when is the best time to use anise oil at a set, what type of critters does it usually attract? and is there any way to make it myself without buying it from a supply shop?

Depending upon how it is used as an essential oil ingredient in either a bait or lure formulation, it is very attractive to muskrat and raccoon. I am presently experimenting with it in a formulation for a subtle "sweet," curiosity attractant at dirt hole sets for red and gray fox.

There is no way that you could possibly afford to even think about making your own raw oil. Drop that notion. Just buy some from the grocery store, or maybe better yet, from a reputable supplier. However, trapping expert member 2Poor from MN uses the Durkee brand off the grocery store shelf for his uses as I recall from previous posts on this topic awhile ago.

Jonathan

i've only seen the anise seeds in the grocery store, do you get the oil from yours? and there is no way to make the oil from the seeds (grind them up and put in with glycerine maybe)

actually you'd use and oil press, used for making biodiesel and other oils.
http://www.alvanblanch.co.uk/Oil%20Expeller%20Press%20XP100.pdf

I have had good luck with Anise on Weasel, Marten, Fisher,Mink and Coon. Even Bobcats seem to be fond of it !

MTP sells some top end Anise oil. I also have used Durkee - Anise extract right off the grocery store shelf. Look for it in the spice isle next to the Vanilla.

I have bought anise with the essential oils at Whole Foods Market. I use it in my homemade catfish bait.

No. I have never used the seeds. Your grocery store should have the oil in the baking/spices section. Look again and see if they have the Durkee brand that 2Poor uses.

Oils are extracted from seeds and other plant materials through a sophisticated distilling process by manufacturers with industrial strength equipment. Even if you were set up with a still, it would take an awful lot of seed to make one ounce of oil.

Grinding them up and putting them in glycerine will not yield the "oil." What you would get from that method would be basically the flavor/odor of the anise embedded in the syrupy glycerine. The odor would be weak compared to the oil concentrate.

I have not used the grocery store oil. I buy a high grade of it called "China Star Anise Oil" for my purposes from a dealer who offers it among the "essential oils" in his list of lure ingredients. A 4 oz. bottle costs $12.50. A little goes a long ways.

That is all that I can offer for now with what little I know about this stuff.

Jonathan

I agree Jonathan a little goes a long ways. A 4oz bottle is one heck of a bunch of sets.

Not worth the trouble involved trying to extract it yourself ! !

you can take the seeds and make a decent tincture

put your seeds through a coffee mill or high speed mega blender ... or you could just add them as is ... then add whatever you choose as your medium ... glycerine, vodka, glycol

here is a couple pics of ground Anise in glycerin

Looks lke a shot I did this weekend... I mix my beaver meat in Ainse. Cats,marten,fisher. Love it. Good for Black Bears also.

Here's a 1-oz bottle I've been using for a couple of years and it's still almost full. A few drops goes a long way.

Ed, That is slick! I just learned another valuable lesson from you.

How would you rate the strength of the odor from that tincture compared to the spice rack oil? Are the seeds cheaper to warrant your extra effort for an acceptable equivalent?

I made an educated guess saying, "The odor would be weak compared to the oil concentrate," based on my only experiences with the China Star version.

Have you by chance used that same method with fennel seeds?

Jonathan

do you ever just use it by itself or do you always mix/soak a bait in it?

I use it both ways. But I like to pour it over my bait straight. For bears and, fisher,marten, and cats.

I use the store bought kind. I mix mine with karo syrup, heat the syrup up in the microwave to thin it up,and a few drops anise in it stir it up. When it cools it gets thick again. I use it for beaver, coon and rats. It helps if you can put it in small squeeze bottle because it can get sticky. Thats why I like this mixture,it sticks and doesn't soak into the ground. I also have heard of people mixing it with vaseline so it doesn't wash away at sets. Thats my 2$$.............

the odor is sufficently comparable

price of the seeds is cheap ... only paid like .48 cents or so for them ... add the glycern or whatever and you're still in the couple dollar range for a pint ... that works for me

this mixed with smoked fish chunks and couple other ingredients works pretty good

beavers and rats like it too

I usually pick up a small bottle of anise at the supermarket. You can find it in the same spot where they keep the vanilla and rootbeer extracts. Most Bear baiters use alot of anise and i experimented using it this year on my fisher sets along with the skunky LDC. The one thing I noticed was when it got bitterly cold and everything was freezing you could still smell the anise long after you would stop smelling the skunk. All my fisher sets are on slightly leaning trees and I noticed this year after the early snow we got that my sets with anise seemed to get visited more often by canines. I'm going to experiment alot more with it in late november and into december this year with all the critters.

Ed, As a kindergarten, hobby lure maker for five decades, your lessons were most informative. Thank you for the enlightenment from this class!

Jonathan

I suspend quite a few oils in Vaseline. Makes it very easy to apply at a set. Blackberry, Almond, Anise, Cinnamon

This is a batch Wheelers cooked up for me prior to last season. The man mixes up a Marten lure that melts the bark off the trees !

The LDC I use is a vaseline base that probably explains the decrease in smell when it hits freezing temps. The anis was actually in the a liquid bear lure made by cronks. I still like the vaseline, all I do when i check the set is give it a little stir with a stick and wala, skunk is back in action. Do you find the same affects with your other odors in a vaseline base when it hits freezing?