinary dirt holes or flat sets, the more traditional way, I had a few with both brands over the years.

X2

Sounds like a pan tension issue to me. I run mine between 3-4 pounds and my coyotes are caught deep. I have never had a pull out from coyotes. that pan tension seems to have lowered some of the skunks and possums i used to catch. Just my opinion, but i would check pan tension after traps are waxed and make sure the notch on the dog and area it contacts on the trap are free of wax

Sounds like a pan tension issue to me. I run mine between 3-4 pounds and my coyotes are caught deep. I have never had a pull out from coyotes. that pan tension seems to have lowered some of the skunks and possums i used to catch. Just my opinion, but i would check pan tension after traps are waxed and make sure the notch on the dog and area it contacts on the trap are free of wax

A 550 held 4 of my fingers pretty well a few days ago. No chance for a pull out.

The direction the critter comes into the trap can also make for a miss if they're stepping over the jaw. Paw catching enough of the jaw while stepping over versus between jaws will bounce the foot out of the trap.

It's not a miss it's a pull out you can see a struggle chewed sticks I did pre wrap these drags maybe not do that?

X2!

What Bob said. It does not matter what you are using, it will happen if you trap hard enough, long enough. I have watch a large coyote yank out of a MB550 as I approached. Part of the game.
Are you using all of your CSI skills? Are you sure you have identified just what happened? Being on a well set up drag system should improve your odds most of the time.
Deer are real culprits at yanking out of traps.
Good luck and do not discouraged by anything on the trapline. When something wrong happens it is an opportunity to learn.

Mac

I have 14 dozen mb 550s i use drags on about half of them, the only animals I've had pull out are a couple coons. I've caught several hundred coyotes in them over the last 5 years, I've caught 2 by the elbow. I don't wax my traps, like above i could count the toe catches on one hand
I would suggest making sure the wax is scrapped off the dog and bottom of the pan

Maybe there’s some amount of luck to it. I’ve used 550s for a long time. The last several years I started having pullouts. Wet clay conditions are the worst. I lost a bobcat on Thursday. I pulled up to a trap that had a catch circle and bobcat fur in the jaws. Brand new 550 that had caught a smaller female a couple days prior. Couldn’t figure out what happened. Well today I believe I caught up with him.the bottom foot is where he was caught today. You can see the mark above it that I believe is where he was previously held. Well above the toes. A full pad catch that he pulled out of. Still not sure what happened, but I have enough pullouts with them every season to be a concern. Most everything that’s caught is full pad catches though, so I suspect jaws may throw some feet out of the trap

Lot of evidence in those pics Sportsman. Thanks for sharing

Possibly a coon chewing out?

All I use never had a pull out but one day it probably will happen

Coons,, if you are seeing chewed sticks I almost guarantee you it’s coons

Around here, coons are often the culprit in my 550 offset pullouts. Lately, I’ve considered it a favor…. They like to chew also.

Coming from PA, I believe it is possibly a coon rather than a fox. Drags give the initial lunge a buffer of sorts and after 30 seconds the part below the jaws is swelling that a toe hold is pretty good. Oh and since I mentioned toe holds, does everyone get an animal's paw squarely in the middle of the trap jaws? I sure don't. Look at the tracks left in a trap pattern (with no trap set) and you will see even with encouraging sticks and clods, you will get tracks intermittently spaced and on top of each other while your quarry is working your attractant. A foot 1/2 on the jaw and 1/2 in/out will get a toe hold and if someone says that you can get a paw centered on the trap pan while trapping canines every time, you have an awfully big trap jaw with an awfully big pan! A 550 is a little tougher to get that clasp every time. My take................................................. the mike

IF you set enough traps. One day it will happen. 3 years ago. I pulled up on a bobcat. Was trapping in spring. Alabama. For cattle ranchers. Was still using MB 550s then. Pull past bobcat. It was on dead end rode. Backed up to it with Toyota. Got out. Its was gone!! Since I was getting 0 pay for bobcats I just laughed and reset

Some people will get supper dupper up ser with toe catches and pull outs. Granted I dont want them. BUT I follow behind enough trapper to know that = having to catch a previously toe pinched coyote is just part of the job.

I suspect that part of the animal's foot on the pan and the other part on the dog or jaws when the trap fires causes a lot of poor catches as well.

You’re probably right, which is why pan tension is important. A trap with proper pan tension is usually not going to fire when part of the animals weight is on the jaw or dog and not the pan.

Guiding also helps a lot. It’s harder to guide coyotes but it can be done. Foxes, bobcats and coon can be guided so heavily that it’s ridiculous, especially in blind trail sets.

I'm with AJE, really like the MB650. But only use them where they won't have a chance of walking off.

Steeltraps How are you liking those NO BS Extreme JR wires? Any comparison to the Sterlings?

Exactly.

I set a bunch of 650s this week and it made me wonder why anybody would buy a 550 when the 650s are so much better

I tried 650s and I hated everything about them

I have a dozen 650s an they are catching machines. They lock up hard enough to be a pita releasing a cat tho

You must have gotten a bad batch

I really like the = NO BS Wire Lever Jrs. I used them mainly around 1 place in West Texas. I knew would do well. I think. Off hand without looking at my note book 22 coyotes with the NO BS Wire Lever jrs all total. Its an apples to orange comparison. Because MJ 600 is my • Dream trap. Just hard to find and expensive to replace if damaged. But IF you made me start from 0. Took away my 184 MJ 600 Sterling and said = start over. I would out fit up with = NO BS wire lever traps

Could be, but I’ll take a #3 or #4 double longspring over a 650 every day of the week and twice on Sunday. I bought the 650s thinking “hey, I love my 550s, I bet 650s are awesome” and then I was sorely disappointed

Funny how some like one trap and other like another. I know a guy that catches coyotes by the truck loads and he didn't like the MJs. It's silly but I'm almost to the point of catching coyotes is more important than what trap u like.

Yes Sir. I can honestly say that in 35 years I have used about every trap out there at one point or another. With the exception being Longspring traps. In Longspring i have used - # 8 LPCs. And some # 4 Texas Specials and a few 3Ns. But thats it. Have used = Dukes Montgomerys. Montanas Bridgers. BMI K9 Wolfers Jakes. mb 450s Mb 550. Mb 650. No BS traps. Herters. Coyote Cuffs KBs and im sure afew more that I have left out. This is what I know. Worst trapI have used = Dukes. Best Trap = MJ 600 Sterling. Everyone defends the traps they like best. I just think = whatever works best for me. Where I am. Under the soil conditions I have is the best for me

I have to agree. Success has a lot to do with what a person has confidence in.

I agree with others that you have a front foot catch on a coon and they can slip out of an offset jaw trap. Try some closed jaw. This warmer weather in Pa has the coon running hard.

Boddicker wrote about guys who could place a trap on a rocky surface, camouflage the pan, and catch any coyote, bobcat, or such that visited the trap site. You don't seem to have a problem having some quarry to visit and get caught but aren't having luck holding them. Again it sounds like coons too me. The reason I mentioned Boddicker is he hits on individuals that knew their target's foot movements and how to get them where they wanted them. That will take time and experience for everyone to master. How the animal reacts to an attractant is a learning process so use snow, mud, wet sand, game cams, etc.,,,, anything that will help you see how they place their feet at a trap set. You won't learn that on Youtube. If you believe its still canines pulling out and you have examined the "gear" for reliability, try focusing on their foot placement. I ran a scent post survey for the Nebraska G&P in 4-5' circle patterns in the Spring for several years in the 80's and learned much on an animal's foot traffic at an attractant. August Heller from Dunbar Nebraska caught coyotes on frozen farm ponds (the water not the dam ) in the 60's and 70's and I stumbled on his method then. Took me a few years to absorb what/why he did what he did but he got the "foot" where he wanted on that smooth surface. He knew coyotes! Keep observing and you will do fine. ............................................................ the mike

Feed back appreciated thanks everyone.....I really doubt it is a coon but it's possible I live 2300 ft up on the Mt it's a little different than down in the valleys I've only caught a few coon up here few possums mostly coyotes ....an yes I've followed some of the majors work good stuff

If you are not too invested in the mb’s, try some others. You can always sell the mb’s as lots of folks do like them. If you are too invested to easily switch or just don’t want to, try a good bit more pan tension. That’s what I’d do anyhow. Good luck.

Me too. Set one with 2 pounds of pan tension and the next time you set it, it will be 4 pounds. They're rough on feet too even when laminated. And for some reason I've gotten way more toe catches with those traps than any other.

I'll take fully modified Bridgers over them six ways to Sunday.

There a good trap no real complaints other than when I use drags ....I was looking at the k9 xtreme but it's a heavy trap for all the grey an red fox i catch on my line just my opinion

How did the trappers before us manage to catch anything with old victors and Blake and lambs.

I don't know if anyone touched on this yet or not but I had some bad luck with the 550 and gave up on them. I think it is my dirt and style of trapping. My first dozen I had half of them out of commission at the set due to coyotes bending the dogs. They sent me new ones but I sold them. I could have learned to change to do things the way others do who are successful with them but I didn't want to change. I just stick with my #3 Bridgers and MJ600 now. I'm crabby.... These break when you try to bend them back. Never lost one from one of these.

This is just one of many reasons ( bent dogs ) why I prefer Dogless Pans on coyote traps!! MB 550 is still a pretty good all around trap especially if you have Fox & Coyotes on your line.

I’ve never had a bent dog on a 550, out of dozens of coyotes. Maybe my coyotes aren’t as mean as yours lol

You had bent dogs on MB550’s??? With coyotes??? I’ve held 90# incidentals with no issues. Heck, I didn’t even know those dogs would bend, lol.
How old were the traps? Mine are going on 7yrs now. The only thing that’s destroyed them are those big John Deere’s and a logging Semi. Rangers and F150’s haven’t phased them.

I ran MB 550s from 2009. I think to 2019. Bout Year round. Had = as many as = 147 = MB 550s out at 1 time. Caught 300 plus coyotes for 10 years then 400 plus 1 year AND in all that time will say 200 or more MB 550s who many dogs did I lose 2!!! Yep 2. One was lost off traps. Thats the ONLY 1 that came off in 11 years or so. In mudhole. Never could find. The second. Got chain hooked some home. Bent dog back. I tried to straighten out on ball hitch. Broke it. Bad cast. Right down the middle. So 2 dogs in 11 years or so. Full time trapping. MB 550 is tough trap. I ONLY went to MJ 600 Sterling cause it doea better in mud. And. Its a better trap = For me

It was the first dozen I ordered. Right out of the box. The first coyote that bent the first dog was this average sized female back footed. Not a big coyote. I thought it was a fluke but 5 more later and I didn't want to mess with them anymore because I had to take them back to the shop to bend the dogs and all 6 of them busted. I don't know how the coyotes did it. I'm sure they work fine. I never lost one. I just had that dog issue. Maybe they were not made right? This picture is from 2013 so I must have gotten them that year. Look at that dog- it's one of the round ones- how does a coyote do that? Good trap - just thought it would be a time consuming issue at the time. And it was a royal pain.

Yeah, that had to have been a bad batch they used. On my next trap that gets crushed, I may see if I can bend that sucker just for the fun of it. I’m sure it can be done, just don’t know if I can do it, lol.

They changed the material for the dogs several years ago. The original dogs were much easier to bend.

K9 Jr is the one you should be comparing the 550 to, not the Xtreme. A 2 coil Jr would take care of your issues

strickly MB 550's for me never had a toe catch always good high catches. Either you have creep in your pan or tension is very light. Shouldn't have creep in your pan if you are setting night latch

Check your pan level when set. I've had several that the pan points up when set. Had to bend them back down to level. Caused several pullouts.

Definitely sounds like a bad batch of dogs. I’ve been running them for many years and have never had one bent. About the only thing I’ve had to do is make a minor adjustment to a couple (after a catch) because the pan wouldn’t clear the night latch. They would set but made it tough to get my polyfill under the pan. A tap on the spring pin and they were good to go. Definitely my favorite coyote trap because they bed quick and easy and almost always catch them deep.

I have dealt with MTP many times and never an issue and I believe they would want to know if there is a problem so they can correct it and make it right for you IMO...Jon

sell me your 550s, I'll take em.

Haha there posted

Thinking I'd be getting some different Trap's .

I’ve had some toe catches, it happens. The good news is I know I had toe catches cause I still had the critter in the trap.