Anyone ever used whole dead chickens for coyote bait? I have a friend that has chicken houses and he wants to start trapping his cattle farm that just so happens to also have 6 chicken houses. I never have used chickens as bait before and was wondering if anyone had any suggestions or recommendations? Needless to say I have an unlimited supply of fresh dead chickens daily at my disposal.

Chicken parts are one of my favorite baits to use. I generally just use a leg or a wing deep in a dirt hole or cubby. I'll throw parts in my hay sets also. On the outside and around the sets for visual attractant I'll throw a hand full of feathers. I do use all of the parts of the chicken, it just gets split up into probably 15 pieces or so.

Yep, that's mostly what I use the whole chicken in a deep dirthole. If you can get all you want, start a bait station. I like to dig a big hole drop the chickens and put a few logs on top to make them work for it.

If you have chicken houses, i would say you probably have plenty of coyotes around there.
If there is a carcass pile already there, i'd set snares in trails(if possible) going to the pile.

if ya want to make extra ahead of season with just the meat, its covered in Nick Wyshinskis book

Thanks everyone for the suggestions. I tried a few deep dirt holes and hopefully will have some catches on my check today.

Goodluck, let us know

Got my first catch with the deep dirt hole chicken set.. a big ol grinner haha.

That is what I have found so I migrated away from chickens for canine bait. Can use it as a call station bait 20 -50' away from a set but it gets to be too strong of a calling card for me. Coyotes and fox can smell and decipher what it is from a longer distance and unless they have a regular diet (as mentioned by Blak Spot) they seem to pass on exploring it for me. Opossums, skunks, not so much coons, were the vast a majority of takers with chickens and parts as the attractant at the trap site. I believe the chickens/parts smell is strong enough to call those non targets from longer distances. I do however, really like chicken livers, hearts, lungs and meat for water sets for mink (coon too) in portable or PVC sets set in the water. The water deters the skunks and opossums enough to make it usable when the bait is isolated /surrounded by H2O. I still lean in the direction of chicken odor being pretty strong on water as on land so it has a drawing power as good as fish for me. The livers (blood smell) can be used on land sets as long as it is cold (like it for mink). Early season -- land predators-- there are better choices than chicken for me out there.

Well caught one on a set on a dead cow. Still nothing so far on the deep dirt holes.

Chicken parts, chicken bones, chicken skin, the grease chicken was cooked in all make the most potent 'possum bait money can buy. The best bait for a coyote is a location. At that location use some curiosity factor- gland lure or urine is plentygood.

Deep dirt hole chicken set paid off !

Very nice! Looks like a nice one

Thanks , she was pretty for our southern coyotes.

They work !

Absolutely chickens work. Personally, I would cut them up, slightly taint them, then set the taint with pickling salt. As someone mentioned above, location is #1. A bait just keeps them interested once they get on scene. If ou are catching a lot of skunk and possums then it is because of set location. PERIOD. If you have to set near timber, then put some dogproofs with a strong smelly bait to catch the skunks, coons and possums. If you use raw chicken then yes it will rot and be more attractive to ALL animals that eat rotten flesh to include coyotes. its all a matter of who gets there first folks. Like I siad above, taint the chicken just slightly or preserve it raw, then let location and a good gland lure draw the coyotes to the set not the uncontrollable stink of rotten bait.

Chunks of chicken started my trapping career. A whole chicken will get attention, but isn’t really needed. We’re talking about a canine... chop it in half, quarters, or smaller, and you’ll have more than enough.


If I were using whole chickens, I’d just start a bait pile as suggested

I've made oil from the Chicken skin.
Tremendous appeal

I have a batch of incubated eggs that did not hatch due to a humidity issue with my incubator. I just cleaned it out and most eggs held chicks that had died and some yolk remnants. I gathered it up, any thought on how long to taint this or what to do after? If nothing else I can give it to the kids for bait, let them catch a bunch of possum and skunk with it.

Eggs put out an odor we can’t smell. They become my warm weather bait down a dirthole during the summer months. I just buy store bought eggs and leave them in my truck for a week or so before dropping them down a hole. A shallow hole where the egg can be seen works well. Only issue is when they crack…the ants clean it up pretty quick.

Be sure to check your regulations before you use em. Here in Nevada you’d be in deep trouble if any part of the chicken were exposed, within 30 feet of a foothold, even so much as a single feather. Any bait used has to be concealed, not visible from any angle.

True here too Bob, but as long as its in a hole or covered from birds of prey it is useable. I have raised chickens here as a farm flock for 25 years (15-25 let out every morning and locked up every night). When they die of old age, they go into the freezer for later use as bait. In all the years of doing this, I have had poor results in using them as canine bait/attractors. Coons and mink are really attracted and skunks and opossums don't seem to pass them up. For coyotes they seem to be sub par compared to other meat baits for me. The only damage and measurable success I have had was in the winter of '09-'10 when the snow was extremely deep and frequent. I lost 7 roosters to coyotes as their hunger brought them to the edge of my farmstead looking for a meal and I caught a few. In a normal winter canine food (mice, voles, rabbits, deer, carrion etc.) is readily available and chickens seem to be a low attractor on the menu list where I trap. ....................... the mike

We have laws against visible baits here as well. What I have will fit in a dirthole. I think I'm just gonna salt up a quart to try, not let it get too far from fresh and see what happens. If nothing else, I will target skunks and possum for a week to knock the numbers down, just hate to throw them out. Incubator is full again, might have a few more

Have chicken away from trap as coyote will roll in it as does a dog. If chicken is rotten with maggots will make it more attractive yet.

There was a guy 50 years ago .He would dig a hole with a post hole diger put a dead chicken in it set feathers on fire cover with dirt.Two traps each side of hole.He caught a lot of coyotes this way.