About Lures, Urine, and Bait

Lures

Gland lures come from the reproductive tract.

• These lures appeal to an animal's desire for a mate or trigger a territorial response.
• This type of lure works best for carnivores such as foxes. It tends to be most effective later in the trapping season when animals start to look for mates.
• When using gland lures, too little is better than too much. Two or three drops will do. A little more may be used during freezing weather.

Food lures are extracts of fish oil, anise, eggs, peanut butter, or other items.

• These scents appeal to the furbearer's desire to eat.
• This type of lure tends to be most effective early in the trapping season.
• Large amounts of these scents may be used at the set.

Curiosity lures are blends of oils, exotic musk, beaver castor or muskrat scent, and even perfume.

• These lures rely on the furbearer's instinct to investigate something unfamiliar.
• This type of lure may work at any time in the trapping season. However, curiosity scents are generally not as effective as properly used gland scent or food scent.
• Curiosity scents should be used in moderation.

Urine

Urine is extremely valuable in trapping foxes, coyotes, or bobcats. These animals mark their territory by urinating. Therefore, the smell of urine triggers the animal's territorial instincts. Urine has some value in trapping mink or raccoons.

• Care must be taken to obtain pure, undiluted urine.
• Skunk essence is sometimes added. This combination erases human odor.

Bait

Types of bait include:

• Chunks of fish or meat from woodchucks, beavers, muskrats, or other animals
• Plant foods such as corn, carrots, or apples

Meat and fish baits can be used fresh, tainted, or in liquid form.

• Tainted baits should be used in small amounts.
• The bait should be kept free of fly eggs and maggots. To keep bait from rotting further, use liberal amounts of powdered borax.