Bridger Traps Are The Best Coil Spring Traps For Trapping Animals For Food, Fur, Survival, Doomsday Preppers & SHTFBridger #2 Regular Jaw Coyote/Fox Trapping Package Bridger Coil Spring Traps are high quality traps that are good for animals sized up to and including fox, raccoon, coyotes, mountain lions, and wolves. Keep reading to learn all about Coil Spring traps including how to select your traps, how to prepare and modify your traps, and different methods and tips for trapping different sized animals. Additional Coil Spring Traps (types and sizes) are provided below. Why you might need itGet everything you need to start catching animals like foxes, raccoons, minks, skunks, coyotes, beavers, bobcats, lynx, badgers, otters, mountain lions, wolves, and opossum. Bridger makes the best quality coil spring traps in our opinion. Whether you are a new or experienced trapper, or you are a Doomsday prepper stockpiling traps for a long term survival scenario, a well made coil spring trap such as this particular trap will be effective in catching small and medium sized animals.Coil spring traps are leg hold traps. Square shaped jaws are best due to a slightly higher catch rate. If you "laminate" the trap to make the trap's jaws have more area, your trap will be even more humane and will have more "hold" making the trap even more successful. Another consideration is "regular" vs. "off set" traps and whether or not you prefer "dogless" traps. An "off set" coil spring trap has a gap in the jaws when closed and can be one of the most humane traps. "Dogless" traps are easier to maintain. These and other trapping terms are further explained below, so keep reading.
One important note about trapping. Your trap line must be checked once a day. If you do not have time to tend to your trap line properly, then you should not be trapping. So if you are only going to check your traps on weekends, as an example, you could set your traps on a Friday, check them on Saturday, and remove them after a final check on Sunday. You do not want to leave an animal trapped for days, starving and suffering. Another thing, when your trap is successful, the animal should be immediately dispatched (we recommend a shot to the head with a .22 short) and immediately removed at least 40' away from the trap location if you will reset the trap in the same set location. You don't want the animal bleeding in your trap location. Remove any blood from the area with your trowel, and wipe any hair and blood off the trap with a clump of grass or anything else convenient before re-setting your trap.
The best all around set for trapping predators (racoons, opossum, skunks, fox, mink, bobcats, coyote, etc.) is the Dirt Hole Set. However you also need to learn how to create Flat Sets. Scroll down and watch the videos on both of these important techniques.
 Regular Coil Spring Trap (Jaws close tightly)
 Off Set Coil Spring Trap (Jaws close with a small gap which is more humane)
Coil Spring Trap Sizes
Regular Jaw Versus Off Set TrapsWe prefer the offset coil spring traps because they are more humane and the animal will suffer less than a regular jaw trap. The offset design will reduce broken bones and allow blood flow to the animals foot. The animal will be "handcuffed" to the trap, but testing has shown that animals will "fight" traps a lot less if their leg is not numb from lack of blood flow. In theory, the increased blood flow and injury reduction will minimize stress on the animal while still providing adequate holding power. Keep in mind that offset traps are not as practical with animals that have a tapered foot like a coon. Regular jaws, lamination and/or double jaws are other options that are more successful on tapered foot animals The offset design creates space or a small gap between the gripping surfaces when the jaws are closed. This offset or gap is usually 3/16" or 1/4" depending on the trap size. The offset jaws also allow the trap levers to come up further on the trap jaws. Because of the offset, the trap jaws actually close further than a standard trap. When the trap levers come up further on the trap jaws it makes the trap harder to open. Added Tip: You can convert a Regular trap to an Off Set trap by welding a 1/4" lug or bolt to the inside top of the jaws. This will allow blood flow to the animals paw. Add lamination and you have a much more humane trap than a regular jaw trap that is not laminated. Advantages of off set coil spring traps:
Many trappers also prefer laminated or wide faced jaws to reduce injury and improve efficiency. Lamination increases the surface area of the jaw which creates added gripping ability. See the remaining sections and watch the videos below to better understand these and other concepts Should You Use Offset Traps?In some states offsets are mandatory for land sets and you're required by law to use them. If you live in an area where you have the option to choose between the two styles, it really just comes down to personal preference and opinion. With pan tension set at around 2-1/2 pounds, a level pan and a properly bedded trap you should not have any problems receiving a good high pad catch. There's always the possibility that non target animals (like raccoons) could pull out of an off set trap. If your local laws dictate you must use an offset, then the choice is easy. Or, if a landowner prefers you use an offset due to local domestic animals then it's nice to have a few off sets laying around. Overall, choosing an off set over a regular jaw trap is all about preference and what works best for you.   What Are Dogless Traps? Dogless traps have less moving parts, less things to come out of adjustment, and way less things to freeze up and get mudded up. If you look at the above pictures of a basic coil spring trap, you can see that the "dog" is the mechanism that is the hold down bar/catch lever which is similar to how a mouse trap works. The "dog" is one of the mechanisms that can get bent after repeated use, and will require maintenance by bending it back into shape with pliers or other tools. Dogless traps do not have the "dog" mechanism. Instead a small lip on the pan holds the trap open. See the picture below for a Dogless Trap. Dogless traps require a lot less to maintain, which is critical when you have a lot of traps out at any given time. Dogless traps have a big advantage in that pan tension is usually the same after a catch as before the catch. No wasting time adjusting traps on the line. A disadvantage of dogless traps would be if you wanted a super light trigger. It's hard to adjust a dogless trap light enough for a weasel or even a mink.  Bridger #3 Coil Spring Off Set Dogless Trap What Is Laminating A Trap?Laminating a trap is simply welding on lamination strips, bar stock, wire or rod to increase the width of the jaws. This makes the trap more humane for the animal and provides more grip to hold the animal. Lamination strips for most brands of traps and sizes can be purchased through trap suppliers that were already mentioned or you can make your own. Again that‘s another subject. You can use flat bar stock, #9 wire or 3/16” or ¼” cold roll rod. We prefer the #9 wire or cold roll rod but the method to add them to your trap jaws is basically the same. See the first three videos below for a better explanation and demonstration of lamination and other coil spring trap modifications. If you have old rusted up traps, you have skipped an step before dying them, because you need your traps to be rusty. If you have brand new traps take them to a car wash and pressure wash them real good. Then bring them home, put them in a 5 gallon bucket of water for a day or two, then pull them out and let them rust. The more rust the better as the dye will take better with more rust. To preserve your Leg Hold traps and keep them in good working order for perhaps 20 years, it's a good idea to dye them. If you are going to trap on land, after dying the traps, waxing them is another good idea. Waxing Leg Hold traps is a good idea for trapping on land when the traps may be buried for weeks. The wax preserves the traps and makes them lightening fast. Do not wax your water traps. The jaws will be too slippery, and coons will set off your traps because they will be attracted to grab the shiny jaws (they need to step on the pan to get caught and they will set off the trap but not get caught if they grab the jaws). See the recommended accessories below for dye and wax, and watch the video further down on dying and waxing traps. |
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