I have tried both, but like above I am limited to a 6 In trap on land. I like the smaller pan for buried traps and expanded pans for exposed cat sets. I cut out a roofing shingle and glue it to the factory pan. Im cheap and it works.

I've been on both sides of this aisle,using 1.5's and 1.75's for coyotes and 'cats,to loving my 3n's and modified no.4 longsprings at the present.I've never owned a CDR let alone used one for predators but I have used everything else it seems like.As to the question why use a small trap,if I'm in a area that holds a lot of smaller furbearers other than coyotes I don't subscribe to the "bigger is better "rule.Yes,I've caught 'coons by the hind foot and red fox with little to no damage in the larger traps but try that stunt with Grey Fox.I have yet to find a modification on the larger traps that treated the little grey humanely.I also believe style of trap has a lot to do with it,animals tend to fight a longspring trap differently than a coilspring.So while I love my big steel,I 'm not about to set them anywhere and everywhere.And also,I've experiences with 1.75's since they came out in '80's and there's no way would I 4-coil them.I've been unhappy with the 2 coil at times with paw damage(not modified) let alone 4-coiling them.So I guess I use what I feel I need to do the job cleanly and humanely,if in an area where incidentals are few and far between,or deep snow trapping I won't hesitate on the big steel.On the other hand in a more settled area there's no way am I going to go banging around with the big traps.

well said BUCK!

Keep in mind that big traps are great for cats but are in no means coyote friendly if you get my drift.

never mind I'll keep my thoughts to myself however guys have been catching a lot more cats than most in 3ns 3 newhouses with regular pans than a lot of the big is better club I personally don't care I'll use what ever trap I happen to grab in the truck it ain't the trap its the trapper

that just confuzed me.

Me too.

You're easy to confuse

When I read a quote the way you wrote it I can be easily confused,yes

Never mind fixed it for ya carry on

If strictly trapping cats bedding shouldn't be an issue. Most of mine are pretty much exposed.

does anyone have a pic of there big trap set up?

another thing on these big traps is i am not having to laminate.

…didn't confuse me as I'm fluent in "western desert dweller" ….didn't know I was bilingual did you Trav lol ?

…these boys on here just don't know when to listen sometimes lol

Play nice now gents,lol.I'me a northern dweller and I understand all of you.

oh trust me, i was listening!
this thread has open up my eyes a little more on big vs. little traps and i have learnd alot!

trapper les has helped alot and i thank him for that, this thread could of went bad fast but everyone is playing nice and thank you guys for that

Big pans big traps Is a short cut to lack of guiding knowledge.

I ran 100s of Duke 1.75s for live market fox and coyotes. But I was getting a lot of sprung traps with the trap just setting the bed and not moved. So I took some and removed the larger stock pan and went to using 1 1/2 Blake and Lamb pans. The problem didn't go away completely but It sure made noticeable difference. With the smaller pans I had a few more tracked pattern with no catch but I cut down on empty sprung traps. I figured there was always tomorrow.

Here's a little story.

Well known trapper heads to Texas to trap coyotes on some High fence deer leases. His traps of choice are MB 750s. We all know that big Is better for coyotes.
After several days he's just not catching any coyotes and It's making him look bad. So of coarse It's the traps fault. So he sends them all to a well known mod man from the Mid west. Telling him he wants him to weld on those 4X4 electrical jct box covers on to the existing pans.
Well of coarse this should improve the traps ability to catch coyotes. Never did hear how that turned out.

The art of guiding Is becoming a lost art. It's never the trappers fault It's always the traps fault.

A well known trap maker named Morse Oberto made a beaver trap that had no pan just a elongated pan shank. His theory was If the beaver had It's whole foot In the trap he would catch It every time. He figured that missing a few would be better then having a larger pan and making toe catches or just having a sprung trap.

Now I'm a firm believer when It comes to large traps and large pans when It comes to rat and mink trapping since those two critters have very small feet.

I always figured a tracked pattern with no sprung trap was better then having a sprung trap with no catch.

interesting!

Interesting thread and some interesting choices.