Hello, I have been trapping for 15 years now in SW Missouri. Last year I decided to make my own bait and to be honest it was just as successful as any thing that I ever bought. My trapping partner and I both made a bait. We tested it against store bought bait (Top Dog, Hiawatha Valley, Fatal Step, Predator Control Primal Paste, Soul Taker, RK's Predator Plus) and saw little difference. There was one store bought bait that really worked well for me last year it was Dunlaps Time of Death Mouse Bait. At one point we had 85 sets out on four different properties. We battled frozen ground and snow and rain. Most of February we were not able to trap due to possibly rutting fields where we had permission to trap.
So now I want to make more bait and even try my hand a freeze proof lure or two because I am also bored and it was a little bit of fun to make to be honest with my kids helping me. I feel like most of my lure froze last year and did not work as well as it should have. I have done a lot of research and searched the archives. I have also watched numerous you tube videos. My meat bases are not as exotic as some I have read. I am using what I have to keep cost down. Most of what I have is old meat from the bottom of the freezer.
My meat bases are all ground. I have wild turkey, elk, deer and beef. I did use some store bought dollar general dog can food mix in as well in my last bait. I tainted the bait for several days.
For my new bait, I plan on using this ground meat mixture with sodium benzoate, glycerin oil, Dunlaps solution, cheese essence oil, Asafetida tincture and maybe smoke oil.
Last years bait that worked very well for me (I caught several bobcats, foxes, and coyotes with this) was Elk, Turkey, 2 cans pedigree dogs food (American Trapper uses dog food in there baits they sell) , Dobbins bait solution, mink glands, beaver castor, gator oil and valerian extract oil. I made 20 pints of bait for less than $4.00 a pint.
For my freeze proof lure, I plan on using Super Lube 41160 Synthetic Grease. I have seen a lot of videos on people using it because it is freeze proof basically.
Coyote Lure: Freeze proof grease, beaver oil/castor mix. asafetida tincture oil, Mascaro musk, Tonquin musk and skunk essence.
Bobcat lure: Freeze proof grease, beaver oil/castor mix, Valerian oil, Catnip Oil, Civet Musk and Bobcat urine/gland lure.
Please feel free to make any comments or suggestions. Thanks.