It's an internet forum, no need for anyone to get riled up. It's just a question....that's all. With all the experts around I thought for sure one could shed some light on the difference between an Ok bait and lure and a great bait and lure. Especially if the "mall" is built where the residents roam. Things not working 100% of the time is a given, I'm interested in the difference between Ok and Great, because I've seen and heard of great trappers SOL when using "great" bait and lure. It begs the ? What is the difference? We all know it takes trapping abilities, but if you are on the numbers does it really matter?

To me a great bait should cut all that jazz about needing to know this and that, and one should be able to just go out and set traps and make catches....that would be "great". Due to animals being unpredictable and nothing is guaranteed, to me the difference between OK and great is a matter of opinion....it's all opinion and preference. If something isn't working, it can't be that great....or could it?..hmmm

How will I know when I’m good enough to try, can I count on you guys to tell me??????

What I think, and I believe what Carmen meant was confidence.

If you set a trap and your confident that a coyote will find it, and if your confident its much more likely than not it will get caught, you are at a place to trust the results of your coyote attractants effectiveness testing.

When it's all said and done it doesn't matter what any personality on an internet forum says, if what you are doing makes sense to you, and is putting fur in the traps. Then you don't need anyone's approval. jmo


Believe in what you're doing and have enough confidence in your ability to effectively put together a bait and lure without doubting its capabilities to attract the target animal. No doubt you will have some fails, but coming back from a fail being able to stand on your own two feet and accepting it will make room for success. Come back with an update, hopefully it isn't 3 + years from now.

Being able to pick up and use anything you make and know it will do what it was intended to do is a beautiful thing.

Your catch rates compared to other good trappers in your area is a good way to guage how good a trapper you are. Ultimately catch rates on lures and baits under similar conditions compared to other baits and lures over an extended period is how one can start determining the quality of a lure or bait. The bigger pool you have to compare to the better your judgment on how good something is. If you dont have anything to compare it to then a judgment on the quality of something is just a feeling or at best a theory.

clint your already good enough as long as you have the desire and burning curiosity you will figure it out! As long as your not scared of failure you should be fine. Me personally I welcome failure that is one of the major hitters in figuring out stuff. Nothing ventured nothing gained!

Some failures will also be wins! I made a mouse bait 10 years ago I thought was mediocre it failed for me gave it to a friend that trapped totally different then my style and he cleaned up! to this day he still begs for more. Come to find out it shined in timber Which I try and avoid

I kept my lure making and trapping separate till I felt I was starting to get a understand of each one. Last year was the first year I tried my own stuff on the trapline and made sure only 50% of the sets were made using my own stuff. I'll probably stay at the 50% level at least a couple more years. That way I'll feel like I've proven to myself whether my stuff as at least as good as what I can buy. And I'll probably keep testing other commercial lures and if I find one that works better than mine I'll use it till I make something better.

Yes sir I felt exactly the same way when I first started making my own. I always backed mine up with a proven formula double mouse hole set then the process of elimination started/ Remove the proven to see if it was mine or the combo of the two. Some times the combo proved more deadly then either one as a stand alone. With that said I it only proved complex formulas were a necessary evil

So use a "proven" bait or lure to get an animal that is naturally curious by nature there, and then have that animal work your bait and lure? Then once you get animals in the area, one is to believe that they are hitting on your bait and lure? Sounds a little backwards to me, but to some that is progress I guess. IMO that's defeating the purpose of making your own, you're bait and lure should attract the animals without the aid of "commercial" bait/lure to an area. To me, all that demonstrates is a lack of confidence.

I used proven baits till it was sink or swim time ! Now ive got plenty of confidence in my abilitys and what I make. But if you test as much as you say you should no interest and energy they exert to get it are totally different. So in my learning stages I wanted to assure my self that I would be looking at bare dirt on a daily basis. The fastest way to lose confidence is checking empty sets every time. Sure they are curious by nature but they don't just give up there hides with one tiny appealing smell

I do test all the time and year round, as anyone who depends on their bait and lure to help get the job done should. As far as trying to figure out your own bait and lure, it's silly to introduce another odor to the area that you're trying to determine whether or not your formula is actually triggering anything from an animal period. We all have our own methods to the madness, but imo when attempting to get a baseline on bait, there is no need for any other bait and lure in the area that you are testing besides the material in question. Really not that complicated as many make it out to be. Very easy to call in animals and get them to demonstrate a variety of responses.

I don't think its one bit silly! saying that is putting all your faith in one product alone! Never believed in the all the eggs in one basket concept And yes it is rather easy to get a yote to investigate, ive seen in the snow were they sniffed a cigarette butt! But that don't mean I will start putting pall malls in my dirt holes.

It’s a good thing bait and lure are supposed to provide variety, and that one product could provide a lot of it aye? Now forgive me for my ignorance but aren’t the ads pertaining to bait and lure from the wizards with all the knowledge that sprinkle magic juju in their bottles geared to animals “investigating” the product? Things like “ cant resist investigating, come to this one, will make your animal stay around the set, will collect animals, can count on any time of year, investigate this invest that”? The list goes on with the “greatness” of ads. Isn’t that the whole purpose of bait and lure, is to get an animal to that location to “investigate” its odor?

Digging, rubbing, rolling after it’s dug up? After the animal is there, if the trapper can’t seal the deal, that isn’t a bait and lure problem. I don’t sit in a bait and lure room with a tinfoil hat on, nor do I set jobs up with one on. I’m not in agreeance with the need to use magic or whatever other bs spins that folks need to chalk up when it comes to bait and lure, it’s unnecessary. I simply allow the animal to tell me what interests them by their responses. How many of these “great” bait and lures sit on trappers shelves, to have another purchased product placed in front of it because it isn’t getting the job done for the individual? Comes down to what works for the individual. “Complex” lures imo isn’t the answer.



Nothing adc about testing bait and lure out in the field, you either attract them or not. ^^^lol


Simple concept.... step one. Build a bait or lure based off of responses from the target animal not off your nose. When testing bait and lure...it has nothing to do with ADC or knowing where the animal is.


Step 2. Punch holes and place bait in them.



Step 3. Trail cam if you want if not check them for activity.




I don't test side by side until a final product has been put together. Even then, results speak for themselves


Step 4.. Do this on a consistent basis through out the year regardless of season, then repeat process. You can come up with any excuse you want on why one needs magic in a bottle, it's bs. I believe you will get more out of putting in the work than relying on some magic juju. This is just how I like to do things, the "experts" probably have way "cooler" ways.

tdhp I don't buy into the hype! Personally id rather know a little about whats in side the bottle instead of what its supposed to do outside of it. Joe you might be correct! The year I tried that mouse bait our vole population apexed that year. I was trapping open ag ground the other guy was trapping timber and ridges. So id say your assumption was correct they was probably just sick of eating rodents in my area But ill never compare fur trapping to adc trapping! Totally different monster

No hype needed to come up with a "banger" bait or lure. Just need to step back take a deep breath and simplify the whole process and skip the magic route. It makes much more sense when one can do that. The magic route is a road where many have a tough time coming back from.

Mr clint1971, I do apologize for the back and fourth, wasn't meant to discourage you sir. Don't over complicate and make testing harder than it really is as many do. I believe you will do just fine if you put the animal and their interest first, and remember it's just an animal.

No need to apologize, I’m learning from everyone. Thank you all for your comments. I’m gonna do some testing with some trail cams and see what happens.

Who cares? If you’re willing to miss fur in order to give it a try because it’s something that seems interesting to you and you’d like to learn more about it, let her rip.

To clarify - I’m not saying you WILL miss fur, I’m just saying you have to be willing to take that risk while you develop your own formulas. If you aren’t making a living off of trapping and you’re doing it for enjoyment, and you think working on your own baits and lures will enhance that enjoyment, get after it. It should always be fun. When rules are applied, fun levels decrease.

I have never said my baits and lures will pull animals long distance. Nor have I ever said my baits and lures will catch every critter that comes along. but I do catch a fair amount with them and I miss some to. But I will tell you if you put any ok scent, say vanilla for example in the spot where the animal is going to walk, be it deer, fox, coon or coyote it will stop and smell it. It may not dig or spend a lot of time there But it will stop and smell even if it is 18 inches away. If the trapper knows where to put the trap they will make the catch sometimes fast sometimes slow. That animal doesn't have to spend a lot of time there if the trap is in the spot where the animal steps. and if I miss him enough and he leaves his track there enough I will know where to put the trap!!!!!! The lost art of blind setting proves this where no baits or lures are used. If I know where to put the trap then the vanilla looks like a great lure. I can also take a proven bait or lure, any one, even one of yours TDHP and I can set it where I want a animal to go but if the animal does not want to go there or is not near there then even your baits and lures are going to look like they do not work. Testing is the same. I have had 10 out of 10 test sites out for 3 days where the animals are at, and every one looks like a bomb went off. Then change locations same product to where the animals are not there as much and have 4 out of 10 hit in 10 days. Baits and lures are a tool to aid the trapper not do a magic trick.