So I’m in a position where I have access to a lot of pocket gophers. Like thousands. I’m no expert but it seems to me that there isn’t much that would be more appealing and natural to a canine than chunks of gopher stuffed in a dirt hole, but I have a few questions for you experienced bait makers.

First, to skin, or not to skin? Second, guts in or out? And bones? Methods to preserve? Last but not least, ground up or chunked into quarters?

Thank you for any advice you may have for me

If they go through a grinder go that way if the skull go through it, if they don’t I’d freeze them and run through a saw or axed up into chunks. I use a cheap Cummings meat saw for frozen carp it works great for bait making.

My first year of trapping coyotes I used chunked up pocket gopher with fair results. But once it got cold then all bets where off and I had to change baits.

Trapper art used to use pocket gophers in some of his baits.

True. He's the only 1 i know of that did that.

I used two 5 gallon buckets of gophers this fall trapping coyotes. My thinking was like yours -- what could be more natural? However, what I found was that if you were setting very far from agriculture, coyotes just didn't work them. If I had a set on the edge of a hay pivot, etc., then they would work them in the early part of the season, but once the frost was in the ground, they just lost their appeal.