This one is for you Trapper!
- Thread starter matmit
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chevysoldier
Full Member
Your pinpointer would be in two pieces haha
Stunmi
Elite Member
Good ID!
Silverfishin
Elite Member
Pretty weird if a bone was in it 
I really don't think it is a Victor .Victor had a rounded tapered opening in the levers, Bridger has the square opening lever holes. Bigger Victor had the square holed levers but not on the #2 traps. Duke copied Victor's lever hole design, they lock up solid like a Victor. Someone compensated for the weaker lever lock by adding #3 springs to it, you can tell by the number of coil spring wraps, a #2 wouldn't have that many coil spring wraps.Bridger riveted the frame, you can see the rivets, Victor toggle locked and spot welded their frames.
Now that is what I am talking about - you really know your traps!
I do not see a V on the bait plate, but it is pretty crusty
Mud-puppy
Forum Supporter
Yeah...it could be a 1.75 maybe?...depending on how large your hand is...pretty crisp bend on the jaw, so that and the bottom plate dimension is about the only identifying traits you got there to go off of to ID this...that and the clipped pan corner, which could signify an early model Duke import or some variant?...Cheap steel that would easily degrade like that....They also have clipped pan corners like that...
In your area, there was a lot of Fox trapping going on in the early 80s...Fox hit nearly $100 and everyone and their brother was after them...thats certainly rusty enough to be from that era....and since you found it in the middle of a field, definitely set for fox, ...There were not a lot of yotes in your area until the 90's and of course plentiful now, so guys were after raccoons and fox and mink/rats and such.......I never liked those square Jawed #2's though...too much room allowed for a chew off..
I sold 3 tubs of my gear last Fall...been trapping for 45yrs...I still have one big tub full just in case, one of each...Man back in the 70's...I used to have a lot of traps, switched over to snares pretty much....just a lot faster and lighter...
I will say, trapping skills make for a fabulous crossover into this Sport of detecting...Trappers can easily see the earth and travel patterns of what they are after...
In your area, there was a lot of Fox trapping going on in the early 80s...Fox hit nearly $100 and everyone and their brother was after them...thats certainly rusty enough to be from that era....and since you found it in the middle of a field, definitely set for fox, ...There were not a lot of yotes in your area until the 90's and of course plentiful now, so guys were after raccoons and fox and mink/rats and such.......I never liked those square Jawed #2's though...too much room allowed for a chew off..
I sold 3 tubs of my gear last Fall...been trapping for 45yrs...I still have one big tub full just in case, one of each...Man back in the 70's...I used to have a lot of traps, switched over to snares pretty much....just a lot faster and lighter...
I will say, trapping skills make for a fabulous crossover into this Sport of detecting...Trappers can easily see the earth and travel patterns of what they are after...
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They changed for a good reason but that is another whole story. Here are bridger traps, notice the pan is similar to the one pictured. Here is the new and improved Victor and the Duke, the Duke is on the right. As I was saying, they still use a square opening on some traps but the levers are high on the jaws, not down low as the victor picture. The bridger are also riveted as the one in the op pic. They are made in Taiwan, sold out of Minnesota.I've narrowed the pan on the bridger, the original pan could get stuck under the lever lip and not lock up.I took a 1/4 " off each side from the original pan.The bridger pan on the right is original, not cut down but that is the dogless version, different pan configuration.
