I have some bobcat meat that I bought from Minnesota Trap Line. It’s a little dry. When trying to get it a good consistency can you just use glycerin or is there such a thing as too much glycerin in a meat bait?

Buy some trout oil from Bob Jameson. Glycerin lowers the freezing point. You don't really need that a lot of time. It actually reduces volitivity and is not an attractant. Good fish oil, (a lot of it is junk) is a great attractant and adds to a meat baits attractiveness. If you can get hold of some spoonbill or catfish belly fat it renders down into a really great product also.

So I can buy the fish oil add it to the bobcat meet to get the consistency I would like and then keep it in my garage cool and out of the sunlight and it should be good for next season as well? The bobcat meat is already preserved.

I always listen when Danny gives advice. Buy the oil Danny recommends because as he stated not all fish oil is equal. Your bait won't be good next season it will be better.

Sounds great

I like glycerin because it keeps stuff from freezing and unfrozen stuff smells stronger. Plus trying to get frozen lure or bait out of a jar can really raise a guys blood pressure. But Danny is correct, glycerin has no attraction of its own and if you don't need the antifreeze properties you are just diluting your bait.

Thanks guys. I’m ordering some fish oil.

Not saying it's never needed but I very rarely use it because I have positively proven to myself it reduces the attraction of a formulation. And I've run the test 3 different times using 4 to 6 sets each time to verify my findings because frankly I was having a hard believing it. How much does it affect the attraction? I cant say but i will say ive had formulations i know had it in there that tested very good. After pointing this out several times and suggesting it's over used in formulations as an antifreeze as there's usually other ingredients used in formulations that lower the freezing point to a level that the formulation is workable in most trapping situations I was told that isn't the case especially farther North. So I do what I normally do and tested this idea by sending lures to multiple trappers in the northern tier of the lower 48. Zero complaints on the workability of all of my formulations with the exception of one bait that was rather thick and has a natural tendency to dry out and get harder over a shorter time than I'd hoped for. I've done the freezer test on all my own stuff and about every commercial lure I've bought and they all freeze solid in a freezer. But even setting in the lure bag in the back of the truck were very workable after one night at -5.
I'd love to sell glycerin for 7.50 an ounce but if it doesn't improve the formulation and isn't needed it isn't going in it.
I've been told coyotes can get smart to certain odors commonly used in formulations and it got me think about if this could happen in any degree with glycerin because I'd bet it's used in a high percentage of formulations. I won't take a stand on that because I've never tested it and frankly it would be hard to test in my opinion.
If I had a really good formulation that needed it as a condioner or antifreeze and I couldn't come up with something else practical that would work without effecting the attraction would I look at using glycerin? Sure. But so far I haven't been there.
Just sharing for those intrested.

Thanks YS. I have ordered the fish oil and am going to try that. I mixed up some pint jars with glycerin and they seem to do ok but I am not 100% sure that the amount I was using was hurting more than helping. I will mix the meat with the fish oil and we shall go from there. I highly doubt I will need the glycerin in my area. We do get pretty cold here in the higher country but not that cold.

Wow. This is some good info. I have been putting glycerin in my MB bobcat for a while now. Just needed to = Slick it up so it would go down a pipe. Fish oil? That would be a hard NO for me. I am in cattle. SO what else could I use to Wet up some dry bobcat ???

Cattle have a nose like a bloodhound. EVERYTHING makes em curious. Fish oil is in every liquid protein I am aware of. Coyotes routinely lick those wheels too. Fired traps are IMO something you live with trapping cow pastures.

Same with deer. People say ingredient or that attracts more deer, but I've never found a top shelf coyote ingredient that doesn't attract deer. And I've looked. Even straight coyote glands attract the deer even though a lot of time on camera they jump when they first smell it if they are close. After there first initial bit of fear they must realize there isn't a coyote there then their darn curiosity kicks in. Going to quit making mock scrapes at my deer stands and just start putting in coyote sets. Lol

So I mixed the 2 gallons of bobcat meat with 1/2 gallon of fish oil. Consistency is really good. That sun rendered fish oil is unlike anything I have smelled before. Pretty great stuff. I’m excited to use it and see how it does. I do have a question about storage. Do I just keep it out of the heat or does it need to be refrigerated or frozen. I’m assuming not but just want to be sure I don’t want to waste my product.

if the meat is preserved just put a tight lid on it and put it away.

There is a reason USDA = has a mandate against = fish oil. Or fish oil based baits or lures used on M-44s. I spend as much time in cattle as anyone. And I know for a fact. Fish oil is the WORST thing you can use in cattle

Thanks

This is interesting. I guess it is a good thing that I don’t have to deal with cattle.

X2

Fish oil does seem to be about the worst though.

Aargh!

X2 was to Seth's post, the quote didnt post (I assume operator error).

Some of you may not know but lots of beef producers use "licks". A tub with a lid that has wheels on top. The bottom of the wheel in a liquid supplement. Molasses is usually one of the ingredients also. Cows (and coyotes) lick the wheels. Cows sure enough get used to slurping on fish oil. Just like yes sirs deer though they want to sniff everything.