Quick question guys. We're making predator bait using bobcat meat. How much sodium benzoate to stabilize a gallon of meat? How long would you taint before stabilizing? We're trapping primarily cats and coyotes.

Generally a cup a gallon. Fish need more.

Thanks Wade.

1 week taint for me, maybe 2. When you go longer, it gets LOUD. You can go fresh too. Maybe split it in half, preserve half fresh, then taint the other, see what the coyotes say

I believe I'll do Just that Mike. Thanks. Another question. Have you ever tried tainting and then adding a pint of your favorite commercial lure to make it stretch? I was thinking a gallon of meat and a pint of O'Gorman's "Powder River paste bait. Anyone tried that?

I wou'dn't reccommend it, now you are "watering" down a proffessionally made bait that you paid $$ for. Be like trading a $100 bill for 5 $10 bills, sure you have more bills, but half the value.

If you like that powder river you better let your base meat taint for a long time. It's rotted down alot.

I prefer the meat to be slightly tainted and find when it gets grey and bubbling good on the outside and still pinkish in the middle its about right.

Here's a very old post I made that may be of some help...

Here's a way to make a meat based k9/cat bait. The ingredients I added are only my choice you can add as many or few additives as you would like. Also the meat may be mice, beaver, cat, groundhog, muskrat, rabbit, ect... You're only limited by your imagination but this will give you an idea what is involved and give you a look at bait making step by step.

1. This is one gallon of meat base diced into 1" pieces. I removed all the guts, fur, and head then diced the rest bones and all. (There are no bones over 1" long)...



2. I then put the lid on this bucket and set this bucket inside a 5 gal. bucket with a lid on it. I made 4 pinholes in the lid of the 5 gal. bucket to allow gases to escape but to keep flies out. (it is very important to never let flies get into the bait) I set the bucket outside in the sun for a few days to reach a medium level of taint. At that point it looked like this...



3. *I poured the meat into the 5 gal. bucket for easier mixing. I then mixed one half pint sodium benzoate (preservative) with warm water til it was dissolved and added it along with a pint glyceryn (anti-freeze), some beaver castor and some muskrat glands and a few other "secret" things like that to the meat base and stirred it well.

*instead of step #3 above you could just order a pint of Dobbins Bait Solution, add it to the gallon of meat and go on to step #4.

4. I replaced the lid on the bucket and moved it to a cool place. I will stir it once or twice weekly for two weeks or so to allow complete permeation and intermingling of the ingredients.

Here it is after two weeks...



5. You can then jar it up and it's good to store any place out of direct sunlight.

I hope this gives you some ideas to try your own concoction. If you do let me know how it works.

A video on the bait grinder I now use. It's a #32 grinder, 3/4hp motor, and 3/4" holes in the grinder plate...



~ADC~

Test some cat meat fresh, tainted 2 weeks, and 2 months side by side and then you will know what the animals like. My preference with cat is a very strong taint, if your going with a weaker taint I think there's better bases. Remember your base wouldn't be near as loud once you stop the aging process.

Don't taint it; keep it fresh!

I start with fresh around thanksgiving. By the beginning of january its sorta ripe, works in colder temps. Just me tho

Lots of great input and differing opinions. I'll probably try them all and report back next spring.