Fresh or well aged glands

Got many recipe that call for well aged gland s
And just a few that say fresh to 2 week's aged.
Sure do smell different, and tried both on the line this year
With almost the same catch ratio, with light snow they came
Right in on the well aged , and fresher glands a few circled but still worked the set till caught.
Did have one big coyote that came right in , smelled
And left on the fresh, than went across the road and wife got him
On our bait. (She will rib me on that now)
Still think I prefer well aged glands, good and stored up on
The aged anyway, but just good to test and see.
Any one else try fresh/ well aged?

I dont have a lot of experience testing both but have done some. Ive got a gland lure i make and have used for a couple of years with fresh coyote glands that has tested good for me on limited tests and has caught its share of coyotes. So far im pleased with it. I think the fresh stuff smells more like a coyote to me and has the stronger odor. I did make a formulation based off Kuykendalls yeast formulation that uses aged glands this year. First testing just went in front of camera this week. Camera isn't getting it done in the cold but we have had snow all week and they've worked it pretty hard multiple times. Way to many tracks to see how it played out but it looked like a pair both times and they spent a lot of time at the set.

Ive wondered if the chemicals in the glands that the coyotes are attracted to are present in both aged and fresh and even if they smell different to us they are still just as attractive to the coyotes. With that said I haven't done enough testing to really back that theory up.

Yes sir, I agree.
I've never did anything with cameras or anything like it.
Just old fashioned dirt circle, or a trap set.
For baits I drill a hole an fill it up.
A spiked down piece of hide, for both lure an bait.

I made a yeast coyote lure ayear ago , an will try it
In March on calf killer's.
Should be something they haven't smelled in area
Not from me anyway.

I have tested three types of gland processes over the years. Fresh gland paste, aged indoor glands 3-5 years, outdoor aged glands 2-3 years. All ground fine thru small hole plate and cleaned very well. Minimal hair, blood or feces in the glands. Some had a few ounces of urine to speed up the breakdown process other batches no urine was added.

The results were interesting and each batch caught some animals. Indoor aging holds the most natural odor of the target specie in my years of formulaing. Very strong field responses were to the indoor aged glands across the board on all target species in several state field use. The indoor aged glands in my experience and opinion are superior in true odor representation and attractiveness. A key finding and tip is this, > when using a gland lure more is not better.

Some feel if a little is good more is better. This is not true with a good gland lure. Too much can create suspicion/caution, fear and/or intimidation in some cases. Just a bit is much more inticing which testing will bear out this finding. Some don't do well with a gland lure due to their liberal application.

You smell a batch of controlled environment aged glands after a few years and it will impress you, coyotes and your dogs. Keep them clean and prepared well, and you can't go wrong.

Excerps from my field records and formulating notes.

I made a batch of fresh coyote glands a couple of years ago fresh grounds and preserved. I thought the odor would be weak with not being aged and all. It had plenty of yote odor to it I whipped it up in a blender into a paste I like the way it turned out.

And here is a mind provoking thought I have had for some time and do not know how to really figure it out, answer wise, absolute. I can only surmise and assume, The assumed answers which I am good at but!!!

Does the well-aged gland attract and cause the reaction because of territory/social as a fresh gland will or is it the rotted down matter that creates a curious attraction like a dog is attracted and will roll in a decomposed pile of fur, meat, and juicy spot?

Considering the ingredients ive seen listed in some formulations and from the smell of some gland lures my guess would be curiosity would be the biggest instinctive reaction.

Glands and other odors in general all will create animal responses. As to which reaction they exhibit is something a trail cam would help define the suggested answer. Sometimes I am sure it is a combination of reactions while the response by another animal it may be a singular reaction.

Obviously the greater the attraction the more interest from an animal I would be inclined to believe.

Sometimes the interest can be brief with little time spent evaluating the odor or object. Other times it may cause an aggressive physical response in body movement. Digging, scratching, rolling, chin rubbing, shoulder rubbing, urinating several times, leaving feces etc.

Many such reactions can occur. I have seen some visit a set, evaluate it, react in a specific manner, then walk out of view and come back once again for another visit.

Time of year can affect odor interests greatly and as to how they react. Bottom line, animals by nature are very curious in general and are opportunists ( and/or theives ) in my experience.

Comparing interests to you seeing some change dropped on a side walk or you see what appears to be paper money lying there. The change currency may cause you some interest, but the paper money instinctively seems worth triggering the effort to stop and investigate it further.

Amounts used and odor concentrations of a material can greatly influence that animals reaction. Using a gland lure as a stand alone or with another lure, bait or urine can all present varying animal reactions. I tend to always use very small amounts of a gland lure. Years of use and animal response/catches have supported this practice.

Nose burners aren't a preferred lure or bait and I have found they arent as productive over all from the get go. Moderate to mild odors get far more first night catches by my records..

A gland lure placed at marking type sets used with other sets nearby containing baits or lures can many times be the focal attraction set at a gang set location.

A good gland lure should try to be a good representation of that animals natural odor as is possible. Fresh odor or controlled slow aging will give you one of the best components needed to build a very effective and excellent gland odor of that animal. A good gland lure can be a challenge to build but once you zero in on it you will have a good lure for a lifetime.

Very good in put everyone, very interesting.
Thanks

thanks Bob.....

Some glands go through a dramatic changes if you take the musk out of badger glands and bottle it, it turns into almost into a perfume over time. If you try to age the glands all together they just smell rotten then.

I noticed that, how come you didn't tell me this about 3-4 years
Ago. Jerry lol

Are there benefits of glands of one sex vs the other?

The heat gland breaks down on K-9s no matter what you do, the male muskrat has a easy to harvest spring gland so yes and no depending on what your shooting for.

Great info as usual. Thanks Bob!

Fresh ground then tinctured for lure making.

I like, make, and use both.

Fresh preserved is easy and fast to make.

My aged one takes 2-3 years just to get the base right.

That being said, for general fur season trapping, I think I’d prefer the aged be in my bucket.

It’s far more powerful (but not “loud”) and long lasting. I just recently re-filled my little jar for my set bag before heading out and managed to get a little on my hand. It’s all I could smell all day (and I’m fairly nose blind). Not an overpowering gag a maggot smell, but just kept getting a hint of it all day.

Doing a 90 day control job one spring I had a set doped with it that went 77 days before making a catch. In that time it saw single digits all the way to 70+ degrees, got snowed on, rained on, blew on, and I never touched it after making it.