Natural Bait vs. Commercial Bait

[nycoyote]

Hey Guys,
I'm new to the forum and fairly new to trapping coyotes. For the last few years I have used commercial baits. For this upcoming fall season I'm going to try more natural baits like deer scraps, rabbits etc..
Just looking to see what every ones experience are natural vs commercial. Do you find coyotes work the set more with one compared to the other? 

Thank you

[jim]

See the sold fur post down about 5 posts, I have great luck with beaver meat.

Jim

[braveheart]

If I used a natural bait it would be deer . Beaver meat here has very little drawing power at any time of year.

[blackhammer]

Saw that raising fox Marty. They liked beaver,rats. better but the greatest reaction I saw was feeding venison. They went crazy over it Looking forward to trying your baits next year. Caught a decent bunch of fur this season but spent too much time working. Got a spring Beaver trip planned Know i. Can make a profit doing it

[trappnman]

I have to say the best natural bait I've used, and use- is gophers.

A very good bait when I dabbled in making baits, was venison scraps, and beaver castor mixed and aged.

[braveheart]

If I could legally use deer .I would have a deer bait.
Hammer I already went out and scouted out 2 new line for coyote next year.

[nycoyote]

I appreciate the feedback so far gentleman. Very helpful. Does anyone add a bait solution to the meat or just straight meat? I was thinking chunking up the meat and adding sodium benzoate to preserve it. I did save the stocmach content , heart , lung and liver. I figured I would make a mixture bait with these additional parts.

[trappnman]

I didn't use any preservatives in mine, because all I was doing was tainting it, putting in smaller containers, and freezing. And during season, it stayed about the same because of temps.

[braveheart]

Like Steve said if it is only for you I would not add anything to it just use it . Might add glycerin when it start getting super cold.

[nycoyote]

I will do that. Thanks everyone for the feedback

[nycoyote]

Do you guys think coyotes respond better to a more tainted , rank meat? Is fresh meat or few day old more attractive to them? or does it not really matter?

[trappnman]

I think it depends.

As far as interest- I think that either have appeal, but how much at what time of the year, varies.

I know this for sure- fresh, dead gophers in traps, get eaten regularly- and fresh (with a few hours of "taint" as they are in bucket for a few hours) that are frozen and used in cool weather- are also eaten regularly. but when I cut a pile of gophers, and leave them, unless eaten that night, so they have a high degree of taint, aren't touched except by buzzards, etc.

So I do believe with gophers for example, that a light taint, which increases the rodent smell (kind of mousey) before frozen, is a bonus.

but there I'm talking meat to be ate- but when you get to baits that invoke interest and perhaps a craving to be investigated and not food per se- tainted, mellowed with other ingredients, probably helps that interest- and creates different responses (digging, rolling) that are all acceptable assuming he steps into trap most.

Don't know if the above helps- but if you are asking about mice in particular- I'd catch them, let them slightly taint, and freeze whole. Drop one in each hole.

now- another thing I know to be true from direct tests- the set with a gopher AND commercial bait (plus lures) gets hit first, more times than not- than a set with the same lures, urine use but using only a gopher OR commercial as bait.

It didn't matter if it was Lori or I that used the combo bait- if only one set had action at a location it would be that one

[braveheart]

I like gamey deer meat for a change up. But for over all catching I run commercial bait only or with lure. My catch like Steve's it is way higher on commercial bait.