The Heighth of Scent at Your Set?

[BK]

I've always felt this was an interesting subject..........
Well I have a few thoughts of my own on this, yet I confess to being interested to others' take on the subject.
I tend now to believe the volume of odor is crucial for canines, more so than a dab of call scent placed up high.
Yet at the set site itself perhaps lure, say a foot off the ground, detracts from the trap itself?

In regard to beaver, well I believe scent too high where they can stand up can be trouble for those wishing to run them through 330's.

Yet I kill a lot of beaver that seem paranoid for one reason or another to come to a castor mound, in sets where the castor is up high and they can't find it.
These beaver are caught in 330's cruising around looking for it.

[yota]

If ya quit takin Molly w/ ya , your scent problems would be taken care of.............she smells too sweet just in a picture !

[BK]

We'll bring the bike down if you think you can keep her entertained,...............

[dj88ryr]

BK, I ain't no big time caniner, but I put everything DOWN the hole or holes, nothing up high.

[yota]

I may be old but..............bring her on ??

[dj88ryr]

BK, watch it if he pulls his glasses out and starts singing.....

[Steve Gappa]

For canines- I do like my lures down the hole.

Yet last fall had about a 2 hour phone conversation with JL- and he has at least opened up my mind to the possibility of placing scents up higher.

Its his tale to tell- but suffice to say its just not dabbing a little scent on a branch.

On coon- in late winter (like now) I do like to give a squeeze of fish oil lure going up the bank or on a convenient branch next to the set. I think with weird winter scent currents, you do get the scent out a little more. Coon will work towrds the concentrate of scent/lure/bait- so the trailing scent does no harm and to my eye helps.

I often put mink lure high- I only use it this time of year-and a dab up in tree roots over the set helsp some.

[dj88ryr]

To be sure, scent on root systems is not what I would consider HIGH or for that matter, running the fish oil up the bank, I even use the spray bottle to spray urine back to the two track if I am uncomfortable setting directly on it. When he said High, I thought he meant like 5-6 feet up, I did do that for Fisher, but I also had traps set up there too. ;D

[CoonDuke]

I make some post sets, especially when I expect snow, with urine pretty high on the post. One of the obvious reasons is the odor will be above the snow.

But, with a post set, I don't want the canine thinking about where he is stepping. I feel canines approach a post set quickly and put thier nose up to it. Hopefully he hits the pan on the first step to the post. I also put a tiny bit of lure down low, so if I miss him, he may take a few more steps to investigate the lure. I feel it is key to have the urine odor overpowing the lure odor, so I only use a tiny bit of lure...just enough to get a few more steps out of him. I want his first point of interest high on the post.

If I still miss him (God forbid...lol) I got one more chance when he urinates on the post beofre leaving.

After tracking fox in the snow along their travelways, it seems they never break stride and bounce from post to post, marking their territory. I never witnessed a fox stop, and turn to investigate a post location. They are just rollin' along and pissin'...rollin' and pissin'. ;D

I feel a canine works a dirthole differently. Maybe a bit more slowly and cautiously. He knows where he has to step to get his nose down the hole...and he looks before he steps.

[briankroberts]

My lures go on the ground, backing or in the hole, I like'em low to the ground.
If there nose is on the ground there foot ain't far behind.....B.....

[oso lento]

low, low, low...did i say low!

[17kiss]

Really rethinking this one. When using bait I would say bait in hole and lure at base of backing to carry better , but otherwise like it in the hole. On cats whole nother ball game

[BK]

Steve,..........you think JL or Kiss are gonna share their take on this?

[trappnman]

JL shared a few things- I haven't tried his technique yet- but as he asked me "at least open your mind to the possibility high scents will add a few canines"

we shall see if JL wants to elaborate....

[trappincoyotes39]

Baits are always in a hole, as that is the most natural presentation, same with lures, this stuff about drawing canines 60-100yrds is more bunk than fact. If you can draw a coyote off his chosen line of travel more than 20-30 yrds you have a great lure and a coyote that senses something he wants to check out.
Keeping your traps within 20-30ft of line of travel and playing the wind correctly, is more important than the height of a lure. Lure volume and it's make up are more important to me. Heck alot of times I'll take eye appeal over super duper lure, to make him sense something postive, draw him in that way then let the lure/bait at the set do the rest.
Any odor that a coyote comes in contact with naturally starts at ground level or below.

[skidway]

My lure goes on the upper lip of a dirthole or at the base of the backing. I've tried it high and it didn't seem to make any difference as far as increased catch goes. I did notice that guides didn't seem to work as well when the lure was a few feet of the ground. Tried it and didn't like it.
I never use bait for coyote because I feel using bait adds to the incidental catches and is just one more thing to carry.

[jsevering]

for me I would say it depends on the type sets that are being used along with the weather and the targeted possible combination of catches at a location...jim

[JLDakota]

BK and Steve, don't have the time or desire to go back and duplicate the "high scent" attributes but those interested can click on my name and go back to my posts 82 through 97 and get the drift.

I am still of the opinion that bird dogs or coyotes not traveling "on location", can and do wind scent on the air currents from strategically placed carcasses on the ground or lure a few feet above ground and that it can and does bring them over to "the hole".

This elevated scent theory didn't originate with me but was relayed to me by a man with many thousands of coyotes to his credit who felt it had merit. JL ;D

[17kiss]

All I can say is I saw where a cat hit the scent trail at 50 yards and beelined thru a fence and up a steep bank stright in to a set where lure was above ground. He bypassed the game trail and zoomed totally in on scent , I was impressed and had to rethink some things to say the least .Brian can verify this and on one of his same deal but from about 15 yards

[Maineman]

Man O Man, I can remenber going around and around on this topic about a year ago with Steve...

I put "ALMOST" everything (lure) down the hole...My contention/exception is usually in late winter when the weather drops below 20 degrees and the ability for scent to travel is diminished...Under those conditions I will sometimes put a call lure (usually one containing skunk essence) up and out of the hole...Not way up in a tree like some would have you believe, I simply find a near-by bush or weed that's about 2-3 feet off the ground or even a nearby rock and add a drop or two...

Understabnd, my main objective is to set on location and eliminate the need to call anything but when needed...this is how and why I do.

I won't talk to coyote since I don't have them...But a Fox has the attention span of a 3rd grader with Attention deficit disorder (ADD)...I use this to MY advantage...Watch one carefully when he’s hunting a field…He won’t spend more than 2 seconds at a location before something else catches his eye, ear, or nose and has him investigating the next opportunity. Having a fox come to the lure “OUT’ of the hole will not keep him away from your set with the lure DOWN the hole. Does anyone actually think that fox are at set locations for very long before they are caught? Most fox are caught at a dirt hole within the first 5-10 seconds of being there...With the snow that most of the country currently has, try looking at the prints around your set and determine how long that K9 was there…You’ll see what I mean…<br>
Now…Where do I WANT my fox’s attention? Down the hole, and that’s why I like my lures down there. The best way to accomplish this is to set DIRECTLY on location and let him come to my set naturally. Try not to depend on a lure to “Bring” a K9 to your set because the odds are low (No matter what a lure maker will tell you) BUT if you:
[/li][li] are in a new location
[/li][li] have temperatures below 20
[/li][li] have not made an initial catch

And want to try something before pulling. Adding lure out of the hole is a tool that (Like all the other tools) can have a place on your trap line. Understanding how and when to utilize tools can help catch fur.

Dave Z