I've seen a deer walk into one of my dad's coon sets. what happens is when the deer hits the pan their foot slides right out when they jump up into the air and kick around. I gotten my hand [:-] caught in lots of traps and I really doesn't hurt at all. and there's nothing for the jaws to grab onto. With a coon they have a pad on the bottom of their foot so it give something for the jaws to hold onto.