I was wondering how much lure/bait I should be putting out with my traps. I have seen multiple different things and would like your opinions. I have seen some people just put a little lure on a stick, others put a big hunk of it, and some even put lots of meat (like a deer leg, etc). Could you all tell me what you do specifically for predators like coyotes, foxes and bobcats?

Ain't no expert but I've heard from experts that lure usually just needs a dab on a stick, bait would be a quarter sized chunk or 2, depending on what it is. Have 0 experience with bigger stuff.

Little Lure on a stick works for me

Light on the lure, less than or equal to the size of a pea. For bait, bigger is better

We don't have a super large population of coyote and bobcats in Pa, however they are plentiful enough. From running trail cameras for deer, we have seen multiple coyotes, foxes and a few bobcats. How should I go about placing the traps and luring them in being that they are mostly just passing through?
Also, this season I was getting photos of a fox every night so I put a foothold with some lure out near where the camera was. I had it for a few days after but now it has been gone for over a week. Do you think this was just the path of the fox or something to do with the trap?

Q tip for lure and a good Table spoon of bait. Is what I use .

Put the traps where you see them on camera. Heck if you can find a track, put the trap under the track.

As far as lure is concerned, less is more. If the critters can get a good whiff, there’s no sense in checking it out. You want it investigating it.

When using bait, I want a good heaping teaspoon full and then some. I want the critters mouth watering and wanting what’s down that hole, under that log, etc.

Predator population is less than it was a month ago with trapping and hunting taking a good percentage
I use lots of bait, like a 12-16" hole. I fill it a few inches and then stuff a piece of deer hide down on top of that and I will add more on top of the deer hide. I like porkypine or deer meat
My lures are glands and pee from previous catches

From my experience testing lures and baits, in general if the lure or bait has real attraction the more you use the more attraction and the stronger the reaction it gets from coyotes. There are some situations that less is better. One being educated spooky coyotes. Another is flat sets where too much of some formulations can cause too great of a rolling response. Another is predator gland lures. There are formulations on the market that I'd say don't have a true attraction to coyotes more than a mild curiosity, in other words once the animal gets a decent smell of it they don't have any more intrest or anymore reaction to the formulations. If u feel the need to use one of these then you probably want to use a small amount so when it gets close enough to smell it he steps in your trap, but from my experience you will get more walk bys and non commitments to your sets with these.If too much bait has a negative effect on your catch rate when trapping the general population I'd recommend changing baits. Can coyotes smell very small amount?? I'd confidently say yes but in general if it's a good formulation the more you use the stronger the attraction. Not saying you always have to use a large amount to catch coyotes though. One can always spend the other 9 months you aren't trapping to ask the coyote what they think of different baits and lures and different amounts.

Buy 16 once of good fish oil or rat glands or mink glands and put down a deep hole and see if the critters loses intrest once they get a whiff of it.

Best advice on this thread yes sir.

Here within the the last couple years this topic came up and so I took two commercial lures that weren't mine and on 4 different locations made test sets with 2 dirt holes about 2 foot apart. One dirt hole had about a bean size of lure down it and the other had about a spoonful of lure down it. I posted pics of each set when I made them and stated which had a little lure and which had a lot of lure. Then I posted after pics. The after pics showed the coyotes worked the holes with the most lure harder 4 out of 4 times.

…. Why use more if you can catch them with less

… simple economics

I'd agree. But I was approaching the topic of is more or less better strictly from the amount of attraction generated point of view.

I target red fox almost exclusively and I trap farm country here in southeast PA. I almost never use bait, I think it cuts down on non-targets like coon and possum. I am currently using a whole mouse down the dirt-hole but I'm using it more as a lure holder and visual attractant than a bait. I happened to have a couple of gallon Zip-loc bags full of them from catching them at camp and I'm using them up. I put a small dab of lure on the mouse and push t down the hole. When they are gone I'll go back to using a small stick or half a Q-Tip dipped into the lure bottle and thrown down the hole with no bait at the set.

All sets get a liberal sprinkling of fox urine on the backing. If I have urine I collected from fox I've caught (always check the bladders after skinning) I'll use that first. If I'm out of that I'll use a good commercially sold red fox urine.

Locations, nearly all my sets are on two-track tractor lanes and field crop changes. I know red fox use those travel ways.

95% of my sets are dirt-holes, always at least two in close proximity to each other and sometimes three or even four depending on how well that particular location has produced in the past. I've caught lots of doubles and a good number of triples setting multiple traps like that. Still trying for the elusive quadruple.

I'll make a flat set close to the dirt holes at a few locations.

I hope this helps and good luck, tight chains!

…. Y’all see that … yes sir kinda agrees with me !

Lol I did kind of slip up there didn't i

I’m sure you won’t let it happen again lol

A lot depends on the conditions if wet and nasty weather I’ll use less my theory is it stays closer to the ground if warm and dry I use more that’s just me tho

In my long trapping career I have used probably hundreds of lures and baits. Some worked great, some worked ok, and some didn’t work at all. Then again some lures worked wonderfully for my partner and I could barely catch a cold with them. But, I had lures I would never be without and he wouldn’t even put in his bag.

The last fifteen years of canine trapping I have been paying closer attention to my lures and baits. I have always kept records of which lures were used at which sets and when. The same lures and baits still continue to produce year after year after year. All of these lures are made by well known lure makers, who strive for consistency in their products. The baits are 90% homemade and I make them the same every time (I go by “nose” to tell me when I got it right).

What I have come to realize is that canine lures basically come in three different categories only.

FOOD
Obviously enough is made from food that canines would normally eat. Any bait could also be considered a food lure for my purposes. These lures are meant to appeal to the animals hunger and need for food.

GLAND
Lures made form the target animal glands, be they anal, foot, ear glands etc. Matrix lures are also in this category, but normally contain more ingredients to appeal to the targets mating urges. Urine should also be included in with gland lures. Either way these lures appeal to the animals desire to mark or defend its territory or its desire to breed.

CURISIOSITY
This is a broad term that covers the largest majority of lures. These lures are made up of exotic oils, powders and secretions that have been proven over time to be appealing to canines. Call lures would be under this category as they do not fit into the other 2 categories.

Now I know you’re saying this is all well and good but what is the point you’re trying to make here Mike? Well after years of experience I think if you use the right lure in the right time of year you can increase your catch of canines. Let me explain by stating there are basically 3 sub season in a trapping season. Early Season (Late October to Late November), Mid Season (December to January), and Late Season (January to February). I have after studying my notes and talking to my old partner, my Father, and Pop come up with my hypothesis of what lures work best and when in OUR experience.

Early Season (October to Late November)
This is the time of easy trapping, soft ground, no freezing (usually), and lots of young of the year pups just waiting for you to catch them.

From what I have seen baits and food type lures do not seem to work very well early in the season as food it still plentiful and easy to obtain for the animals. Now very mild bait, like fresh mice or very mildly tainted meat bait will work to a degree. (One of my best early season baits was ground woodchuck, lightly tainted with beaver castor and muskrat musk.)

I don’t like to use too much urine or gland lures early in the season, as young of the year that are shuffling or out roving away from Mom and Dad may be leery of intruding into another canine’s territory and getting their butt kicked by the resident owner. (This is not to say gland lures will not catch canines in early season, but you will notice most will be older animals and not young of the year pups.)

My favorite lures to use early in the season are curiosity lures. The reason being I want to appeal to any passing canine, be they old or young, hungry or full. I like a nice complex smelling curiosity lure. I like to be able to smell four to six ingredients myself, when I sniff the bottle (oh right like you never do it). Some will smell sweet, others sour, but the vast majority seen to have a deep penetrating musky smell to them. Some of the call lures advertise that they appeal to all 3 desires of the canine Food, Gland and Curiosity. Well if you got all three I say it is a curiosity lure first. As stated above curiosity lures have multiple ingredients, so they appeal to a broad spectrum of animal senses and desires.

My sets at this time of year are mainly very simple flat sets, with just a small stake hole, and lure applied to the face of my backing and down the hole as well. I do stick in a few post sets (with urine and gland lures) along with my flat sets at trail and field intersections to nab the big old canines that are out patrolling their turf.


Mid Season (December to January)

Ok the ground is getting harder, and the young of the year are gone. You have the seasoned veterans and the drifters on your line now. If you’re big time trapper you pull stakes and move on to virgin territory and leave what is left for seed. If however you trap the same area all season (like most of us), it is time to start changing things up.

Food is getting scarcer and harder to find, all of the young rabbits and mice have been thinned out as well, and the ones that are left know how to avoid being eaten.. Mild bait is best early, but as the end of December approaches and the cold wind howls bait with a bit o’ skunk in it will shine!

Gland lures and urine start to really shine at this time of year as well. As mating season is fast approaching, the male canines want to stake out their territory and the females are out looking for a male with good territory. The desire to find and/or protect their area makes them susceptible to gland lures at this time of year.

Curiosity lures still work for all the reasons stated above, and can be used with all three type of lure, and produce very good results!

This is when I make “Pop Style” dirt holes, big huge dirt holes with a big pattern for plenty of eye appeal. I put a nice piece of bait in the bottom of the hole and cover it (to make the animal work for it, and then I put some lure on the backing and also in the hole. I find food lure works best in small stake holes, so the animals thinks there is “food” in the hole, and really works to get it out. Flat sets still produce well, but post sets and gland lured flats set really seem to pick up the big old males at this time of year.

Late Season (January to February)

Ok the ground is hard as flint, all of the easy canines are caught or dead by now, so you have your work cut out for you. Most northern states have snow cover on the ground lending its own difficulty to the problem of catching any numbers of animals at this time of year.

Food is real scarce about now, so the animals respond well to bait and food lures (only problem is most food lures are mild in odor). That skunky type bait or lure will greatly improve your chances about now.

Gland lures are still working well, but if you can find a good Matrix (Breeding) lure from a reputable maker it will make a difference. One season in late January my partner was catching two or three fox to my one. All season it has been about equal or a few times I was getting 2 to his one and now it was reversed. Our methods had not changed, nor had our set construction, so it had to be something else. I asked what he was using for lure, and got a surprise. He was using a Matrix lure from a very well known Western trapper and kicking my butt in catches. I tried the lure he was using but it didn’t produce as well for me; however another brand worked very well!

Curiosity lure lose a bit of punch at this time of year as the animals are mainly either hungry or looking for love. They still produce fairly well and shouldn’t be abandoned.

Set at this time of year are hard to make, and I hate trying to make a dirt hole set in concrete anyway. So this is the time of year I switch to flat sets and post type sets. My flat sets are mainly rocks, or pieces of wood, with a small hole punched underneath for my lure or a small piece of bait. Post sets I normally use a tuft of grass or a hunk of stick, apply some urine up top and gland lure near the base and call it good.

Ok quick review time fellas.

Early season is the time for curiosity lures mainly with a few gland lure sets throw in for the older animals. Flat sets are easy and fast to make when you need and want lots of set in the ground in a hurry. Food is abundant, so the animals are not usually hungry, so instead of taking the time to make one dirt hole it would be better spent making two flat sets.

Mid season is the time for more dirt holes along with food lures and bait. A few more gland type sets (posts etc.) are a good idea after the young pups are thinned a bit. Change up dirt holes with a curiosity lure and some bait now and then and throw in a few plain flat sets with curiosity just to keep the bases covered.

Late season is the time for dirt holes (if you can make them), baited flat sets, and post/gland type sets. This time a year most animals have only two things on their mind food and mating, so loud baits, gland lure and matrix lure should be used heavily. As I stated before food lures are generally mild, and not designed for late season use. Curiosity lure can and should still be used in order to keep an ace up your sleeve.

Good stuff, Mike.

Fur season…..

I’ll use a lot of bait. Like as much as I can get on a bait knife, and may make a second trip back to the jar with it.

When I started making my own bait, I started using a lot more bait at a set, and I started catching a lot more coyotes. Now I know, my baits that’s awesome . But more was certainly not hurting my numbers.


Summer season, I may stake down an entire p-dog up under a sage bush. Or I may dip a stick in a jar and pull it straight back out (drops) of lure.

And a lot of my summer coyotes (maybe the majority these days) are caught on nothing at all.

If a little bit helps a whole lot has got to do more.

I'm sure other bait makers agree.

^^^^ that’s a great explanation Mike!Thanks!

This, no need to say more!

A wise man once told me… Bud, we aren’t here to feed them. Use just enough to catch them!

A dead horse is a big bait and they dont shy off it. Dead deer is smaller but the same thing. If its warm air molecules are moving more and if cold moving less. (absent wind) Like Mike said some stuff works and some stuff dont. Only a very small number of lure/bait sellers I trust. I have paid good money for worthless junk more times than I care to remember. I use a lot of homemade stuff too. Biggest problem a new trapper has is learning to trap. No substitute for experience. So just starting out its hard to figure out what is going on and to evaluate your scents. just keep trapping. If you get a chance to tag along with somebody thats catching do it. If you do that have some respect for that trapper. #1 rule: Dont encroach on his area. #2 rule: Dont encroach on his area. Even if its public.

Just the other day out with my grandkids in an area I am not familiar with a local guy showed me an otter crossover on public ground. You can bet all your marbles I will never set it again without asking him if he is going to set there.

I know I’ve stated this before but for those that are new on this board.- I started testing lures in the early 70’s and as I started looking for a commercial bait, shortly thereafter. The testing turned into a hobby, a (This word is unacceptable on Trapperman) expensive hobby but pre-cameras and the cameras era verified & proved I was making correct assumptions. What Clifton and YesSir said, is exactly what I found for my area. Heck, I’d prebait new properties by mixing junk lures & baits with leftover good stuff for volume and drill a 3” hole as deep as the auger would let me and dump in a 1/2- full cup of the mixture. The friging coyotes would dig to China and would still be checking the bomb crater 1 month later when I would set!

BTW, I really don’t have to write much with YesSir here because he says it far better than I can and he’s still involved! Also, don’t ever take it for granted that one year’s vintage of lure or bait will perform as the previous! I proved it for all to see on my channel with the 2018 yellow label and the 2019 white label lure!

That’s can certainly be true.

But I don’t think one can 100% blame the lure. Sometimes it’s just the animals themselves.

Every year is a different batch of animals (usually) and different conditions.

Somewhere maybe close to two decades ago I went thru years of note books of mine and my dads reaching back into the 70's and started a spreadsheet with the lures that had been used, were currently being used or under consideration for future use. Info logged was primarily trapping results but some summer testing stuff too. If recall correctly that spreadsheet has around 125 lures in it currently. Almost all are names everyone knows; some have been around longer than those of us reading this and some are more recent additions to the trapping community.

My take aways---

I have experienced about 10% of those lures having absolutely zero positive results and some to the point that critters went in high gear in the other directions when encountered. Probably lots of reasons why that I'll never understand.

Most often I find a lure has some appeal. Around 80% of my list will at least get you a drive by response. Some will get a fairly standoffish distance response, others might get a nibble. You'll make some catches to varying degrees.

That leaves about 10% that historically have been tried and true with consistent results yet I seem to think even that is changing in recent years.

If you want to know what is going to work your only real option is to actually use it in some fashion. One of those 10% absolute failure lures comes to my mind----lure that was pretty highly touted here by a good damage control guy. Both myself and another trapper from up here tried it and found that we couldn't even get interest from a possum with it. Obviously works for some folks in their conditions but not universally. And I'd suspect there are plenty of lures in that 80% category that guys on here have great success with in other areas of country with their critter populations.

Seldom you just keep posting. Theres several of you guys on this thread i setup and listen to when you talk coyotes. You guys are always helping me see things I'm missing or not seeing straight.