Lol. I had a commercial bait I bought years ago that made me gag the first time I smelled it and I got a fisher with it but also a truck load of skunks and possum. No coyote or fox or coon though.

Predator bait plus I think it was called

Now I realize every area is different and I’m sure the guys in Kansas, Texas, mountainous region that target coyotes don’t have to worry about this, but anything “putrid” down here is about a 90-100% guarantee of a possum in the set. Maybe they just beat coyotes to the set, but other than skunk essence, anything overly tainted or just flat out disgusting hasn’t produced.
Now it could be the way I used it or where I used it. Maybe something up high as a call lure might have worked differently as far as a lure goes. But even a bait that had a sewer smell was a turnoff, except for possums.
I’d used a bait with good success for several years and one year I ordered it, the second I popped the seal I knew something wasn’t right. The smell and even texture was way way off. I contacted the manufacturer and they replaced it, but even the jar they sent wasn’t quite the same as before. My son had only trapped one year and had ordered some when he started out. He got the same rotted batch the next year. He ended up just “pouring” it in the back of cage traps and it became his “possum/coon” bait/lure.
We have horses at the plantation that get hooves trimmed on a regular schedule. I may do some experimenting with the kennel dogs. I know the guard dog (German Shepherd) doesn’t pay any attention to them.

WB

We have plenty of possums in my part of Ks and I hate them. But we have a lot of open pastures and farm land so when I'm coyote trapping I just stay away from possum and deer habitat and it solves most of the issues with those two animals. When I'm targeting cats it another ball game. In my testing I haven't found an ingredient that coyotes are attracted to that deer, skunks and possums aren't attracted to also. My theory, and it's just a theory because I've never tested it, is that the louder lures just have more reach which means it's more likely those non target animals are more likely to smell it and beat the coyotes to thr set. Just my thoughts.

Those are my thoughts too. The worse it smells, the more non targets I catch.

I did put some hoof trimming in a jar to "cook" today as I was trimming feet. I figured what the heck. I'll try to get it into some tests as a secondary odor whenever I think it's to the gag stage. My dogs will chew on them but after while with the ample supply here they do tend to lose intrest in them
I rotted down a rabbit pelt once. I believe hooves and hair are mostly the same material (keratin)...??? I was thinking when rotten it produces a very potent very long lasting odor that might have some value, more so than aged flesh. Broke the jar while moving and never used any of it.

It might have some value as a long distance call lure during cold weather if set up high. Idk. I might make a jar and see what happens. You never know until you try

As Yes Sir stated previously, whether it’s testing or actual set making, avoiding unwanted animals travel ways or habitat is crucial to which animal gets to your test or set first. When I’m looking to place a test plot or a trap set and reading coyote sign, I’m also paying attention to unwanted sign as well because they don’t wander aimlessly either. You can’t get away from them all the time but you can minimize contact.

During the years I used cameras testing in early spring into summer I actually videoed very few possum and I think only a couple skunk. The more wooded the habitat where I tested the fewer unwanteds showed up on camera.

I have noticed in my area when it is dry and hot like it is now the coon and Sam's seem to travel the roads further than when we have normal rainfall .Unless there is great sign I will move up the road or make two sets if possible. I started making some of the horse hoof juice but I ended up pitching it. Just a little to pungent for me.

Smells like heaven if you ask me!

I'm glad that this post was started. I had recently reached out to a local furrier to acquire the trimmings when they were next available. I have read some older writings where they were used and wanted to test them and see what reaction they got. After reading all this, I still plan on making it, but more to smell it and see the reaction on video for myself- not with any expectation of using it for anything.

Normally I keep all of my lures & baits, partial or full in a 1/2 doz ammo boxes in my freezer but that filled up with beaver so I now keep them outside stacked in big garbage cans. I have a couple of fellas that aren't hardcore canine trappers coming over to buy some of the lures & baits from me so I'll watch for their reactions when they walk into my shed after I've got everything out on display for them. Oh, the Weisers with be there for them as well.! LOL

May be worthy of a little Candid Camera type video action!!! I suppose you can test your lures on trappers as well as target animals!

Sometimes it is a good idea to see how unwanteds react to a lure. I made up a lure that I thought would be a good canine lure. It attracted canines, maybe not as well as some, but better than quite a few commercial lures I have tried. It also really attracted felines, especially the larger variety that are a pain to release. But it attracted raptors like nothing I've ever seen. It wasn't a super loud lure, but it would draw raptors even under heavy tree cover. If you put it on a T-bone or small chunk of wood or any other small scent holder, the raptors would pack it off. I never ended up using it much, because I could never find a way to use it that didn't attract raptors and I was too afraid of catching an eagle or something.

I never did know what in that lure attracted them so much, none of the ingredients individually seemed to have that kind of attraction to them.

Just out of curiosity. I've seen tons of discussion here about camera testing. It seems that is the way this forum thinks the quality of a bait/lure is determined.

Do you put more stock in the opinions of those that test with trail cameras or those that test with coyote trapping?

Definitely not trying to be confrontational, but I'd like to answer your question with a question... If you were formulating a new bait or lure, would you prefer to run a trapline using it and gauge your formulations success based on your success, or would you like to watch their reaction to it and see how the test site was worked over?

Personally, I'd prefer to watch how the target animal (or heck, even non-targets) react when encountering a test site. I've noticed that some trail cams are better than others at not alarming the coyotes, as well.

Camera all the way. I want to see how many critters walk by and how the ones attracted act at the set.

I would absolutely like to have camera footage available for testing a new lure, I didn't mean to imply it had no use. At the end of the day you have to catch coyotes. I tend to listen to the fellows with thousands of coyotes to their name, not thousands of trail camera pictures. Again, not saying trail camera footage is a bad thing to have, but I think its a slippery slope in using that as your only way of determining the effectiveness of a bait or lure when you have only caught a handful of coyotes on it

You have to start some where. The camera works year round.And cameras can be checked at home and you never have to leave the house.
Why run 100s of traps just to find out the bait or lure Is not working.