How far do guys think a animal can smell your bait and lure? In the past couple of weeks I’ve had a fox , coyote and a raccoon walk with in 10 to 15 yards from two different sets. Not one of them came any closer than that. The coyote was definitely down wind of both sets. The fox and raccoon were weren’t straight down wind but close enough that one would think they would’ve been able to smell the bait and lure. As good as they can smell I would they could smell everything from a far distance. Just can’t figure out why they would be running close to my sets on there own but then not going over to investigate the sets

They can smell it from much farther away, its just a matter if they are in the mood to care.

It's time for change sir, what sniper said

or it smells good enough to intrest them

Think critters are like us. I may drive past 4 burger joints to get chicken, or drive past 4 chicken joints to get a burger. Just on my experience with cameras, one critter may come by and not break stride, another comes by hours later like he was on a mission and goes straight to it. Could it have been the same critter? Who knows. Maybe it was and they registered the smell but had another mission on their minds. Maybe they decided that smell was what they wanted after all and came back to check it out. I’ve had a coyote walk past 3 sets and investigate the 4th set and get caught. We don’t have snow or sandy roads for tracks so cameras are our eyes and teachers.

Sometimes it's not the calling power of a bait or lure......it's the attraction power.


That's trapping.

My opinion, I don't think you can have to much bait....But...... you can have to much lure.... Was taught that by very good coyote trapper.

And sometimes you might be better off placing the lure a few feet above the ground where the wind can move It.

When your attraction isn't attracting them how good of an attractant is it? If guys think they need to be in the right mood may I suggest buying an ounce of rat glands, find a camera that darn sure doesn't spook coyotes, put glands down a hole watched by camera. See how moody they are then. I've found plenty of popular lures that are mood based I guess. And I've found some lures that mood didn't matter much.

A few years ago I took my Labrador retriever in to close my snares over at the end of February. He investigated all the dirt holes I made in November under 3 feet of snow that were 4 months old. He pawed at the snow and sniffed every set. They know it’s there. I think less lure is better.

X2- Right On!

If there is one thing I’ve learned testing lures and baits is never believe a scent’s attractiveness to a dog is telling you what the attractiveness will to a coyote! Four times I’ve been given lures and one bait and each time told how great the scent is because their dog went nuts-O over it. All four were proven to have very little to no attraction to coyotes. Worthless if you want to attract coyotes but most dogs will absolutely love it.

It’s human nature to want to use the pet dog to test scents. Heck, they are a canine and a canine is a canine and it’s easy to do with the dog right there waiting to help. No camera is needed, no permissions to get to test, no milage to travel, basically, no extra time needs be spent, just turn Fido loose and watch. Nope, the dog is not a coyote!

Are you talking about muskrat glands or rat glands?

If animals are coming within 10 to 15 yards of sets and not responding to your baits or lures, I'd move the sets 10 to 15 yards closer to where they're travelling.

Muskrat

At each location 2 different sets with different bait and or lure/urine. Mix it up.

A person can be fooled about wind direction during nighttime. My wife found me an app that showed air speed and movement hourly from the previous night! I was pretty much shocked to see a huge shift in directions from what I had anticipated when I made the set. I’m sure folks have seen this “variable wind” description in nighttime weather forecasts.

Also, nighttime air normally sinks and scent movement is along the ground especially if the scent you’re using lacks lift in the formulation. Think of the coyote you know went by your sets, head up doing the 3.4mph coyote trot and the scent you’re using isn’t either dispersing high enough for it to catch a wiff (traveling along the ground)or there was no air movement, or the wind was variable at that time and not moving toward the coyote.

All of this and you don’t really know how attracted it was to your choice of scent because that’s why I described the scenario as I did. In order to stop that coyote traveling like they do, your scent’s degree of attractiveness needed to be high enough to reach out an slap that coyote along side it’s head to make it come to your set.

There is a real reason why it’s said “set on sign”.

You missed my point completely. All I was saying is if my dog can smell it 4 month later under 3 feet of snow than a coyote can

Your missing 3 things

#1 location
#2 Location
#3 LOCATION

Precisely what Dave Edwards once told me.

This is the most accurate reply yet!

Always try to make your sets inches away from critter sign....not feet...and definitely not yards. That greatly increases the odds that they will stop and investigate. 100%...?...No...but it is close.

Look at Mark June's recent thread trapping on a Tx ranch. Look at his catch pics. He makes a lot of sets in the middle of the ranch roads...between the wheel ruts. The coyotes,bcats, etc walk one rut or the other during their nightly travels. Their feet are only inches away from the set when they walk those roads.

So you must catch thousands of critters a season with rat glands. That’s unreal! Any particular brand or supplier you recommend?

I've seen some say it's time for a change of lure of bait. Give this a try. Just give the backing a shot of good fox or coyote urine now. I'll bet a canine will be waiting for you after doing so.

I say change ,,there is a good chance they already smelled it, the ones they did pass by have been there awhile??? if they were on location.
15 yrds is nothing if down wind but like Seldom said at what time of day up hill or down hill .I realize most do not have a up hill or down hill. But if come out west hunting there up hill breeze during the day and a downhill breeze in evening and nite.

If lure or bait can not catch on it's own move on also ,,urine is added as a second attractent imo this time of year it's time use like silkyplaincoyote has stated

Scent habituation.

Not in the mood.

Maybe the critters are “on to you”.

Winds not going where you think it is. If nighttime winds are nonexistent or extremely low, thermals and inversions take over and do all kinds of goofy things. The “wind” could change five times in as many minutes.

There’s not a lure or bait out there that you won’t see em blow by for a spell every once in a while. One week it’s the hottest thing since sliced bread, next week they wont even break stride.

What was the hot lure last year could be an old hat the next.

Mix it up. Try some subtle changes, try some big changes.

As for how far they can smell.

A loud bait used in copious amounts, a looooooong ways if the conditions are right!

I dont mean to hijack the thread, but I'm in a similar situation and would like some input. I think its relevant to the OP. This is my first year trapping.

I live on 22 acres. I have 2 dirtholes and 2 flat sets out. One dirthole and one flat set each at 2 locations. The dirtholes have been out since around 12/20. I added the flat sets around the first of January.

Dirthole #1 produced 1 coon on 12/22. Nothing since. We got a little snow about a week ago and I saw Fox tracks approach the hole but did not work it. Besides that there has been no activity at this set. I know this location is spot on. I keep a game camera here year round and have seen plenty of coyotes and Fox using this logging road. The flat set 20ft away on the logging trail has produced nothing. Both sets are directly on the logging trail.

Dirthole #2 is probably 75 yards down the logging road next to a lake. This location has a lot of predator activity, but due to it holding a lot of water I couldn't set on the logging road. I had to pull off the logging road probably 15 feet, between the road and the lake. I know predators work the logging road and the edge of the lake. I've got coyotes, bobcats, coon, and even mink on camera within 15 feet of this set, but nothing has worked it. I added a flat set closer to the road but nothing has worked it either.

- Should I try a different bait/lure? If I do, should I try to remove the old? I'm assuming if they aren't interested in it now, it shouldn't matter if its still there when the new is added? I really tried to not over do it with the lure...could I just need more of the original?

- For location #2, should I try to get more on location? I have a spot in mind, but should I be concerned with too many dirtholes too close to each other? Again, I'm assuming if they aren't interested in the original set now, it shouldn't matter if its still there when a new one is added? I dont want to keep adding sets and make the area hot.

- Or should I just wait it out? I read a lot of guys pull after 2 weeks of not catching, and I'm way past that on the dirtholes. If I didn't have animals on camera in these locations it would be easier to pull, but I know they are there.

Thanks

I agree. I have deep dirt holes with deer meat and some commercial bait and lure catch coyotes that passed up flat sets.
I certain that it keeps them working that dirt hole longer. Probability of a catch increases.
Location and wind direction rule the day however.