# What Lure?



## glenway (Mar 27, 2011)

Got my trap rusted, dyed and waxed and ready to trap my first coyote. I have some venison scraps and am wondering if using it in a hole could be effective. If not, what goes in the hole?


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## Larry (Dec 2, 2010)

glenway said:


> Got my trap rusted, dyed and waxed and ready to trap my first coyote. I have some venison scraps and am wondering if using it in a hole could be effective. If not, what goes in the hole?


Welcome to a great sport. Nothing is more satisfying then trapping a canine or a cat.

Lets start by sorting out a few things...

Lures are used to draw an animal in into your trap area. Where an animal can be caught by a snare on a trail set, or be brought in closer to perhaps sniff out some urine and bait in a buried bait hole set. Lures are often placed as high as six feet in the air. Lures are made up of many different ingredients depending on you prey. Often animal glands are used and not meat or internal organs. . It takes experience and time to create a good lure.

Bait on the other hand is placed in a hole near a trap to cause the animal to stay there until it steps on the pan. Baits are tainted pieces of meat usually placed on a hole. I will use a carcass the size of a goat or up to three raccoon carcuses per season.

Urine is both a lure and a cover scent.

You can make your own bait by tainting meat, liver, heart etc. You do this by placing Cubed meat in a bottle with a loose cap and putting it in the sun. Do not screw the cap on tight or it will explode. Put a t-shirt swab over the jar opening to keep maggots from forming.They will ruin the meat. Sniff the bait every day after the 3rd day. Yes raw meat doesn't start aging for two days in the sun because the suns UV rays hinder bacterial growth which only occurs at night!

Pay close attention, when it starts getting a brownish/greenish texture and it smells almost sweet, sprinkle some Borax Soap on it to stop the aging. Screw the lid on tight and you have now made bait for catching almost anything.


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## azpredatorhunter (Jul 24, 2012)

I can't imagine Glen making his own bait or lure, so my advice is to order a small bottle of lure and bait from F&T Fur Harvesters Trading Post 10681 Bushey Rd. Alpena, MI 49707 (989) 727-8727 call them and tell them what your trapping, pretty much anyone who answer the phone traps. They are a good bunch of guys, I've talked to about every one of them, and they will steer you in the right direction. They will know what works best in Michigan... Or you can order on line, I always call... www.fntpost.com


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## texaspredatorhunter (Aug 14, 2014)

Kaatz bros are good too.


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## azpredatorhunter (Jul 24, 2012)

texaspredatorhunter said:


> Kaatz bros are good too.


 Kellen Kaatz knows what he's doing...


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## azpredatorhunter (Jul 24, 2012)

Glen if you want to make some bait or lure let me know, I have a few recipes from some old timers... There's a lot to learn about lure and bait making: glands, urines, essences, musks, oils, formulation etc etc. If you make a meat based predator bait you don't want it to be rotten smelling or you'll catch more skunks and grinners than coyotes... JMO


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## glenway (Mar 27, 2011)

Thanks for the info, men. Pretty sure I can make some meat go bad and I already have some Borax.

I have an aversion to buying anything at this point in the experiment, but I will, if I get no takers.

Another question now: Once the meat is tainted and sprinkled with Borax, should it be refrigerated?


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## texaspredatorhunter (Aug 14, 2014)

Sodium Benzoate will stop the decomposition and I don't think I ever refrigerated any of my baits or lures.


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## glenway (Mar 27, 2011)

Good to know. I have some sodium benzoate, too, from preserving Deer "P". But, how is the stuff used with the meat?


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## texaspredatorhunter (Aug 14, 2014)

Powdered form is best and let it "cure" 4-6 days so it stops govinv off gasses. 1.5-2 cups per gallon are good.


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## azpredatorhunter (Jul 24, 2012)

You could... Borax is sodium borate, it's close to sodium benzoate a preservative, you can add some glycerin to thin out your meat bait, it has some antifreeze properties to. Methyl paraben will halt the aging process and probably doesn't make your bait taste like soap (borax). Sodium benzoate halts the aging process and is a preservative. Remember fresh meat is less attractive to skunks and grinners but doesn't give off much odor, slightly age the meat...


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## azpredatorhunter (Jul 24, 2012)

Glen, when I get back home I'll see what I have, I might have some thing that will work. I'll send it to you...


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## Larry (Dec 2, 2010)

texaspredatorhunter said:


> Sodium Benzoate will stop the decomposition and I don't think I ever refrigerated any of my baits or lures.


I knew I all those hits to my head as a kid would effect me someday! Thanks for reminding us all about Sodium Benzoate.

I want to also say that if you can find it use it.

I say this as I "believe Borax" soap leaves bait with a soapy taste. Should you ever miss the animal at the set and it gets the bait, it may never come back to another set. Just my thoughts.


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## glenway (Mar 27, 2011)

OK. I have lots of sodium benzoate in powder form.

Is the idea to mix the powder in water and then soak the decomposed meat in it for 4-6 days? How much do you put in the hole?


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## texaspredatorhunter (Aug 14, 2014)

My friend did all the bait making I just reaped the benefits! He would grind up venison that had spoiled or muskrat that he had trapped the year prior and mix it in with the meat while grinding I think. But all I ever used was about a golf ball chunk size. It's the bigger of the 2 spoons that I can't remember. Tablespoon maybe.


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## glenway (Mar 27, 2011)

I'm going to sacrifice some squirrels, because that's what I have now. Don't want to get into muskrat trapping to get into coyote trapping. If no success with squirrels, I'll pop a rabbit.


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## azpredatorhunter (Jul 24, 2012)

Check your local trapping laws...


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## glenway (Mar 27, 2011)

That's a good idea. In reference to the bait?


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## azpredatorhunter (Jul 24, 2012)

Yep, some states you can't set a trap within 30 feet of sight exposed bait. So you would have to make sure it's down in a hole. Check your local trapping laws before you set any traps. ie: make sure you check what kind of animals you can use for bait, some states you can't use game animals and some states you can.


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## azpredatorhunter (Jul 24, 2012)

Did you ever get my email?


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## texaspredatorhunter (Aug 14, 2014)

I have actually used the gold and silver Christmas ornament balls above a set for the motion factor to try and catch the attention of bob critters. I also take them and put a 1/2inch hole in them with a couple small holes and stuff a cotton ball in there with some scent.


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## azpredatorhunter (Jul 24, 2012)

texaspredatorhunter said:


> I have actually used the gold and silver Christmas ornament balls above a set for the motion factor to try and catch the attention of bob critters. I also take them and put a 1/2inch hole in them with a couple small holes and stuff a cotton ball in there with some scent.


flagging is great for Bobcats, I think he's after coyote...????


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## Larry (Dec 2, 2010)

glenway said:


> Another question now: Once the meat is tainted and sprinkled with Borax, should it be refrigerated?


 No need to refrigerate. just seal the jar/container so it remains air tite.


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## glenway (Mar 27, 2011)

Thanks for all the help, guys.

I have the meat outdoors as of yesterday and covered it with a cloth. It'll get the sodium benzoate treatment when ready. I have a spot picked out along a culvert/travel path over water for my first set.


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## Larry (Dec 2, 2010)

Glenway,

I would like to offer this. Keep a log book of all your sets. Whether its just a few traps or 80 miles of line. The reason being is every season brings new variables. What worked last season may not work this season. Keeping a log will assist you in being consistent and will be a time saver throughout the season by not making sets that don't work and avoiding poor locations.

I wish you the best of luck and be safe

Larry


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## glenway (Mar 27, 2011)

Will do, Sir. Waiting on the bait for now but plenty pumped up to start. AZ Predator is sending some lure to get me going, too.


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## pokeyjeeper (Sep 5, 2013)

Glen check the hunting and trapping guide on where and when you can set traps it is tricky in zone 3 till nov.1 just don't want the boys in green to give you a ticket


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## glenway (Mar 27, 2011)

Dang. Can't use it within 50 feet of water until November 10th.

Raccoon, and coyote may be taken on private property by a property owner or designee all year if

they are doing or about to do damage on private property. A license or written permit is not needed. That's me!

Trappers may use the parts of game animals as bait if:

The game used as bait was lawfully trapped or hunted and if it is the open

season for the game being used as bait; That's me, too.


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