How important is lure?

[gailkeller]

I have always believed that too much importance is placed on lure and baits in trapping,especially by young or new trappers looking for that magic bullet.When I started trapping with my Grandfather many years ago,he never used either,yet he was one of the best trappers of his era in this area of south Louisiana.He relied on blind trail sets with#11 Victor long spring traps,set in the water around large cypress and hollow tupelo gum trees and on fallen cypress logs in notched sets covered with a little Spanish moss.In my best years of trapping,numbers wise,I also never used the first drop of lure or bait,yet I achieved catches I will never approach again.I was water trapping for the most part,yet I still caught a fair share of predators,coyotes,foxes,and bobcats,in blind trail sets,snares and conibears,when time allowed me to do so. I really never used a lot of lure or bait until I started to trap in New Mexico in 2005.I am still learning about using them and the more I learn the more I realize what an extraordinary trapper my Grandfather truly was.I still find myself setting blind trail sets with foot hold traps and I catch a few animals in snares also.Yes,I catch the majority of my animals in my lured walk through sets with an attractor,but I tend to shy away from baits unless it is very cold and I know the skunks are in hibernation,they are the possums of the West.To me, lure and bait are but small pieces of the giant puzzle,we call trapping.

[ToddH]

The best bait/lure anyone can use is LOACTION>>>LOCATION>>>LOCATION! Oh yeah I almost forgot LOCATION!

[kirk]

I agree with Todd no matter what kinda lure you use if your not on location its not going to do much if any good. Now the way I see it on using lure after being on location using lure is kinda like using seasoning on your food. It dosnt really have to be there but when used right it makes things a whole lot better

[wesley]

Funny you bring this up as I had this discussion with Mark June a few weeks ago at the NTA. I asked him what was the single most valuable thing at a set: bait,lure or urine? He said that with out a doubt that it was a good lure hands down. I agrree to a point but it always depends on the coyote or time of year. For instance, when a young coyote pup is disbursing and he is in new territory, he will haul butt away from urine or lure thinking that he is in an alpha males territory but some good old bait down a hole he will almost always dig it out. During disbersal he is hungry. Now, move on further in the year around jan and feb (mating season), you cant beat a good lure. Move on to summer when they are located in a small area, the urine of another animal works best(mimics an intruder near the den). So for me, it all depends on time of year as to what is best for me. I never pass a good blind set though but I only have used them on bobcats.

[gailkeller]

So, if we add our opinions up,all that is truly necessary is to have a blind set in a good location,but at certain times of the year bait,lure,and/or urine can enhance our chances of a catch,interesting.You can also assume snares and blind set conibears in a good location will also be very productive,without the use of bait,lure,and/or urine,the silver bullet is not needed if you set where they walk,but there are ways to improve your set,especially using certain elements at certain times of the year.

[ottertrapper]

That's not my opinion.I think lure and or bait is key to large catches with traps.also depends on what animal u r talking about.if your talking about nutria id say yes u r right.just my opinion doesn't mean im right.just telling what works for me

[gailkeller]

Let's say we have our well blended blind trail set in a prime location,but instead of using lure,bait,or urine,we just dig a dirt hole next to our trap,this can also be an eye appeal and the smell of fresh dirt has been the downfall of many a legendary canine.We could also hang a feather close to our well blended blind trail set or place a piece of fur in our dirt hole or just staked down,maybe with a fake eye on it,or hang it,so that it moves in the breeze as an attractor.We have all these options to enhance our well blended blind trail set and we have yet to use one drop of lure,bait,or urine,still,they are not necessary.

[wesley]

dirt hole, feathers,fake eye no matter what you call them, they are classified as an attractant. (lure)

[Tony Howard]

Well seeing as how we are putting opinions out there, here is mine. As many of you have heard me state before, there are thousands of lure makers out there making "snake oil" and selling it by the gallons. Most trappers don't even under stand the reason for putting a lure out nor how to apply it. A few of y'all have seen the way I apply lure and the amount I use. I will state as always "location" is the key. I am not trying to pull an animal to my set but rather stop him long enough at my set to get caught. I have witness trappers pouring up to 2 oz of different lures down one hole just to come back the next day to find a coyote sitting in my trap 30 foot away with a few drops of lure down the hole. It would take up too two or three nights for there set to air out enough for coyotes to check them out. "First hand here, not someone told me or I heard. Also this is all in the south where the nights are warm and the lure carries." Location is key, but I have seen many times a fox, cat or coyote on the move walk right past a lured set never checking up. You not only have to have a good lure, but one that that the animals can not turn down. In my opinion, cats are the easiest to lure followed by fox. Coyotes are by far the most finicky about what they will come to. I do have one go to lure and I have not seen a coyote walk past it yet. It is a home made lure from a Gent in Pa. He gave me 2 oz and I used it for two years and took piles of coyotes. He gave me 2 more oz and I am about out. I have called, written and talked to him in person. I sure hope a fresh bottle shows up soon. About the snake oil, there are millions spent on worthless lure tossed together and put in a bottle just to make a buck. Good lure #1 has to be consistent, #2 be consistent and #3 be consistent. There are few lure makers than have master the ability to make lure batches consistent. Lure is a very deep subject and I hope this post grows, cause I want to talk more about it, but I am tired and have to go to bed. I will close with this though. I make my own lure and would only allow one lure of mine to be sold. It is a common beaver lure. By no means am I a lure maker and as far as knowledge goes, I know enough to be classified as dangerous. But I have found there are few magic bullets out there as far lure go, but with out someone testing to see, we may never find the next one.

[R.C.Livingston]

Like you said Tony lure making is sure a mouthful the more I learn the more I realize I didnt know anything .Ive been trapping over 40 years and have one or two lure formulas to show for it and would probably be ashamed to share it .There is so much you can do to make a good one bad by adding too much of one thing Im about to where I buy mine and I have learned enough to know there are some out there that are just junk or either thinned down with urine to where you would be better off just using urine as far as money goes

[Tony Howard]

R.C. that is for sure. I buy 90% of my lure and have tested gallons. The best investment I ever made was in a video camera. That is the tale tale proof in the puddin right there. I have learned more watch video of critter working a dumby set than I could have ever known the old fashion way.

This was on a Dobbins Lure.




This is on a Jameson lure.


Home made bait.

[Tony Howard]

Check out this string of video. This was on Homemade bait with a receipt that a buddy of mine from Las Vegas gave me. There were fire ants in the hole in the first videos. You can see him trying to shake the ants off his head.

[Tony Howard]

here is another Dobbins lure.



here is the all time favorite.



Check out the coyote at first light.


Or the big tom that would not respond to lure but rather walked down a coon trail to the corn patch.


Or the grey looking for the lure.


Or how about this coming to fox lure.


Same lure.

[R.C.Livingston]

Thanks Tony thats fun did you see that hussy on the pole!What was that lure?Have you used any of Clints lure?

[Eric Cottrell]

I'll be 40 in a couple weeks. Been trapping since I was 4. I'm a third generation trapper. My Grandpa and Dad were mink and coon trappers. They never used a piece of bait or lure in their life and they were some of the best trappers around our parts in their times.

I started out with possum and coon. When I hit my late teens I started dabbling in a little land trapping and got to harrassing the local beaver populations.That's when my Dad started calling me a "trash trapper!". Over the years I've tried a few lures but to be honest, I've never seen any of them outshine a good castor based lure. And that is for everything.

These days I am pretty much just a water trapper, but I do still catch quite a few cats along the water ways. Some by accident in other animal sets, but most on purpose using strictly beaver meat and castor.

But heck...what do I know. I'm just a beat up, worn out kid that still loves playing in the mud and water!