I want to make my own Predator bait and use muskrat glands in it. How long do I let muskrat glands age and how do I preserve them after they have aged?

OR

In a predator bait is it best to leave the muskrat glands fresh, if so what do I use to preserve the fresh glands.

Thank You!

Brian couple different ways you can use them they can be placed in a clean jar and covered with non-iodized salt or covered in a vodka and stored until making your lure/bait(dont grind until ready to use )
you can tincture them in Propelene glycol i dry them on a screen then grind and cover with glycol keep this in a warm place and shake often until you get a sweet smell and this can be used in lures/baits
i also take some and place in a clean jar and just let them rot down till you get a dark paste that usually very sweet i use this with Mr Jamisons sun-rendered trout oil and combine the two with tainted salt-fixed skunk meat
canines will dig to China to get at it take care

Bob the muskrat glands that you just rot down into a dark paste, do you grind them first? Also about how long does it take for them to rot down into the dark paste? Just want to know if I would be able to have this bait ready for next year or if the glands need to rot a year or longer. Thank You!
Brian

Anytime you can grind first whatever it is will start to break-down sooner keep in a warm place but not in the direct sun lite i have found its not so much as the color but the disired odor that you should be looking for
and Rat glands can be ground up very easily just using a food processor

About how long do you have to age the muskrat glands to get that sweet smell you were talking about?

i would watch the jar because it could happen sooner but when kept in warm temps you could have good results in about 4 months

Bob,

This is Brian we spoke a while back and you were explaining to me how you made your aged skunk meat base bait.

You said 8 oz. Of non iodized salt to quart of aged skunk meat
2 cups of trout oil
4-5 drops of Tonquin musk
2 ounces of at least 4 month aged muskrat glands

So when I put all of this together do I have to add more salt or sodium Benzoate to the mixture or should I add salt to the muskrat glands after they are aged OR is the original 8 oz. Of salt in the skunk meat enough for the entire mixture?

I am just able to get some muskrat glans starting to age so I want to make sure I don’t scree it up.

Is this considered a bait or more of a lure?

Thank you
Brian Muska

The volume of rat glands is small enough that the salt from the meat base should be plenty. You can add another oz or two of salt, it won’t hurt anything, a .25- .5 oz of methyl paraben to a quart when final mixing of bait wouldn’t hurt either.