Thought you guys might enjoy pic. Testing a buddies bait, 43 thirty second videos with about 13 different visits in six days.

I'd say it passed the test!

It works

Ive tested it before without cameras. It's kind of the Holy Grail of everything I've ever tested. If I want to really find how good something I've formulated is I test it beside his. Haven't out done his yet. I just started really testing with cameras and wanted to see how they react to his on video so I have a baseline to compare too.

Look at the way they are sniffing around. My gosh that must be a good bait. He is really onto something with that gem $

Impressive, but would it work the same elsewhere as it does in KS? I know population plays a huge part of how coyotes react to different baits and lures but maybe have some testing done in a few other states to see if he's really onto something. Very cool pic!

Cool pic, love to see some the videos too

If I get them loaded on YouTube I'll send you the link.
That's a good point. We have a good population here but we have a lot of food for them therefore hunger isn't as big as a motivation here as some would think. Ours usually carry a good fat covering. I'm not totally sold on the idea because we have a lot of coyotes they are easily caught or lured in. I've seen people talk about good ingredients or baits or sets in areas with less coyotes (and I'm assuming less food) that I've tested here that I would consider low percentage stuff based on my results. I've also seen trappers come from out of state thinking because we have a good population that they would catch high numbers and then leave disappointed. Great trappers can catch great numbers here but every coyote here isn't stupid.

Thought it was just me lol

We nice YS. Did a little of that last year. Big ole pregnant yote and three others were frequent visitors.

So, what is the base meat? Fresh or tainted?
Matt

Horse. Since it's not my formulation that's all I'll sharing

Yote guts those are some good picks. I enjoy testing stuff as much as I like trapping and I do most of it right on the road edge so I don't even need personal. And I can do it year around.

If you don’t think competition makes a difference try it with low numbers . I’m talking one visit every ten or twelve days . Before my numbers dropped I could put out just about any commercial bait and get it worked every 2 or 3 days . Not so much these days.

I understand that if you have less of a population you will have less visits. My thinking on lures and baits its a percentage game. How many that smell it will work the set, what percentage will work it the first visit, what percentage like it so much they will dig for it. Does the percentage change with the population? Also I do quite a bit of side by side testing. I just don't go by " well it got a good reaction by a couple of coyotes. All population have a certain amount of coyotes that are on the bolder side and if you have a lot of coyotes you obviously will have more of the bolder ones. It's not that I don't think population affects how many visits you get, more like population doesn't effect what formulation tests the best for you. If I test 10 lures and then start doing side by comparison tests and one comes up on top, does having a high population invalidate my findings? I will say my experience is only based off my own area and a lot of comparison testing.

Yes Sir I think having numbers is too big an advantage in testing a lure to over look that when testing . When I had numbers I would have agreed with you on all counts . Now it’s not just a lack of visits , it’s a lack of interest when they do visit. I’m finding few commercial baits will get a digging response and many times no response or change in stride at all . What I’ve seen the last few years is natural baits such as leftovers from beaver tail oil , deer liver , rat fleshings ground venison scraps ..... the list of possibilities is long and these offerings out performed all others.
Sir I’m not saying you are on the wrong track . I’m just saying What I’ve seen since our population has gone down Has changed what I thought I knew about bait .

I'll keep an open mind then. I will say I haven't had good luck getting a digging response from several popular commercial baits and lures ive tested also but will say I haven't test all the ones out there. Also I test all my bases as is before I decide to use them in a formulation and feel confident that in my area a plain base whether it be deer, mice or horse won't catch a many coyotes as one with a few additives. You bring up the word natural and I do think sometimes that is important but in a little different way, instead of meaning a plain nature food bait I think of it more like natural additives. I wonder sometimes if some the bigger commercial makers are relying more and more on man made synthetics as natural things like real glands, castor and urine are getting harder to come by. The man made stuff may have its place but in my testing none of it is what I consider a top shelf ingredient by itself. If population does play a role in attractiveness ill just say I'll test whatever I can think of and still trap with whatever tests the best were I trap.

I am going to throw a curveball here, and just think before you string me up. You may or may not have heard me talk about the 80/20 concept. I figured this out doing Wildlife life control about 25 years ago. Simply put when the season starts, 80 percent will be easier to catch and 20 percent will be harder to catch. Ironically, squirrels were the critters that first showed me this concept. The 80 is the young of the year. stupid and dumb and unpressured for example. the 20 percent is the critters that are going to be harder to catch, the been there done that, and spooky by nature. I have noticed in testing that the same principle stands out. We all know that in the summer and early fall when the population is going to be the highest that there will be more 80's that are going to really check things out and work them. The 20's are there just not seen as quickly because they are outnumbered especially when we are using the loose dirt circles and Dig responses to monitor. As we get into the late-season like now the 80 percents are now low in numbers because they are either on a board drying or have gotten their PHD degrees from close calls and have become the 20 percent. Many of the tests done now are going to be fouled not because the scent or bait is no good, but the plain fact, they have gone through the season and are not going to fall for anything a human has placed there. I won't go into detail but this season I have been doing human scent and coyote reaction studies with cameras. The coyotes are pinpointing where I stood, anywhere from 6 to 14 hours later, and avoiding the scents I have put out yet coyotes worked them 2 months ago. Just something to think about. OK now you can pull the lever and let the floor drop with the rope on my neck LOL

Jonesie
That video with the 5 coyotes was first night and I dont think I would have caught any of them that night. Me and the guy who made the bait were discussing the hesitation to work the set the first night and human scent came up. I will say that out of my 300 plus test sets I've put out it seems about 90% of the ones that got worked were on day 3. Very rare to get one worked first night. The third night is way too high of a percentage for it to be by chance and it doesn't matter if it's a single meat base or a 10 ingredient formulation. Spend more time setting and bedding a trap there and it seems the hesitation factor may increase. With that said I do trap some coyotes each year on the first night so it can be done.

That makes sense Jonesie.