Anyone have any experience with just using natural bait and possibly urine for coyotes? I've been considering the possibility of some lure spooking coyotes. By natural baits I mean local animal meat... deer, rabbit, woodchuck, etc.

Yes I think most predator trappers use this tactic ...like using droppings at certain sets instead of lure or even bait. Baits like you mentioned have worked well for years...be sure to be on location and bed the trap solid.

Try a big mouse nest in a chaff set or the end of a hollowed out log . I’ve used the mouse nest for the last couple of years with good results.
This was a bale of grass hay .

Here's my 2 cents based off a good amount of testing of ingredients and formulations, with a good about of the testing being side by side comparative testing.
First thing I will say is real uncut coyote urine is a very good and sometimes under rated attractant. But it has to be the good stuff and a lot of what's being sold isn't. A lot of people don't know the difference. The fake won't get a sewage smell like some say to look for. Some say if it has an ammonia smell it's real but the real stuff I collect doesn't have anywhere close to the ammonia smell as the stuff I bought and isn't very good.

As far as "natural" bait it will most definitely catch coyotes. Some meats have more attraction than others. Obviously the more attraction it has the more coyotes you will catch. Unless your in an area of extreme cold or limited food then hunger make everything work better.

I do think that some lure makers are depending on more and more synthetic man made ingredients because of cost and availability of the real natural products. These synthetic from my testing usually have a moderate attraction at best for coyotes and sometimes can actually spook them especially if too much is used. And this is were the poor performance of some lures and even some prepared baits comes in.

There are some ingredients that from my testing I have found to be top shelf ingredients. These ingredients get a very strong reaction from coyotes by themselves and never spook the coyotes matter how much you use. The use of these in baits or lures have always made them better from my testing.
One advantage I think most people over look when they use "natural" bait is the large amount they use. I do think that is a great advantage. I believe a top shelve lure or prepared bait used in equal amounts has an advantage over natural baits in most situations. I think a good amount of people haven't found and used a top shelf lure or bait and therefore have nothing to compare to.

Seldom on here has done a lot of testing using cameras and has been generous in sharing some of that info with us in you tube videos and
Posts on here. A lot of lures just are marginal at best.

I'm sure some will disagree but these are my theories and findings after putting in a hundred or two test holes every year for several years.

We have good luck on trail sets too, nothing added.

I use fresh deer organs and meat trimming with good results. I use the best urine I can find, and lots of turds. When I use lure I use a pin drop, but I don’t live in the super cold climates so mild works better for me

The last couple of years I have used less and less lure. I'm to the point where I don't use lure at all. I do use commercial baits, I use 2. My thinking is it is a lot more natural to a coyote with bait only. If your on location, you don't need anything else. My problem with lure is probably my own doing, like using to much. Not big on urine either. I took instruction from 2 guys that are also lure and bait makers, along with urine. Neither one used a gallon a year. These 2 catch over 500 coyotes each a year.

I have used prairie dogs, and rock chuck's chucked up for bait with good results.

And never rule out a good coyote urine set.
I find they circle dead piles, and I find a high spot and put in
a set with coyote urine.

Bait and lure only, here.
Keep it simple.
Jim

I use very little commercial lures. As far as bait goes, I'm a "give em what they're used to" type. We use a lot of mice that we catch around the house, and I like to use beaver meat when I get it. I grind castor, and use it sparingly for lure, best of luck!

If I had to choose one attractant it would be urine... I use very little bait , a well formulated lure contains all the triggers.

Anyone have any experience using baby bunnies for bait? My parents raise meat rabbits and its common for a rabbit to lose its first litter. I've got probably 20 or so baby bunnies in the freezer. I've been thinking about trying a large dirthole with a couple stuffed in the bottom. Maybe get some bedding from the rabbit pen and line the dirt hole with it. Sounds about as natural as I can get.

The rabbits will work very well as a bait. I’d skip on using the bedding it’ll just attract more rabbits rodents are very attracted to rodent urine. If your running a good pan tension then it won’t be a issue but if you run little pan tension you may just start catching rabbit’s.

What do most commercial baits and lures have in them?

Castor?
Mink glands?
Rat glands?
Skunk?

Most all have some or all of the above in them in varying amounts.

So changing lures doesn’t always necessarily mean you’re dramatically changing smells (unless you know exactly what’s in them). May just be throwing the same smells back at them in differing amounts.

For truly tough coyotes that may be hip to you, hard to beat all natural.

X2

Better listen to this guy, he can flat stack up the 'yotes!

There's several guys I listen to when they speak coyotes on this thread. Not hard to ask this question to the coyotes themselves if you have the motivation to really learn. Lot of off season for most guys to learn from coyotes. Just start putting in some test holes in the off season. The guys I listen to have learned from experience. You can cram a lot of experience in 9 months of test sets and you kmow the answers you get are the right ones. And you also learn who speaks truth or just has lose theories, which there are plenty of.

Unfortunately some can not use game animal parts for lure or bait.
Turds and urine work well for us too.

Every bait or lure I use with the exception of maybe a coyote gland lure (which I've had them get dug also) will make the vast majority want to get it no matter the season or the amount you use. Around here if it's good you could use a pea size or a half gallon and the coyotes should work hard to get it. I've always been skeptical when people say that too much lure will cause them to not commit to the set. Seems if that's the case the lure probably only has a mild curiosity to them and not a real strong attraction. You test any of the ingredients Boone mentioned above and they will get worked hard no matter how much is used with the exception of maybe castor or straight skunk. I don't consider them top shelf attractants though they do have their place. I will say that really smart coyotes mayb e an exception to this and need another approach.
And maybe I'm missing something but this is what I've seen testing.

I will add in my testing I have seen were some artificial stuff can have a slight attraction if a very small amount is used but negative things happen too much is used. Some of these ingredients have their place too but must be used correctly and in small amounts.

I don’t believe you’re missing a single thing Yes sir!