i know there are all kinds of high dollar concoctions availible from lure makers, but what have you found that works well right out of the cubbord? last season i caught a skunk on bbq sauce, might have been a fluke, but im gunna try it again because it worked for me, what works for you?

Not quite out of the box but bacon about half cooked in the microwave works really well for the grey fox.

sardines in oil caught my biggest coon ever off them. there is normally 4 in a tin. and containers of canned catfood (cheep) kind. I use the lid to cut it into quarters

Sardines, honey, mackerel, beacon, eggs. The list could go on and on. If you know what your target animal is you can find something in the store that they will like.

sorry, i didnt specify what species, i thought when you guys answered you would say what its good for, im interested in all animals, land and water, i wanna learn just to know everything, i read about coons swimming out to a muskrat float to get cherries, anybody use fruits or veggies with success?

Sardines will catch coon, fox, skunks, ringtail cats, bobcats, possum and some coyotes.
Fruit I use to trap coons where house cats are around.

i also caught my first and most coon off of sardines, and it takes a whole tin for a set, 1for bait and 3 for me!
when i had a pet coon, he went nuts over green grapes, but i havnt tried them onthe line yet

ive caught gray fox on canned dog food

Several decades ago as a 14 yr.old trapper I was usin sardines for coon bait. I opened a can to make a set and licked my fingers,wound up settin down and eatin em all myself. Did save the juice though as I reasoned it was all about the smell.

Back when we could use bait,cracklins was a great fox bait,Red or grey. We killed hogs every winter so I always had an abundant supply. Ialways ate about half of what I used on my traps,have been tempted to dig outa the hole or out from under a tree root after I made the set.

a standard, always in my bucket, bait is jack mackerel mixed with the cheapest cooking oil i can find. blended together into a "slurry" that can consistantly be used out of the large ketchup bottles. you have to "shake-it-up" before using at each set, but it is without question one of the best coon bait/lures i've ever used.

i've tried several "commercial" lures and haven't noticed that better of a response than my homemade variety.

to add a little pizzazz to the slurry i take very dried, ground-up, beaver castors and add a half teaspoon to each of the bottles when i put the mix in. let it set for a few hours and it really puts a "pop" in the bait that the coon go crazy over. it's quick, cheap, and easy to use.

the grump.

Sardines in oil for everything.

Cinnamon sticks for bobcat.

Onion or garlic for coyote.

Jack Mackerel from Save-A-Lot 99¢ per can. Can't beat it

i also am a jack mackeral guy. But i add shellfish oil into the mix and i really spank the coons with that. now i have this 800 acre golf course this year to trap, but there is alot of cats and a few dogs roaming the property. so i have to figure something out that will get the coons, without getting the dogs. im gonna try that wildlife coon lure that is suppose to smell sweet. maybe some marshmellows with it. any other ideas?

maple syrup?

grape jelly for coon

Mix Jack Mackeral, Canned Salmon, Canned Oysters, 1/2 oz of Liquid smoke, marshmellow fluff, 2 cups salt, and cheap peanut butter. Mix it together in a 5 gallon bucket. I will mix all mine in a 5 gallon bucket and then take it out and put it in one gallon buckets so its easier to haul. remember to keep frozen. Best coon bait imo.

Strawberry jam for pine marten

Carrots and apple slices have taken there fair share of muskrats over the years.

Sounds like an interesting bait. Would you care to share the ratios with me? Thank You

When I first started trapping many years ago, I caught a coyote with dry cat food in a dirthole..