does anyone out there use cat nip for bobcat or other animals if so do you grow your own use it dryed or in a oil

thanks

Hey furchasr3, I like to use dry, ground up catnip leaves. I like to sprinkle it at the mouth of my hole, etc. To me it resembles what could be taken by a predator as a dug up mouse nest, etc. I personaly believe that it helps a little as far as eye appeal and the "catnip" magic on cats, and doesn't seem to spook canines. I personaly do not like the catnip oil, and believe if You use too much in lure, it'll overpower the other scents. Just my opinions.

PS I get mine already ground up at Freds in small plastic bottles, or from a good friend of mine that raises and grinds His own.

thank you very much have you ever caught any other animals with it

I'm sorry, I didn't put it in, but I use it as a "desert", You know, just a little something extra at my sets. I also have lures, urine, droppings etc. I have never tried it by itself. I have caught about every type animal we have here in sets that have it at them, this is why I don't think canines are spooked by it.

Using catnip modestly at cat sets can't harm anything and might give one an extra enticement. Some cats love it and others it don't sseem to do anything for. Using too much catnip can actually repel cats. Canines seem to like catnip too, I have a lot of trappers that use my cat lures containing catnip on fox and coyote.
A well known retired trapper from your area that you know Marty (J.K.)used Bobcat Nature's Call which has catnip in the formula as his #1 coyote lure for many years. Ace

The attraction of natural herbal catnip and the manmade type can do a great job on cats as adding an additional scent ingredient to a formula. One can tend to overpower a formula with synthetic catnip if you are not careful. The natural catnip is much more subtle and I dont believe you can really over overpower a formula as one can with the liquid concentrated mint.

Using it as a soft undertone I feel adds much to a good cat lure. I too have caught many a canine on my shadow stalker cat gland lure over the years. Some were intentional catches others were incidental.Nonetheless canines are attracted to the odor.

I agree with Bob on the natural and synthetics both adding appeal to a cat lure. As Bob stated, it would be easy to overpower with the synthetic catnip, its strong stuff. Ace

sounds good

yup sounds good

I have not had any luck using artificial catnip on cats in the past! Canines now...a whole different story! Mixed with a lard or animal flesh bait, most will eat it. Some synthetic's do not have the same affect on animals as the real stuff does or did. Now trappers...it usually catches lots of those! Ha!

I agree Lt Grey, synthetic musks and essential oils lack something that identifies it as the real thing to the animal's keen sense of smell. However, many of the unique odors of synthetics have a definite appeal to animals even though it may not be for the same reason as the genuine product. Ace

Who out there needs or wants genuine catnip oil, steam distilled? Just curious.

Tex A: I know of many thet sprinkle a little of the dried and crushed leaves around cat sets and say it works good for them.
The best possible catnip is distilled oil as mentioned my Lt Grey but it is very expensive and really powerful. It is easy to apply too much distilled oil to a set or lure formula and actually spook some cats.
I have experimented with tincturing the leaves in alcolhol or propylene glycol which can extract a lot of the sweet odor from the leaves and it works out pretty good in strength for lure formulation or maybe even as a straight lure. I cover some crushed leaves with 100 proof vodka in a bottle, leaving the bottle somewhere where I pass it frequently and give the bottle a good shaking every so often. After a couple of months one has a really good strong tincture. Ace