When I first started trapping K9's I watched a video from a leading trapper doing a dirt hole set and he put a heaping table spoon of bait down the hole and said " you don't trap on credit " whatever that means. I have found that a pea to bean sized glob of bait down the hole has produced the best with prepared baits, and fresh red meat baits about two or three golf ball sized chunks. I rarely use lures at dirt hole sets. This has worked for me, curious how much bait do you use at a dirt hole set ?

He must have been trying to sell bait.

I'm not measuring when baiting the hole, but I use around a quarter sized smear. The point is not to feed the animal....

I made up some bait this year. After I ground up 2 cats and 2 beaver I had more than a gallon of meat of each. Mixed in some of Bob Jameson's Maxx force bait solution and I have nearly 2.5 gallons of home made bait and still own quite a large load of other baits from last year.

Point is next year I don't want to have more bait than the 4 gallons I got now.

Best to use more than less. Might keep the yote at the hole longer.

It doesn't make sense to store bait year after year knowing that I will that I will just make more next year.

Now obviously they guys who sell bait are trying to sell bait.
However, I'm sure the guys who sell bait just use more because they have 100+ gallons of bait laying around.

Not because they are trying to swindle you into buying more of their bait.

Use what works. If you get away with a pea size go for it, but don't miss an animal cuz it got your bait in one swipe.
Make it dig till it steps on the pan.

I use about a tablespoon full of bait in a dirthole set.

Less in a mouse hole, or double dirt hole.

The amount I use depends on the bait a loud bait less subtle baits more. I don't want my quarry to satisfy its interest before it gets to the hole. I've found certain smells you can go overboard on! Fishy smells less is best. Urine cant be over used.

Our chunk baits are about the 1/2 the size of a golf ball and most customers use 1 chunk per set...so they get bout 35-40 sets per quart of bait.

I bring a plastic picnic spoon with me and one scoop is enough.

If a little bit helps a whole lot has got to do more.

Filler to the top and don't look back. These high dollar Midwest coyotes you can't afford to miss. Lol

No, don't fill it to the top.
Just put a little on sheeps wool.

The snow showed me that when I used to much bait the K9 would stop short of the set and move on. Surely getting all the smell to satisfy its curiosity. When I went to much smaller amounts my catch rate went up. I think sometimes we forget how powerful a K9 sense of smell is, trained police dogs can smell drugs vacuum pack in a gas tanks.

Hmmmmmm.... note to self I am using way to much bait.

This assumes that their only interest is in determining what the bait is, by smell. A good bait should entice them to want more than just a sniff. When I smell an apple pie it does more than satisfy my curiosity.

I'm sure with commercial baits it can be overdone, but with natural or fresh baits I disagree and would stuff a deer down a hole without thinking twice if it were possible. In most cases the size and depth of the hole determines how much I put in. I put as much as I can in as long as critters can't get at it and make a mess. I keep a small freezer full of woodchuck, rabbit, pigeons, deer organs, and various other free baits and do my best to use it all up the first month. As it gets colder, I switch over to tainted baits and commercial baits, then I cut back on amounts.

True, but if you really want pumpkin pie that day then apple pie may just keep you looking for pumpkin . But just a slight hint of something cooking will bring you into the kitchen to see what's cooking.

Different baits, different, days, different dogs, lots of variables. That's trapping, always changing.

So If you use NO LURE and just place a natural slightly tainted bait In the hole what do you think your results will be?

A bait placed down In a hole Isn't going to give off much of a odor. Especially when you put a little covering over It. And that slight odor Isn't going to reach out very far. So you need to be spot on when It comes to location. No wind and high humidity will even make It worse. Since any odor your bait has will be kept close to the ground.
So In my opinion how much bait makes no difference.
Know If your bait has been doctored It becomes a lure. And this will make a difference.
Know when you gang set you can get away with having empty holes and some baited holes because you have a lure at one set that's drawing those critters In to that set location.

This may be bit off topic but here goes.

When I'm running CRs I have access to lots of restored prairies. I create draw stations In these locations. When I first started doing this I had some success but more then a few times they were never touched. Super large bait right. Then I figured once those carcass froze they weren't giving off much scent. So I used some absorbent material soaked In LDC lure placed up high off the ground. And bingo that made all the difference In the world.
I guess my point Is. That no matter how big or small your bait Is It doesn't make any difference unless the critter Is drawn In to that location by some far reaching scent.

I buy MB bobcat with glands and beaver meat in 5 gallon buckets. I NEVER worry about using to much bait. I use 2 or 3 oz down a deep 4 inch by 16 inch deep hole with great results On flat sets and punch hole i use a fork full

I use very little lure/bait, but I give them 2 or 3 different smells per set. Then somewhere in the area just a straight pee post just in case they're on to me.

Lol

Iv'e had the same 1/2 gallon of Weiser's horse meat for 3 seasons, still have plenty.

When I bought most of my bait and lure, I used small amounts. I could stretch a pint of bait a looong ways.

Since I’ve started making and using my own stuff almost exclusively, the amounts used at a set have grown (especially with bait).

I also kill more coyotes now.

I’m not an OG groupie, but he talks about the greed effect of big baits and large amounts of bait. And I agree.

Make em think there’s a REAL MEAL down there.

It’s not uncommon for me to put one or two heaping tablespoons down a hole depending on what I’m using.

Most of my personal baits are on the “mild” side. Same with lure. I’m not a fan of real loud stuff AT the set.

I've often wondered if with coyotes keen sense of smell they could get an idea if there was a mouth full of bait down the hole or just a dab.. If they can judge the amount with their nose then I would think if the bait is edible then more would be more enticing.
PS I've been fortunate to get use some of Boone's baits and lures and can verify that he knows what he's doing.

Must be a slow night! What the Beav said

When testing I use a little less than the size of a kidney bean.

I have been of a opinion
If a dead horse or cow put off that much stink you are not going to spook them because of smell.
There is other reasons why they spook
But more down the hole imo holds there interest longer.
I put the same amount on a flat set as a dirthole.
Being cheap will cost in the end imo

Same as Beav

Prepared baits are different - don't use as much

Whole deer head crammed down a big dirthole 3' deep. If you dig it right they will never get it out but they will keep trying till they get caught over and over.

If i had to pay 80+ bucks a gallon for it i might use a teasoon at most per set. The bait i make from free things..a big plastic stirring spoon full. I do better with my own bait, could be because i use more. Its also always hot so i gotta put extra in for the fire ants and bugs to keep them busy. If its fresh bait like a dead chicken. then i chop off a chunk about like a baseball or bigger. I once used a whole baby hog head down a hole, caught 2 coyotes before the buzzards got to it. Then there was the time i used a used tampon, but you wouldnt believe me.

Seriously possum man? Bait and lure holder all in one?
Hmmm...

Yes. I sure did that about a year and a half ago. Tossed it down a dirthole and it took about a week for one to hit it and it turned out to be a terribly mangy coyote. But it worked. No lure or anything just a fresh used tampon. My next trick is to see if i can catch one with a stinky shoe down a hole.

I did that to prove a point (to myself mostly) that coyotes really dont care about human scent at a set. Heck i set a dozen traps yesterday and i was sweating so hard i was soaked through and through. Sweat was pouring off me all over the set, and i caught one last night. Just gotta have something down the hole they care about more than human scent.

I've been one of those always trying to use the minimum amount and make it go further types. Bait, lure, urine. Haven't tried a lot of different things, but I am fairly convinced that it takes more than a faint odor to pull most yotes directly onto the set. I want him beyond interested or curious, I want him attempting to get what is in the hole. I want that yote drooling before he reaches the set. Mind on one thing, what's in the hole. And, if he's half-way across a section, I want him to know just where to find what he's smelling. Doesn't have to be that loud or putrid, but it needs to have a smell that carries. I'm in the more is better, in most situations, camp. A heaping table spoon is a good start.

I doubt the smell carries as far as you make it sound cfowler. I'm not saying it won't work, but I don't think they're smelling it from that far away.

I don’t mean to hijack this thread, but why is it that you can easily over-lure a set to the point where a coyote will shy away, but you can use much more commercial bait that also gives off a strong odor? I’ve seen some people use a dap of lure, and a tablespoon of bait at the same set. Just curious. Thanks

I know for a fact that on a cold clear night a coyote can smell a Ford rusting over a mile away. Lol

Lure is the smell of another animal that has come through. Bait however is a food offering. Im sure you can try all you like but your going to get worse then a rotting carcass

Imo if your bait is something natural that would or could be found or stolen by mr. Coyote on a regular basis than I don't think you can use too much. But if there are unnatural additives then you have a lure bait combination, I think you could use to much.

Now would time of season have an affect on how much you use? Say during deer season using more to pull them away from gut piles? Then when hard winter hits use less because they might be hard pressed for food? Or do I have it backwards?

I peed in the pipe, nothing else. It worked. It shouldn't matter how much bait down the hole if we are on location. Last season I used less bait and lure than ever and matched my personal best on coyotes. A tablespoon was plenty. A bit of trailing scent does not hurt a bit. Beef blood works great as a trailer.

This ^^^

Lure and bait are always a secondary reason to be at my sets....Many are blind sets with no smell attraction, and the animals were going to be there anyhow.

When I do use bait it's a glob about the size of a small pecan down a deep 1/2 inch hole, and I want them digging for a while to get to it.

Bait makers usually say use 2 -3 tablespoons, and that's probably what I would say too, if I were selling bait....If you have to pull your animals from long distance, there are far better LDC call lures to serve that purpose.

You just don't need big holes, and a shovel full of bait, if you can identify funnels, crossings, barriers, etc. and let the animals show you the runs they use... IMHO
.

The pro baitmakers I've bought from have not said to use ~3 tablespoons.

I've seen one tablespoon, one or more, two tablespoons, 2-3 tablespoons in late winter, and two or more tablespoons recommended. I guess two or more means ~ (approx) 3, however that amount shakes out, it's still a lot of commercial bait to me.

I took instruction this last winter from 2 trapper's that are big bait and lure makers. I found out, I am a bait makers dream. Was shocked how little bait and lure they used. I am using way to much. Oh , neither one used much urine. One trapper hits several states and uses less than a gallon for the entire year.

After reading Russ Carman's Musk, Mystery & Misconceptions book this is what i would do. As long as you know you are on location i would put at least 2 sets in. Use what ever sets you have the most confidence in. Sense the coyotes have plenty to eat already using a bait might be hit or miss. I would use any type of lure or urine besides a food lure at or in your sets.

I'm definitely not a heavy hitter and I don't have a bait/lure career. I simply like to read a lot and have watched a lot of animals both in person and by camera. I will give you something to ponder. At home sometimes you try to feed your dog something and he simply turns his nose up at it. I've also seen curiosity lures that my dog will run right by without even taking a second glance. I've never seen my dog make it by a marked tree or fire hydrant without giving it a whiz. Also it's pretty common knowledge that a lot of gland lures contain urine.

Seems that most canine trapping comes down to two options. They either want to eat it or they want to breed with it. I'm not confident myself to just go down to one thing. In fact I'm a pretty big fan of just bait/urine at 90% of my sets. I know guys are just the opposite at 90% lure and urine at their sets. I'd be willing to guess you could drop the bait/lure and just squirt quality urine and have very similar catch percentages if on location. I'm not at a point where I really want to find out yet.

This year I'm going to try using less lure especially and see what results I get. It seems my sets in the past have to cool down before they get worked. In the snow, I can see where they will approach a fresh set but won't commit. They get a couple feet away and turn and leave.

Try different things until you find out what they want then pour it to em. But that still only works good for a limited time.

I use just a little over a teaspoon in my dirthole and pipedream. I use mostly ground deer I have a batch made with jamesons bait solution and a batch with Dobbins.
J

I've noticed that I do best with mild lures. This may be part or all of the reason.

I don't use bait very much at all. Iv'e always been a lure guy. reason being well formulated lure covers all the urges, and I get more response from lure over bait. Always start with a little dab and increase the amount as the temps drop. Most sets have at least 2 lures applied apart. If I use urine its at a urine set where it belongs , just a short squirt. I've had sets lured in November catch coyotes in February.

Ryans spot on, coyotes gonna either pee on it or eat it... or try to anyway

Wouldn't be hard to ask the coyotes whether they like a lot of bait down the hole or a little. A couple of holes at a few locations and you would have a good answer not just an opinion or theory.

Fresh ground meat I use a lot ( 1/4 pound or so ) tainted or skunky I will use up to a pea sized amount in cold weather and a BB sized amount in warmer weather .