I never hear much about Marten Glands? Why are they not collected and sold like so many other animals? Maybe they are blended and marketed as a different product? Seems like it would make a good lure ingredient similar to mink and weasel. So I'm just wondering where did all the Marten Glands Go?

Mine go back into the food chain on the line with the rest of the marten (minus the pelt),usually at a wolf jackpot.

Thanks Boco. I fully agree with the concept of returning the animals back to the land they came from minus the usable parts!! Just as we harvest castors from beavers and glands from skunks etc. etc. I'm still Pondering why Marten Glands are not collected and offered for sale that I know of?

I think the number of marten, where they are harvested(i dont think there's that many harvested in the lower 48 where most luremakers are) and size of glands, doesn't really lend itself to be a worthwhile commercial venture for most lure makers.

There are two sets of glands on marten.The musk or anal glands like all weasels and the belly glands which are part of the hide.
It is thought that marten use their belly glands to mark their home range,Similar to what canines like wolves use urine for.
Both sets of glands on Marten are fairly mild smelling compared to other mustelids.
Not sure how much use either would be in the dead of winter when marten are trapped.
Maybe some trappers have used either glands,I would be interested in their findings.

I've wondered myself if there would be a use for them. One time I've heard of trappers using them in a lure, but they were mixing them with fisher glands(which are not mild) and it honestly didn't sound like they knew what they were doing. Just throwing a bunch of stuff together and then dumping in enough skunk essence to overpower everything and calling it a marten lure.

Interesting! So is it safe to say marten have a milder/musky smell than mink? Sure sounds like it would make a good ingredient for bobcat lures? I saw that FHA. offered 25,000 Sable for sale. Sure seems like there would be some glands available?

Marten likely have the mildest musk of any mustelid,at least all the ones here that I have trapped.
There is a gland from one mustelid that is a deadly cat attractor.

Muskrat is pretty mild in my opinion but a pretty valuable ingredient.

Yes Sir. You are so right about the muskrat glands. I even enjoy smelling a room full of muskrat pelts.

Well Boco you kind of left us hanging!! lol. Knowing You and the area where you trap I'm going to guess Otter as the secret sauce for Feline lures? I hope we can get more information good or bad in regards to the use of Marten Glands?

I've smelled a bunch of marten glands, and in my opinion, have no smell at all. I've also never smelled marten scent at a trap set where I caught a marten.

I'd test them if anyone wanted to save me some. Would even pay something for them to try. Badger are pretty mild in my opinion too but they will have an effect in a formulation.

We humans let our way of thinking and our poor sense of smell dictate our logic as to how we understand some things.

That is not the best way to evaluate or understand an animals sense of smell.

All animals have glands or some means that represent their specific specie and sex. Glands, physical attributes, excretions/deposits all have a specific purpose.

Some glands may seem to have little to no odor representation according to our standards.

However, our human perception of odor intensity does not mean there is not any odor to another of their kind. Or that of another animal that inhabitats or frequents the same environment.

Other species most likely know who and what left that scent markng there if they have been around long enough to learn. That is one of the basic means of communication in our wild kingdom.

Scent, visual markings and vocals. All things that we all are very familiar with in our outdoor pursuits.

Does a domestic dog or cats body/hair odor have much of an odor to us. Generally speaking not much. Get around another dog after visiting with a friends pet, what happens.?

The question is when using such a mild scent from a specie, and to get the best effect should you use it alone or blended with other ingredients?

Some odors tend to get lost in formula which would serve to have little to no value at all.

Amounts used and what they are used with, are the challenge.

Thank you Bob, some good advice there.

Boco, What kind of reactions are you seeing to the Marten's in your jackpot? Are they eaten first, last, rolled on, etc. Just wondering if you have seen a pattern? Thanks.

They get worked over by the birds mostly.I really want birds working the draw bait,especially the smaller birds like whiskeyjacks and chicadees that fly back and forth caching food.
This activity is a huge draw for furbearers both visually and auditory.
A lot of trappers dont realize how many animals hunt in the middle of the day in winter-especially when the temps are low.Animals like marten use a lot less calories to keep warm in the sunlight.They take advantage of that.
I always have multiple species sets in the vicinity of a jackpot draw station.

One of if not the best attractions there is. Re marten glands, I have taken carcasses and sliced the glands with an axe and rubbed it on a tree and never seen it make any difference. I think it’s just not an important scent to them during that time of year

I've collected/ used American Marten glands as a lure ingredient for 40 years. Formulated properly they are very effective.
Some lure makers in the know get marten glands from me, mostly for their own top-secret private lures though.... Marten glands can attract more than just marten too

Trapped4ever. Thank You for the pictures & information! Beautiful pelts & saved glands. Thank You to everyone else who shared also. It seems to me that Marten glands can be a good ingredient in milder type formulations like Bob J. suggested.
I am thinking it might work well in rub type lures and gland type lures? Also maybe in a sweet bait? I know it needs to be tested!!!

I use them in a couple lures.

No such thing as a pine squirrel either.

I've never used the marten glands themselves HOWEVER I have noticed that after catching a marten on a pole set they will release there bladder and bowels which accumulates under the set. I've always noticed that when I'm breaking out the trails in the beginning of the season I'll see where marten will go straight to that spot under the pole and check it out. They must still be able to smell it from the previous season, I would think there is some anal gland secretions mixed in there and there seems to be enough attraction to make them investigate that spot.