OK trap, I respect your thoughts as well, but you think the only trap to hold calves and other critters is the KB? Wrong I have held calves,antelope and deer with sterlings and mod #3 bridger traps as well. That has nothing to do with trapping coyotes or bobcats!Your statement is pure BS, sorry to have to state it that way.
It is where the hold is and the size of the leg that will determine that! Along with jaw spread as well.
Expalin further the creep up thought? The trap goes shut and what I look for is a trap that will hold the foot with very little to no foot movement between the jaws! You have foot movement and then you deal with cutting and poor holds a chance to escape. I want all spring tension constant at the time of closure for max holding power! The design of a sterling is that the offset is great for a coyote foot to be held between the very wide cast jaws, and when he makes the first lunge the clicking sound of the levers locking closed mean the end of any foot movement between the jaws n less than idel pad catches, with a good pad catch the lock up of the levers is almost as the trap goes fully shut.
I have trapped many coyotes and with 24hr checks to 3 day checks and the sterling leaves nothing of compramise of any foot trap made! They bed rock solid and quickly, they have the best swivels on the market for strength and the abilty to self clean themselves which is very important on extended checks!
The sterling is American made as well and calving time is a concern with the sterlings as well for a short window of time in the spring, rock them in and you have little problems with calves.
I'm sorry I do not agree with your statement that the KB is the strognest trap on the market.
Also the spring levers I find to be an advantage as they are less prone to freezing down and also pick up less trash than wider levers for sure.
I use both sterlings and mod bridgers#3 with PIT pan systems and 4 coiled with o/s jaws and laminations and they perform every bit as well as a KB trap would I'm 100% sure of it!I need/want go spring power to break through frost and heavier covering of soils due to high wind conditions and grab ahold well, I get that with the springs used on the sterlings MJ600 and 4 coiled bridgers.
I'm glad you like and have success with the KB line of traps, but each area and circumstances aren't the same and what is one mans caddilac is another mans VW Bug. Good trapping and good luck!