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Post by Adkmarten on Mar 19, 2012 15:34:40 GMT -5
I was going to use my fur money from this year to get some 160 conibears for fisher & marten and was wondering if there is a preferable brand. I have caught marten in duke 160's but what i have heard from some people is that dukes are weak and not a good fisher trap. I looked at belisles and aside from the price ($14.00 apiece) they were labeled as having a little bit more than 6" spread which would exclude the possibility of using it as a trap for coon trails. So what are your guys opinions on the brand i should get?
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Post by trappermac on Mar 19, 2012 18:28:11 GMT -5
I've never thought the Duke 160 was weak, seems to be a strong trap to me. Might be better made traps but I think the trap you have does the job.
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Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
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Post by Deleted on Mar 19, 2012 19:45:38 GMT -5
Definately DUKE's
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Post by jonathon721 on Mar 19, 2012 19:45:57 GMT -5
I haven't had any problem with takeing fisher in my Duke 160s. All my body grips are dukes. Haven't had any trouble with anything. Even took a 30# Beaver in a Duke 220. I think they are plenty strong affordable and durable. Good luck with whatever you decide to buy.
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Post by centro44 on Mar 19, 2012 19:54:00 GMT -5
dukes.....i buy dukes....99% of my traps are dukes.....the 110s have nice power and drop any mink or rat.......160s are fine for what you want to do.....years down the road when they do get weak they would then make a great rat trap.......i use #4 coils for beaver and cant complain yet (but cant say it wont come)......i bought 150 bridgers and cant see much difference......my 2 cents....eric
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Post by brushwolf on Mar 20, 2012 4:38:27 GMT -5
I must be the only guy in the state that has had some problems with the dukes i guess. Springs were plenty stong enough but the jaws seem "soft" and didnt perform as well as i would have liked on some fisher. seem to have worked well on other critters though.
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Post by bballou on Mar 20, 2012 5:06:50 GMT -5
day in and day out the Duke is a great trap IMO-----I have more trouble with the Belisles (conni-bear) after a catch ---(straiting the jaws) I have found that after almost every catch you have to work on the trap (Belisles)---this is the 160 ---220 and 330---. This is a real pain when trying to RUN.
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Post by brokestove on Mar 20, 2012 7:33:14 GMT -5
160 have all the power in the world and for the money go w/ dukes.
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Post by bob110 on Mar 20, 2012 18:22:30 GMT -5
Bill , haven't had this problem with my belisle's , have caught plenty of beaver and otter with no problems, although I had to replace the triggers which you pretty much have to on them all from time to time. I have some dukes that I use all the time also, good trap.
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Post by jimblakley on Mar 20, 2012 19:00:23 GMT -5
...Take a look at the MTP #160 ....
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Post by centro44 on Mar 20, 2012 20:44:16 GMT -5
Try a coni-pan on the 160........might have better luck so you don't get a bad catch....eric
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Post by deepsleep on Mar 20, 2012 21:29:56 GMT -5
Jaws bent around fisher leaving a few alive. All were good strikes behind the head on the neck. NOT happy with them. 220s were fine which is why I bought 5 doz 160s. They were not the same Quality. Good for rats though.
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Post by bballou on Mar 20, 2012 22:00:17 GMT -5
bob110----probably jest my luck---- didnt do enough research before switching over to all Belisles----beaver and otter are an automatic work on the trap --- and the 160 on fisher brings on work every time. As far as triggers go --- I look at changing triggers as something you do all the time.I have found a low maintainance conni-bear in the MB 12 by 16 so far ---- triggers are the only thing. What a trap.
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Post by sthet on Mar 21, 2012 7:08:12 GMT -5
I can't say enough about the new bridger 5x5....maybe the best mushrat trap ever made...I could write pages on what is wrong with the duke 160...I will have a bunch for sale at fenner...with me the trap doesn't just need to catch...it can't have misses....the duke 160s have much in their design that leads to misses...I can't even figure how to modify them to reduce those misses....the bridger 150s answer all those faults...I bet the bridger 155 is just as good.
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Post by bob110 on Mar 21, 2012 9:22:31 GMT -5
bill b , mb 12 x 16 hmmm, I'll have to check on those. sthet, I bought 6 bridger 155's and put them into service this past seasons, gotta say I like them alot. I only recall one snapped empty trap. Bob
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valleytrapper
US Army Retired-Vietnam Veteran Herkimer County NYSTA Represenative
Posts: 141
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Post by valleytrapper on Mar 21, 2012 12:25:55 GMT -5
I have sold close to 200 dozen 155 Dukes and will not sell 155 Bridgers for one very simple reason-- the Duke 155's have 160 springs capable of a quick dispatch. The Bridgers have 110 springs, why not just buy a 120? I tried the Bridgers when they first came out on my nuiance woodchuck line, after several caught and still alive woodchucks in village backlawns, you ditch the problem immediately. The Dukes performed very well, and not one still alive encounter. I sell the Duke 155's for $57.00 a dozen plus UPS charges.
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Post by trappermac on Mar 21, 2012 12:41:48 GMT -5
I use the Bridger 150's, strictly for muskrats. Nice rat trap, the 110 spring makes them quick and easy to set, covers up a run better than the 110, nice trap for the money. I would never compare its lethal ability to the Duke 160 or any trap with a spring larger than the 110 spring. A trap is only a good trap if it's used for reason intended and not for an animal it was never meant to be used for.
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Post by Adkmarten on Mar 21, 2012 16:42:15 GMT -5
Alright then what about duke 155's for fisher and marten?
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valleytrapper
US Army Retired-Vietnam Veteran Herkimer County NYSTA Represenative
Posts: 141
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Post by valleytrapper on Mar 21, 2012 17:12:34 GMT -5
Bob Noonan has written a very good artical about martin and fisher trapping with the 155 body grip traps in a recent past issue of the Trapper's Post. If you are a member of NYSTA you should be getting a copy as part of your membership. Bob feels the same way about the Duke - Bridger comment I made, and even suggests another trap to be superior (more expensive) to boot. Also his DVD he just came out with about fisher trapping is for martin also and the whole DVD is exclusively done using the 155 trap. Even if you have alot of experience trapping fisher and martin, there is a wealth of information in the DVD for everyone. I was impressed with the cubby he came up with, and how fast it is to set up a line using his cubby made for the 155 body grip trap. Watching his DVD will answer all your 155 questions as far as martin and fisher goes.
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