I made 3 test dirtholes in front of a camera. 2 commercial baits and my bait with Mr. Dobbins bait solution (venison scraps and liver, minimal taint)
First contestants - two coon, clearly more interested in my bait.
Second contestant - coyote checked out commercial baits 1&2 briefly, then spent considerable time at my bait, including rolling.

So is rolling a bad sign? I feel like it would have been caught by that point, but what do the experts say?

Thanks for any info or advice.

I’m certainly not an expert- but I’ll take a stab at it… I don’t mind a digging or rolling response, but as long as I am reasonably confident that will be the response, I ensure that my bait is well down a hole and try to ensure that I get none of it on the ground around the set. If they want to roll in it, but it’s not accessible to roll in, they are likely to dig in order to get it out and roll in.

I agree with Countrycletus. I have no problem with rolling, especially this time of year. Where I make most of my test holes is hard red clay and I cant get the bait/lure very deep. As a result, a lot of what I see is maybe one or two digs or scratches and then immediately into the rolling position. Its been my experience that the more they roll this time of year, the more attracted they are, and the more attracted they will be in winter.

If you put it up high on a tree or rock, could it not be used as a rub lure?

Responses can vary greatly from warmer summertime conditions to those of cooler fall/winter reactions. The animals are interested and show that. Rolling gives you clues as to how they feel at that moment with the current conditions and how much bait you used. It can also give you indicators you may be using way too much bait.

Most trappers are prone by human nature to use more and too much of everything at a set. I have been preaching this for many years.

You have to realize when you "load" a bait with other ingredients it changes the reactions immediately from what it most likely would have been with the meat only down that hole. Go back to your testing and use some or your base meat alone with no ingredients. See what the reaction is like then.

I can use "1-2 drops" of our Canine marking scent on an object this time of year and get a rolling response from some domestic dogs and wild canines. In the fall winter it is not as likely.

Too strong or too much odor concentration in a small area can cause an instant rolling reaction. It doesn't mean they don't like it. Just the opposite. You can modify and roll back that reaction of great interest by cutting back on the amount used and how it is used. Like stated before, make your dirt holes as deep as possible, or use a rebar and drive it deep and small to get the bait or lure at the bottom. Particularly a very strong odor product. Skunk odors are best left alone until really cold temperatures move in.

Like stated if you know the bait is going to cause a rolling reaction then you’re ahead of the learning curve and can use that to an advantage by getting down the hole. Like said they will have to dig it out first by then the proper trap placement should have the targeted animal caught. But food for thought on things being used and known to cause rolling doesn’t matter how deep down that hole it is if that hole filled with water to the top after a rain for your stank is now brought to the service of that hole and target animal now no longer needs to dig to get at what it wants to roll in. But proper trap and set placement should get the paw on the pan before rolling starts for they’re going to need to sniff it first before determining if they wanna wear it like perfume.

I think a rolling response is good. It means they like it and are interested in it, not just giving it a casual sniff. As stated you want to either get it way down the hole or put it up on something as a rub lure though. With bait I would pretty much go with down the hole and try not to get any around the lip while your baiting the hole. In my experience if a canine is really interested in an odor it will either roll in it or mark over it. Sometimes both. The more interested they are the more likely they are to work the set and the more likely you are to catch them. With proper trap placement of course.

Rolling is good. You will get fewer walk byes and fewer half hearted commitments to the set. Down a hole or smaller amount at flat sets. Or put it back into cover or under something werr it's difficult for them to get to.

Lazarus had a good write up on his website about the Rolling response and how to make it work in your advantage.

Rolling is natural. Rolling will probably happen to most baits/lures out there. I believe most are caught before they begin rolling.

Here's a little coyote research that some might find interesting. "Rub-rolling is a characteristic behavior. There is speculation about why coyotes display this behavior. During our tests the most common progression of response was to first locate the attractant station by smell. No visual locating or circling of the attractant station was ever observed. Once the station was located a brief period of sniffing (usually < 5 seconds) occurred, followed by the rub-roll response. Rub-rolling lasted from a few seconds to several minutes depending on the individual coyote. The lick-chew-bite and pull responses then occurred, if at all, followed by more rub-rolling. Several series of these responses usually occurred during a test. Rub-rolling occurred at 35 of 36 attractants evaluated during 396 individual trials. Yeast autolysate generated the lowest percentage of rub-roll responses."

What is highlighted, in my experienced opinion, is of utmost importance to the trapper and gives serious insight to scent performance! Maybe a Major Boddicker study?

In my experience some of the best and most consistent lures elicit a rubbing response. Canines will even rub on good meat fed urines.