As my wife and I were eating watermelon today, I remembered reading how coyotes (and deer) like melons. I’m sure someone will correct me on this, but since our coyote seasons often start before it gets cold, coyotes may not have transitioned to a meat based diet. I’m told there are bait formulas which contain persimmon taste (Mark June has one) and honey (Lazarus’ bait calls for it). I’m sure both work. We don’t have persimmons to the best of my knowledge in southern Minnesota, but we do grow melons. Does anyone have a coyote bait recipe they’re willing to share made from musk melons or watermelons?

Thanks in advance.

There are several fruits and fruit odors that coyotes and fox both like when they are local and available. I learned that many years ago when trapping. I developed an ADC line of products long ago that use many of the known fruit odors that wildlife like to eat.

In doing so I had the opportunity to test and use many of them. I found that predators will seek and eat many varieties of fruits/berries when they are plentiful and will eat their fill to satisfy their needs. Look at a predators scat in the summer and early fall. It will show seeds, nuts and the skins of many fruits that didn't digest mixed with some protein matter/hair/bone that passed thru their system as waste.

In some cases it may be a total fruit byproduct waste discharge.This indicates that they have gorged themselves at a recent feeding and tells you to look for these areas that produce this type of fruit for future reference.

When I worked on the BMP program several years ago I ran into a situation that gave me good information on early fall diet preferences of some coyotes. My team found that the coyotes in our assigned area didn't find aged meats and some lures very appealing. The weather was unseasonably warm for October that fall. I am sure that those warm temps played a roll in their diet to a degree. Also much of the fruit crop was still readily available since we had very few frost conditions yet. Highs in the mid 70's for a week or more and nights in the 55-60 degree range as I recall. Very mild conditions.

After a few days of random catches below what I had expected I began baiting one set per location with fruit paste baits. Two days later our catch picked up at several locations. The coyotes finding the fruit paste baits to be of interest to them. We finished the program with good results using the fruit paste baits mixed in with the traditional predator baits and lures.

This was early October in our area. At the time we didn't have a lot of coyotes as they were just getting established in our county. Therefore visitations were not as frequent as other parts of our state due to their low population density. Now they are everywhere.

Bob does interest in fruit wane during cold months? I have not messed with any at all but I have caught lots of coons with crawdads in winter. At a time when coons are not finding any anyplace but where I have baited a set. They are very interested..

Can't help but wonder if something they only get a couple weeks a year might not get them interested even if not really hungry at the moment. I'm thinking prickly pear fruit. Where it grows, coyotes (and everything else) is all over it when its ripe and sweet.

Danny I still use some fruit paste baits in Nov. and Dec. with good interest still. Coyotes and fox still go after it. I will make one set with meat bait and standard lures as the call set and a big spoonful of fruit paste bait in another set. I get lots of doubles every year. I know it seems against the grain to do this but it works for me. I spread a little on the ground around the set to give them a taste since it is edible.

I have even caught cats on the fruit paste figure that. That was a Loganberry scent as I recall.

Thanks Bob

I have a meat base bait that has a fruity sweet side to it that I caught coyotes into January with last year

The sweet side and fruity odors attract more predator interest then many realize. Some push skunk so hard many are prone to think that is the silver bullet. At very cold times of the year it has its place in a product due to the push it provides to a product and its benefit in carrying odors in the thermals. However the other times of the year leading up to that point there are some other good things that will add catches during that transition period.

Too bad we can’t determine if fruity appeals to hunger or curiosity?

I cant keep the deer out of my fruity baits! I know predators gorge on fruit. But if my sets are inoperable due to deer. im better off using meats that hold little attraction. More times then one I find scat with plum,persimmon,melons and even pear remains in it. So with out a doubt fruit holds a big interest as a food group

When mulberries are falling here you will see the biggest piles of coyote scat on the road full of seeds that you will ever see. They must just gorge themselves on them.

During the time of year fruits are bearing I would believe it is a food resource response. Out of season for a couple months no doubt it would bring back recognition of a previous time and their curiosity would take hold. That would be how I would think.

Or if the fruity odor was encountered in an area not naturally producing the fruit it would again be curiosity or smelling an unfamiliar fruity fragrance once again it may trigger a curiosity reaction.

Putting some of the material out and a little away from the set and being edible sometimes gets them to commit better with confidence. I haven't had a significant problem with deer locally using these baits. However, some coon will have to be caught at times to clean them out of an area if they are there to allow your sets to be working when a predator comes along.

Thanks for your input Bob.

I make fruity Critter Candy that Carroll Black taught me a few yrs before he passed.
Welches may still sell the components, I'm not sure how much Scott carries of Blackies' original stuff though

Has anyone tried Apricots?

Mick
I haven't tried apricots but I did test my bait with mulberry and peach and the peach seem to have a slight edge. I bet apricots would have a pretty good reaction. Say this morning the coyotes are starting to eat a few sandhill plums.

Peaches and Cream is a catch all bait for sure. Wildlife will pig out on peaches as long as they are available. Fox , Coyote, coon, love them. I have seen fox and coyotes in peach trees once they have cleaned up the ground fruit.

I realize most of you may have a larger sample size than I do but I can’t help but think it would work the same in most places. A few years back ( 5 or 6 ) I had a name brand bait that just wasn’t cutting it in one of my best locations. I dislike “ changing “ or swapping out a bait or lure but don’t mind adding one. This particular bait was I believe a muskrat lure that was likely peach but could have been apricot. I think I had won this rat lure as a door prize and had carried it long enough to have lost the label. At any rate I added the fruity lure in late December during a slight warm spell and started catching coyotes . It got my attention and I’ve since used a fruit based lure many times with success when ever I get a “ dead “ lure or bait . Persimmon oil is one of my go to fruity smells and I don’t know of many persimmon trees in the area.

I was told if your stranded and find a berry or fruit you don't recognize, and without food your in bad trouble, taste it. What tastes good is ALMOST always edible and what tastes bad isn't. We haven't lost all the things that helped our ancient ancestors survive.

Taste and smell are related senses. If you plug your nose food doesn't have as much taste. Stuff tastes like it smells. Beaver caster will attract cats coyotes and fox in a desert that have never seen or smelled a beaver. I think their nose tells them what's good whether or not they ever encountered it before. Something that smells good, even though its new, doesn't spook them. Or least that is what I believe.

Liver and onions don’t smell good to me and they don’t taste any better Danny. I can’t imagine a coyote is any different accept they like things a whole lot worse than liver and onions , lol !

I must be the odd man out as I agree that liver and onions doesn't smell very good when cooking it. However I like it real good every now and then.

Black folks like chittlins a lot particularly around the holidays. It smells awful when they pre boil it prior to cooking. I have yet to give it a try but it may be good but when food smells like our XXX Matrix predator bait at some stage I will have to pass on that.

Predators will eat some things that we may choose not to unless we can't be picky then you do what is needed to survive.