I've been using a lot of DPs for a long time and have had 3 pull outs.

I don't know if I've even lost 3 EVER. I did lose two in a culvert opening that I had staked outside the culvert so it would be easy to dispatch. The trap just reached the corner of the culvert and when the coons went inside the spring hit just right on the end of the culvert and when they pulled, it compressed the spring, releasing the coon. I didn't figure it out until the second coon. This is why I won't tie off to trees. They wrap around the tree until the spring rests against the tree. Always best to stake away from entanglement of any kind. The only other DP's I have had tripped and empty were from thieves or dogs pulling the coons out of the traps.

I have NEVER lost a coon in a DP.

I have NEVER had a chew out in a DP.

I have set on the edge of a little tiny creek and got about 3-4” of rain overnight that had me wading to get a drowned coon in the creek. If there was ever a time to chew, that would’ve been it.

I use earth anchors and even just cable off to trees and haven’t lost any either way. I have had the cable so wrapped around cover I thought I’d never get it untangled. And I’ve had them about head high up the same tree, but never lost one.

Curious what DP’s y’all are using where you lose them and how long between checks on chew outs? We have a 24hr check law here.

..don't know how but I've had 2 dps with the coon foot in the trap no coon heck of a pull out there an no didn't look like something ate the coon in the trap just somehow pulled out leaving thy arm...

I lost one last night in a DP that makes 4 so far. I'm about done with DPs.

I have use almost every brand and type of "DP" traps for over 15 years now. There are a couple styles I would not use again but all the common tube type DP's like Dukes, No BS, Z-traps, etc... all work the exact same way and if you are losing coons out of them, and someone or something is not pulling them out, then it is 100% operator error IMO.

What would the operator error be?

Describe lost? What brand of DP’s? Push/pull or pull only? And how do you know you “lost” something?

Folks talking about them passing them by, when I have that I’ll take my drill and auger and drill a hole and put my DP in the hole. Just make sure you have plenty of room for the trap to fire. Occasionally I’ll get one that’ll ignore it in the open, but bury it and he’ll reach in all day long.

Tell us exactly how you set the traps. How did you stake them, what bait, how far was the stabilizer in the ground, was the trap straight up and down or angled? What brand and style of trap?

Was there a catch circle? Any part of the coon still in the trap? Trap treatment? Waxed, painted etc... Was it for sure a coon and not some other critter?

Ok, that's sounds like operator error. In all 4 cases they were wrapped around a tree. I never thought that might be happening. Hopefully that's all it is. Thanks.

Dogs will pull them out, but more than likely the trap lost its ability to swivel and the coon twisted until it either pulled out or probably got it loose from the entanglement then after the damage was done it was able to run to the end and pull it off. This will happen if you leave your rebar stakes out of the ground so the springs get caught on it, or if you push your trap into hard ground too far, or if it partially freezes the stabilizer in the ground. I figured this out when I had a skunk foot in a DP and it was never pulled from the grund. A farmer near here couldn't get the stabilizer in the floor of his hay loft so he wired it straight to one of the beams up there, asked me why they were "chewing" out. I never push my DP's in further than 1/2 way up the stabilizers.

I’ve lost three that chewed out , paw still in trap. We have big coons so thinking they broke leg fighting trap then chewed out. Happens

I've caught hundreds of coons in DPs over the years and have never seen one chew on itself. They will chew up everything in the area but have never seen any self inflicted damage.