To me it has a very musky mouse type smell. The smell reminds me of Grawes Fat Cat lure? So I used a axe to chip off a gallon's worth from the rimrock where the rats lived. I am planning on smashing it into a powder then taking some of it and making a tincture. It's fun to try something new to me! Keep in mind I primarily trap coyotes and bobcats. Thinking about adding a little of this pack rat smell to the bait/lures I make for my own use. Has anyone tried this? If you have could you please share your results with us? Thank Mark.

Look up amberat, has some associations with nasty virus and bacteria pathogens
Smashing it into a powder could be problematic.

Thanks for the heads up! Yes I took precautions. It was a lot harder to break up then I thought it would be. So it ended up being mostly marble sized chunks. I used a mixture of glycerin and glycol for a tincturing agent. Just have to wait now to see how the smell transfers or not? At least my dogs and cats showed a interest in the pack rat tar.

Try some cheap 100proof vodka as well for the tincture solvent good luck

CMCF, thanks for your help. I will try a batch with the vodka for comparison.

In my reading up on these rat middens I found that the binding agent, glue if you like, is urine. Since dessert rats rarely or not at all drink water their urine is a byproduct of vegetable matter digestion. Alcohol and water should be excellent solvents . They may even dissolve the tar.

Suggestion: as a lure ingredient I would start out with a curiosity, food, or other smell that makes them want to dig.
A dirt hole or dig under a rock or log kind of lure. Use sparingly. Possibly fresh ground and preserved mice with a squirt of tincture.

As a stand-alone scent I would focus on possibly a trailing or pee post. Or rats nest set.

Rats and mice don’t “take a leak”. They dribble, constantly. That is the primary odor that other animals identify as
“mousey “ and that’s what made me think of a trailing scent.
I would definitely focus on a pee post because it’s urine! And I doubt if a predator is going to stop and think wait a minute, do rats squat to pee?

Just a few thoughts. I’ve made a few rats nest sets on middens. Never thought to tincture the mess so take this with a grain of un iodized salt. Better yet use about a tablespoon to the quart of tincture as antifreeze.

You may have found an important component in whole puzzle of animal attraction.
I think mountain bunny, hirax? excrement is already a thing in the perfume bizz.

Test with cams and let us know.. if ya ain’t testing ya’s just guessing. Even sifted dirt pattern with tracks will work.

Thanks for your great suggestions and information! I also thought it was very interesting how those pack rats would use their urine as a binding agent for nest building. I do believe You are correct about a thinner type of tincturing agent might dissolve the dried urine/tar better. Yes I will do some testing, I'm looking foreword to it. Now I have a reason to buy a trail cam. I will let you all know how it turns out? Maybe by then I will learn how to post a picture?