Using Lures

[HunterDave]

Other than to use "Bread and Butter" scent on a QTip for muskrats I have no experience with using lure whatsoever. Yesterday I picked up some Forsyth Coyote Delight for coyotes, and some Weasel Lure for my weasel boxes. I've also kept 3 hind quarters from weasels for the musk scent. Tonight I'm going to research using the lures but I'd be interested in any tips or tricks that I won't find in the manual or on the internet.

The coyote lure should be pretty simple with just smearing some on a tree, but how much to use?

Where do I want to put the weasel lure, inside of the box or outside, and how much is enough?

Things have slowed down for me since the last snowfall so I figured that I ought to change things up a bit. There are a lot of weasels where I'm snaring but when it gets cold and the bait freezes, I haven't had any luck. I pulled my weasel boxes because they got buried in the snow but I'd like to get them back out there tomorrow. Thanks all!

[Tfng]

I'd be interested to hear what the more experienced guys have to say on this subject as well. I've got some Forsyth coyote call to try.

[coy coyote]

I just know a bit about coyote lures. What's nice is that coyotes are traveling deer trails and you call call them off of a deer trail to your snare. Lures make a coyote circle and that's where you need your snares. I like a dab on some sheep wool about 3 feet high in a tree. Just have your snare ready for ambush. Like any where's from 3 to 15 feet around the lure. Had decent luck that way myself. Lot of guys wouldn't spill their trapping secrets on here. They would rather you paid for them. Trial and error and hours in the bush which no book, video or manual can account for. Craig O'Gorman has some awesome books and videos on harvesting fur. I bought a video 15 years ago and his book. I have most of Marty's stuff. Just take bits and pieces from each.

[HunterDave]

I'm planning to smear some coyote lure on a tree where my bait sites are and see how that works. I've been trapping the same three sites for three weeks and I think that the coyotes are snare smart now. Since the snow fall they are not coming into the bait like they were and I've noticed tracks stopping at my snares and not committing. Today I secured a large area that I'll move to if things don't pick back up.

Unless I hear otherwise, and I'm still researching, I'm going to rub the top of the box with the weasel hinds to get the musk on it. I'll then put a QTip in with the bait inside of the box. I figure that the musk should attract them and the lure may convince them to enter the box......we'll see.

[coy coyote]

What size cable? I had the same problem. Using lighter cable and if I'm not lazy I will paint 50 snares white in the fall and leave them outside in the shade till the snow flies. Anything to blend your snare in helps. What's really happens is the moon light reflects off of the cable, crimps and lock anything that's not dull.

[HunterDave]

Originally Posted by coy coyote

What size cable? I had the same problem. Using lighter cable and if I'm not lazy I will paint 50 snares white in the fall and leave them outside in the shade till the snow flies. Anything to blend your snare in helps. What's really happens is the moon light reflects off of the cable, crimps and lock anything that's not dull.

That could be, I hadn't thought about the moon, it has been bright the last few days. I'm using 5/64" and it has been boiled to dull it. It wasn't an issue prior to the storm that we had and we did have snow on the ground. In fact, I didn't start snaring until it did snow and my first 10 went out on about November 10.

[coy coyote]

Originally Posted by HunterDave

That could be, I hadn't thought about the moon, it has been bright the last few days. I'm using 5/64" and it has been boiled to dull it. It wasn't an issue prior to the storm that we had and we did have snow on the ground. In fact, I didn't start snaring until it did snow and my first 10 went out on about November 10.

Everything stands out so much more with snow on the ground. In one book a read the author said he had back outs and refusals at every snare in the bush just to have the coyote walk down the trail and get caught in a snare in the wide open. Tells you that coyote are pretty alert in the bush.

[HunterDave]

The last few days there's been frost on the trees just like you see in those nice winter pictures. There was also frost on my snares as well though so painting them white shouldn't have made a difference I don't think. I have no idea why they aren't coming in at 3 different spots like they were. Maybe I caught all of the dumb ones and the ones left are a lot smarter.....lol!

I have about 3 dozen snares left that I'm going to blind set along a fenceline for the length of 2 quarters. I was out there today with the landowner and there are some really good coyote trails that multiple coyotes have been using. If things don't pick up at my 3 bait sites I'll start new bait sites in different locations and start from scratch. For now, I'll give it a bit of time.

[bill9044]

Hey Dave I am having the same deal with my snares. Some yotes are getting smart. I was told by a very knowledgeable man that full moon with fresh snow is the hardest time to snare yotes. They can see real damn well at full moon. He told me to wait it out check the trails after the full moon and adjust snares put more on other trails once it isn't as bright out at night. Hope that helps.

[HunterDave]

Thanks Bill, that makes sense. I've been trying to figure out what had changed.....scent contaminated gloves, fresh snowfall, full moon, educated coyotes, snares too high/low with the new snow??? Anyway, I pulled my snares from 2 of the 3 bait sites that I have and I started 2 new bait sites. If the coyotes start to go back to the old sites I'll put snares back up. Otherwise, I'll see how the new sites work out.

I'm starting to put snares up along a fence line that stretches 2 quarter sections and I'm going to experiment with some lure. I might as well try different things this year so I can develope a solid plan for next.

[KegRiver]

To some extent lures depend on the target species, as I'm sure you had already guessed.

I've been making and using call lures since I was old enough to walk.

For most species a simple beaver castor and antifreeze paste works well enough for a start. By antifreeze I don't mean automotive antifreeze.
I mean a non toxic liquid that will prevent or slow freezing. Some alternatives are Glycerin, Grain Alcohol, Vodka, or even salt for some situations.

One of the more effective call lures I have used was pure Skunk scent.
WARNING that stuff is POWERFUL!!. Be very very very very careful with it.

I only used pure Skunk essence as a long range call lure and as such I only used it outside the set, on a nearby twig. Just the barest of dabs is all one needs of that stuff.

I also used it as an additive to the base call lure, again, just the barest of drops was used.

Most call lures work best if placed inside the set, but smearing a nearby twig with a bit of lure can bring in animals from further then lure placed inside a set .

None of the lures I've used required using a lot, just a dab is usually more then enough.
As a rule, what I'd do is break off a dry twig and dip it in the lure, then drop the twig inside the cubby, box, pail or whatever I was using to hold the trap.

The only snare set I used lure on was a snare cubby set for Lynx. Lynx snaring and luring is a science onto itself.

I didn't use lure for Coyote and Fox. Not in the regular sense. For dirt hole sets I did sorta use a call lure. The bait I used preformed this function for those sets. The bait was simple enough. I simply cut beaver meat into bite sized chunks and the let it rot till it smelled sickly sweet. That stuff STUNK!!
And it stunk only a bit less when frozen so no need for antifreeze.

For Weasel, Mink, Marten, Fisher and Otter I used a base of dry beaver castor mixed with Vodka to form a paste.
A wide range of ingredients could be added to that to suit ones need or preferences. Fish oil, rotten moose liver, mink scent gland, and Fox anal gland can be used individually or in combination.

There are also commercially available additives that can enhance a call lure.
Catnip for Lynx lure.
Anise Oil for Beaver and Muskrat
Asafoetida for Coyote Fox and Lynx

Even some cooking additives can be used. Mint and Vanilla have been used with some success from what I hear.


An alternative to a call lure that I had great success with was to hang a large chunk of beaver close to my set. It had to be out of reach of most land animals.

To do this I'd take an old kinked up snare and tighten the loop around the meat, Then I'd tie it to the small end of a dry sapling I'd collected.
I'd lean the sapling against a willow or similar flimsy tree so that the bait was as high as I could get it, and supported only by thin branches and my dry sapling.

The idea was that the birds, Whiskey Jacks mainly, would pick at it which would keep fresh meat open to release scent and the birds chattering would also draw in animals.
In comparison sets, sets baited this way outperformed sets without this call lure almost every time.

[coy coyote]

Originally Posted by HunterDave

Thanks Bill, that makes sense. I've been trying to figure out what had changed.....scent contaminated gloves, fresh snowfall, full moon, educated coyotes, snares too high/low with the new snow??? Anyway, I pulled my snares from 2 of the 3 bait sites that I have and I started 2 new bait sites. If the coyotes start to go back to the old sites I'll put snares back up. Otherwise, I'll see how the new sites work out.
I'm starting to put snares up along a fence line that stretches 2 quarter sections and I'm going to experiment with some lure. I might as well try different things this year so I can develope a solid plan for next.

I never move a snare. I m snaring a river bottom. Caught one coyote in the month of Nov there. As soon at the snow hit it picked up big time. I figure it don't cost me anything to keep them there. I check once a week. Even if I only catch a few dogs there I'm still money ahead.

[nube]

I don't move snares either. I just add more where I need them. If the catch has slowed down I just do longer checks. I am checking every 3 days now. Picked up 6 and a fox the other day in a 3 day check on 4 baits. The one bait I have not caught a dog for about 6 days now. That spot has caught me 25 coyotes in the last 3 weeks so I will have to wait till a new pack moves in. I alo have not added snares for a while and I am missing the 3 or 4 that do show up. There are a few smart ones there that I have not caught so I just need to hang the snares in a bit better spot so they don't see them I guess

[HunterDave]

Thanks for the input fellas. My plan was to get all of my snares up and leave them up but I'm going to try something different. The coyotes stopped coming into my bait and they have only been skirting the outside perimeter of where my snares closer to the bait are. I noticed numerous refusals at those snares. I pulled those snares yesterday but I left the snares further out from the bait that they had to pass on the way into where the snares that I took out were. Kind of like an onion skin and I removed the bottom layer of snares and left the outside layer. It just seems that the coyotes have become wise to the snares and won't commit to coming into the bait.

A few other things are in play too though. I have more snares than I do extensions so I want to put my snares up where they will be most effective and produce coyotes, the distance that I have to travel, and the ease of my checks are a few things that I'm considering.

This year I want to try different things to see what works best and take that knowledge into next season. Next season I plan on getting all of my snares up at the beginning of the season and leaving them unless it's absolutely necessary to move them. I'm at the bottom of the learning curve looking up......lol!

[HunterDave]

Keg, I really like your post and I'm very interested in the "old school" tips. I think that I may have to print your post off to put in my trapping folder. I think that I'll use glycerin and save the vodka for me though.

[coy coyote]

If I have any problems with snaring there's one book I go back and study again it's call. Hoof beats of a wolfer. By Craig o Gorman. Dave this guy covers everything from lures to snare refusals to open country snaring. Lots of pictures of snare setups. There's a chapter in there about deep snow snaring. He talks about messing with a coyotes mind. Catching old smart dogs. I have increased my coyote catch by 80percent. He has 70 years of knowledge in that book. To this day he still holds the record for most coyote and predator catch in a season.

[HunterDave]

Originally Posted by coy coyote

Hoof beats of a wolfer. By Craig o Gorman

I'll have a look and see if I can find the book. I'm on the hunt for anything related the grading fur, specifically coyotes, so I'll search for that book as well. Thanks!

[KegRiver]

Something I forgot to mention when talking about lures.
If you want to use the same lure for Fox and Coyote do not use Coyote urine or anal glands. Use only Fox urine or anal glands.
Fox will often shy away from anything smelling of Coyote but Coyote don't shy away from Fox scent. So Fox scent will draw both but Coyote scent will only draw Coyote and maybe Wolf. I don't know about Wolves, there weren't enough around for us to experiment on them.

[Red Bullets]

There are a few mentions of coyotes not commiting to snares.

IMO only... A coyote has the landscape in their territory memorized. They get to know every trail intimately. They can tell when something looks out of place along one of their trails. When I hang blind trail snares I try not to add too many extra sticks or things. Usually only the snare is the only thing added to the trail. Only ever had one coyote back out.

This old book about wolf and coyote trapping has a section on lures, scents and methods of use.

http://www.gutenberg.org/files/34501...4501-h.htm#C10