I’ve been spending the week with my mom helping her with some projects. Last night we had some friends over for dinner. My mom did some shrimp cocktail as an appetizer. My dog, normally reasonably well behaved around food went nuts over the smell of that shrimp. Which of course got me to wondering about it as a change up canine bait. I’ve seen shrimp oil as a lure ingredient but never used it nor have I ever tried shrimp itself as a bait for coyotes. Any thoughts?

The problem is with coons, skunks, and possums. If you have cleaned them up in your area, it will work just fine. If not, you’ll have non-targets in your sets.

No possums where he is trapping and few coons, skunks are worth as much or more than coyotes though.

Marty, try it and tell us how it works. I put out a bunch of fish juice and the leavings from making fish oil as a couple draw stations down in your area a few years ago, and never had anything come to it. Same experience around the house here, and I put out a bunch of fileted crappie carcasses one spring on a bait (was supposed to be a draw station originally) the bears were pounding and they came in once, and then never came back again for a month. For some reason I've had very poor luck with fish bases around here, although I know people in other parts of the country have great luck with them.

I think I’ll check with some of the grocery stores to see if they ever have shrimp that’s been on the shelf too long. Throw it in the freezer and use it as a change up in some dirt holes. It’ll be next season before I try it as I’m done with predators for the year.

Not sure about shrimp BUT I know a guy who catches several coyotes year by using a version of the buried bait set...takes a whole blue gill and places it under his trap. Covers it with either dirt or grasses. And yes catches coon possum and skunk too

Down here shrimp attracts coons, possums, skunks, rats, shore birds before it goes sour ... The problem with shrimp is it goes rancid fast. Rotten shrimp is absolutely revolting, attracting everything you don't want to catch. If I was going to use shrimp I would make sure I mixed in some Sodium Benzoate. I stay away from any type of shellfish (shrimp, crabs, crawfish, oysters, etc) when trapping. Just never had luck using shellfish.

I like to test during the off season that way im not wasting time when its game on

We have no possum, and very few coon or skunk. Wasn’t always so. The neighbor said they once were over run with both in the area. I don’t object to catching either though. Especially, as was mentioned, when skunks are worth more than coyotes. One property where I trap cats has a few and I picked up three there this year. The rest of my ground is apparently devoid of them.

I may give the shrimp a go next season on a limited scale. A few sets thrown into the mix to see if I get a reaction.

I used shrimp tails mixed with salmon oil very early season and had a next day catch on a coyote and a 36 hour catch on a red fox. Did not have any luck with that mixture later in the fall and winter, but also didn't use it very much.

Yep.

Tried shrimp & shrimp tails here in MT & in NV a few years ago, 4 traps for 2 weeks each. In NV got 1 kit fox nothing here in MT.
Will probably try again but we'll see.

if you trap around a bait pile that has food scraps no issue with coyotes eating it but you will still have non targets

Coyotes love fish. And yes shrimp works for coyotes.
I trapped them with straight carp for many, many years. Was free bait source for me and it works.
Jim

Cold weather yes, irresistible. First red fox shrimp shells from news years dinner