Brand name lures

[Tony Howard]

There are all kinds of lures on the market today, but how many of them really work and which ones are just plain old snake oil? What do you look for in good lure? Is it the true ability of lure to produce fur? Or are most trappers like a women in perfume shop? At the conventions I watch as trappers look at the bottles of lures and read the label the pull out the money and purchase. I stood at Bob Jameson booth for about 20 mins popping top and sniffing every single land lure he makes. I purchase 4 or 5 that I felt were worthy of a test. What do you look for in a lure? The color, the texture, the smell or do you keep records and test lure to see what animals do with it?

I use video cameras and test most every lure I am going to use on my line before it ever makes the tool bag. I know many trappers will say they test it on the line. That is good, but how do you know if it really works? Do you keep written records or make videos of the animals reaction to it? Have ya noticed how many question marks are in this post? I am trying to provoke thought.

I keep a ledger of every animal I catch on the regular season line. I keep up with the type, sex, date, set type, location, weather condition of the day, trap size, and lure. I make a ledger myself, much like you would find a 18 wheeler log book to be. Each page is one day and have up to 25 entries per page. I also keep up with the moon phase. I want to know what lure works and what lure does not, as I am not into checking empty traps and just assuming they did not walk last night.

Here are a few videos of some lure test. Check out the reaction to the different lures.

Last week a coyote sniffing a new lure I am trying.


Gray fox with a itch


A female gray look for the right spot.


The gray fox gig


tip toeing gray. Scared of the bait.


5 trips later he picks up the bait and runs with it and returns to the site 5 more times even in the day light looking for more.


Or what about some of the world best coyote lure? I had four bucks come to the lure at this one spot alone in one night. My daughter kill her first buck standing over a lure stick with this lure on it. After video taping over 10 buck deer coming to this lure early on, I tried it right in front of my deer stand. I smeared it on the tree the buck is sniffing.


Or what about this one? The fire ants had gotten to the lure and this poor fox could not stand it, he still had to get some it. Look at how far back his front feet are. I would have missed him with my normal location on trap placement.


But he came back.


again


and again


and again. Watch what he does with the backing stick.


And then a new fox shows up. This went on for hours. Three different fox came to the set.

[hardy]

Tony, have you ever kept up with the time when the moon rises and sets. If you could keep track of the time with your camera and the time of the animal movement you might find that interesting.

[clintperkins]

i have kept a few notes over the years, and know which lures i like best. but i think this topic goes amis without talking about sets being used.
I have certain lures that produce only at set sets. I also have sets that will producs regardless of the lure.
But i have found that lures that are killer in certain terrains are dead money in others and lures that produce in one season may not be good the next season(both year to year and comparing the four seasons of the year).

[Tony Howard]

Steve, I keep up with the moon phase for sure as I believe everything in the animals and fish world revolve around the phase of the moon. One observation that I have made through recorded keep is that I catch more coons (mostly bigger coons also) on my land line in the hills and away from water when the moon is bright on the way to a full moon. I feel that the coons can see better therefore they hunt away from the way in bright light. Then when the moon is darker they feel their way down the banks and water ways hunting. This is just my observation with one animal. I have more. ;D What have you found with the moon Steve?

Clint I have found that the year to year thing is that most lures are made to a set consistency and the aging process is stop by the lure maker at a specific time. Most trapper just set the lure in the barn or shed when season is over and the lure has to go through the heat of summer thus breaking it down further than the lure was meant too or aging it more than it should be. I keep my in a refrigerator during the off season to help stop the aging.

As far as the four season go you totally right on with that one, I watched this past year as a lure that I was killing the grey fox on just stopped working in less than two weeks. The harmonies kicked in or stopped working totally and they would not even sniff the sets with that lure any more. I changed lures and went right back to busting them. I see it no different than humans not eating chilly during the summer watermelon during the winter. We can get both, but they are a seasonal type food.

[hardy]

Tony, depending on the ambient temperature, I've noticed that the warmer it is when the coyotes are not stirring as much. When the moon rises or sets the coyotes tend to stir more often. I have observed this in the turkey season, having called them in sometimes in the middle of the day. Also when predator calling, have had the same results. It seems that it averages out to about 30 minutes before to 30 minutes after moon rise or set.

[dewayne]

Great video's Tony.

[Tony Howard]

Me and my son put the cameras back out yesterday evening, so I should have some good video coming. I am testing some lure I picked up at the NTA. I think with all the weather dropping the way it has, I should pick up some good video. The days are getting shorter also.

[dewayne]

I just watched these again. I like the pole dance the best.

[wesley]

I dont keep records but from my observations, my coyote catch always goes up after a good rain. When my sets survive a good rain, then its only a day or so and Im connecting. I have noticed my catch not so good on a foggy night. As far as lures, I bought a bunch, some I will use again and some I will not.

[Tony Howard]

Wesley, I feel that on foggy nights, the humidity keep the scent watered down. What are your thoughts?

[wesley]

Tony- to be honest with you I always thought it was because the animals were "handicapped" by less vision and orientation of their surroundings. This would be a good question for ASA

[R.C.Livingston]

What lure did you use in the videos?

[gailkeller]

Bait and lure are only small pieces of the trapping puzzle.The best years I ever had trapping,numbers wise,I never used the first drop of bait or lure.I was water trapping,but I still took my fair share of bobcat,fox,and coyote,all in blind trail sets,snares ,or conibear traps.Yes,I do use urine,lure,and bait when I fur trap predators,but I still catch a fair share of prize animals in sets using none of them.Sight and sound are also pieces of the puzzle,and years of experience in success and failure also add to the learning curve.Passionate,knowledgeable trappers,trapping everyday,with well tuned,reliable traps in plentiful populations of furbearers will enjoy optimum success at least that has been my experience.