I noticed glycerin and glycol have gone up quite a bit. Is mineral oil an ok substitute for homemade beaver lure? Much cheaper. Maybe 75-25 with glycerin?

Remember some are water soluble and the other is oil soluble. The word Oil after Mineral is there for a reason. Some will blend nicely, some will not.

Thank you Bob. I found an old post of yours from years ago on another site about cat gland lure and I saved it.

Kytrapper, you are not the only one who has saved some of Bob's posts! You are right the cost of everything is going up.
There are still a few places that sell a gallon of glycerin for just under 30$ and some are around 40$.
I just bought a couple of gallons for 29.00$ each.

I am only a recreational trapper and someone shared an old beaver lure recipe with me years ago that used mineral oil. I dried and ground my own castors and mixed it with the mineral oil. There are also several other oils in it. I have had great success with it. I make a castor mound and splash a little water up on it. It makes a nice little lure sheen as it drifts across the water or down a creek. The mineral oil has worked very well for me.

Mineral oil is good with a castor base beaver lure,since beaver lure is not used in freezing temps for beaver,after ice is on.
If you want lure for land fur to be used in winter in very cold temps,glycerine is what you want.

What’s the recommended ratio of mineral oil to castor in early Fall trapping?

I don’t think there’s a definite ratio. I’ll add mine in the second blending to get a good looking paste. I’ve always used glycerin because I use same blend plus maybe one or two little things for cats. Besides the price I bought some lure from a nationally known maker and the consistency looked and acted like mineral oil and caught great. It wanted to separate slightly but when shaken went back together. I can see the guys on here that know a lot grinning at some of our comments but I surely appreciate any offering of help. Few of us trap enough to do the thorough testing the guys that sell gallons of it have done. I’ve fiddled with this castor lure and a cat gland lure for over 20 years and have success with those.

Upon first inspection, glycerin and mineral oil appear to be identical (or at least very similar) compounds: They’re both colorless, mostly odorless, and have mild lubricating properties that make them feel slippery when rubbed between the thumb and index finger. Chemically, however, they are very different compounds.

Mineral oil is a hydrocarbon, meaning it contains nothing except carbon and hydrogen and is a byproduct of the crude-oil refining process. Mineral oil is not soluble in water: If the two are mixed, they will form separate phases, with the mineral oil on top. Some mineral oils have been linked to cancer in animal studies involving exposure to oil mists

Glycerin is actually an alcohol and is produced by the saponification of plant or animal fats. Saponification is the reaction between the plant or animal fats and strong bases (like lye). Unlike mineral oil, it is soluble in water. In fact, it is hygroscopic and will actually absorb water vapor from the air. Glycerin is used by lure and bait makers mostly as thickener, binder/blending agent and sweetener, also as a humectant to keep baits moist and as a mild antifreeze agent in lures, baits and urines. Glycerin is not carcinogenic and is not believed to be toxic unless ingested in large quantities.

I suspect that years ago mineral oil was used because it was easier to obtain than glycerin.

Mr kytrapper, separation of a good, properly compounded lures' ingredients is quite normal over time and is not detrimental to the mix. Just shake it before use and you can grin knowing you will have continued success with it.

PB
Do you know of a source of glycerin that is made from animal fat? I can only find glycerin made from vegetable base. I'd like to test glycerin from animal base. The glycerin I've tested has a negative effect in formulation on coyotes. Even at low rates. It it's minimal at low rates but is still negative. I know some believe it's necessary but I have had good results reported with formulations without it, even in cold regions.

Mineral oil is prescribed by doctors to be taken by the spoonful to treat bowell problems.
Cant see it being a carcinogen and being OK for people to take internally.

I just mixed the dried ground castor with the mineral oil until it had a nice paste consistency as well. I have also used it a little during our lynx season which is in January and February without any issues. I caught a nice tom with it on a scent post set in the past. The castor does settle out over time, but it just needs a good stir to get back to the usable consistency.

Mr. Yes sir, I don't know of a commercial source for animal fat based glycerin. Its not all that hard to make as it is merely low heat rendered tallow, lye, water and salt. I have made it before with exception of the distillation step that purifies the end product. I didn't have much luck with it because I found it needed to be refrigerated and has a very short shelf life. . About two months the clearness of the glycerin liquid started to cloud, turned rancid, and developed a sour odor.

Personally, I am not a big consumer of glycerin. Most of the commercially manufactured glycerin available for sale is basically a sugar alcohol and has a shelf life of two years if not opened. As soon as it is opened and exposed to the air the shelf life starts to dwindle. I suspect that because of its hygroscopic nature and its ability to absorb water vapor from the air there is high probability for bacteria to form. This could be a likely explanation and the probable cause of negative effect to your formulation as you described above.

In my opinion glycerin's main use should be that of an antifreeze as it adds no odor value, however I believe it should only be added sparingly to a lure or bait formulation when weather conditions warrant its need. I build my lures and baits without directly adding any glycerin and will only add it when it's very cold out and only add some (mixed 50/50 with 100 proof vodka) to a small portion of lure or bait that I figure I will need for the very cold period. A trapper would be better off just doubling the lure application during cold weather than adding glycerin as glycerin will cut / dilute a lures odor. I completely sympathize with you fellas that sell lure and bait to the public and have to put up a product that is consumer friendly and wont freeze and break the bottle.

You would be shocked to learn how many modern Medicine's contain cancer causing chemicals...and that's not even counting the newer drugs out on the market that they have no way of knowing what the long term side effects will be.

Mineral oil as well as everything else we might consume is something one must use in moderation. A couple teaspoons of
It to help you “go” won’t cause cancer. But drinking it by the pint or quart everyday for long periods of time certainly will.

Water can cool you on a hot day. But having your head held under the surface may kill you pretty quickly.

Haha. Just being a smart arse. But you get my point.