Bait/lure burnout

What’s your opinions on bait/lure burnout?. In areas that we set year after year in basically the same sets, I believe it happens more than not. I don’t think many trappers remove the bait/lure when the traps are pulled. I know I usually don’t and that probably doesn’t help with the burnout situation.

Why would a lure or bait not be attractive unless a critter got pinched with that bait/lure?

Yes it is a thing when setting jackpots.
Best to rotate locations.Ok to bait them occasionally(even in the off season) each year,but best to only set them every second or better yet third year.

Im with Wannabe, I dont understand bait/lure burnout. Not saying it doesnt happen, but if you use something that they actually like and want to eat or wear, then getting it out of the hole or off the attractor should only make them more comfortable/excited with getting it next time. In my mind anyways.

With that said, predators seem to be weird sometimes. I set a small line the other day that was probably 80% dh with 20% flat sets. Using a mixture of lures/baits I had used before as well as new ones. The line went 10 days with pretty much no action besides blind sets. I mean nothing. I added different lures there in the last couple days and on the day I pulled they were all of a sudden a large portion of the sets worked. Im still not sure what was going on with that one, but if I only used stuff I used last year I bet I would have called it lure/bait burnout

I’ve seen that too. Don’t think it’s the bait or lure. I think it’s a combo of disturbed territory and their natural patterns. That dirt hole or unnatural urine post wasn’t there last time through that area so they avoid it. The next time through it’s not as alarming. Say you added lure, so the next time through they think ok, someone else has been here so let me check it out. I see this when folks are on a schedule when trapping. 2 weeks then pull, 2 weeks then pull. It happens where my son works and he can go right behind a “professional” and catch critters first, second, and third night out. Is he better? Nope, he’s just taking advantage of someone else putting that critter at ease and reaping the benefits.

That’s why flat sets or blind sets work so well over dirt holes in my opinion, especially down here where there’s food everywhere. That’s also why it’s taken me forever to realize a very small amount of lure goes a very long way as well.

A coyote can communicate fear/stress/danger to another coyote through sound, body language and scent

Do you feel that when you’re changing baits that it should be to a totally different base ingredient, regardless if who makes the bait? Or is it enough change to just get a different maker with the same base?

Most of the time burnout is not very prevalent.
Although some Coyotes & Wolves will become extra cautious!!!!
I always leave the lures when pulling traps.
I also remove all flagging, stepping guides and open the set up so animals can freely walk where the trap will be placed next trapping season.
Old catch circles and sets often times become well used scent marking spots. This is good!
It is always good to have several different baits & lures to use.

Alot of variables in this question. Coyotes can associate many different things at a set as danger which can can contribute to lower catch rates in thr future. Some lures lose their intrest to a coyote once they get a good close up smell of it and some lures they want more of the more they smell of them.

I've got locations I've tested the same formulations at multiple time in a year and some formlations probably 15 plus times over several years times. With just as much intrest as the first time using it. I've got test locations that I've used for years that are golden. Get tons of visits and tons of action but make a set their during trapping season and I'm doing good to pickup a couple pups there each year.

I do believe changing a lure/bait can help sometimes but I believe there are other factors that can cause coyotes to be cautious at sets too after previous interactions. Coyotes can smell way more at the set than just the bait and lure. They can tell the difference between you walking through an area and you kneeling down for 5 minutes and making a set. I've even went as far as testing a dh baited with the same bait, one with a non-functioning trap in front of it and one with a dug trap bed but no trap in it a foot and a half away. And can say with full confidence that trap made a big difference to some coyotes.

I think that the coyotes that have seen others caught at a location are definitely leary of the catch circle. coyotes that come to the sets that haven’t actually seen the animal caught can tell that there was a stressed animal there. I think they are more apt to cautiously work that set. For me fresh catch circles haven’t been a reliable source of repeat catches.

Sometimes there's a fine line between caution and curiosity. Alot of time a remake is golden around here but I've had years that they weren't.

Yep! This is what often happens when you start slamming in a bunch of dirt holes. I’m using a few dirt holes now. Cause = it’s cold here. Hunger. Often over rides common sense in a coyote. I am convinced that 90 % of the time. A dirt hole is a teaching and educational tool to other coyotes. That’s why I hate to use it Except when necessary! And leaving lure behind?????? Why??? Pick up that grub stick or bamboo stick or Qtip and take it with you. You’re only fooling yourself. If you think you’re not educating at least 1 Coyote. It’s part of the game. Think = Long Term !

I change lure = every other year. Still James Lucero lure. But I have so many of his old stuff. I just right down what I use. And on what ranch. Then rotate it. KEEP A LURE LOGBOOK!

I've always carried 4 or 5 different lures and 1 bait when setting a line. For many years, I have swapped all the lures and the bait out for the 2nd day of setting.....same property. Usually, after a couple or 3 days of checking and remaking, I'll swap all lures and the bait again.
I keep a good selection on hand.


I also go out of my way to vary the appearance of dirthole sets...big hole, little hole, two holes, smooth pattern, rough pattern, trench-type, 45° holes, 90° hole, etc.them!

Swamp, I want you to write me into your will for that big iron in the upper left corner. I’ll dispose of the lure/bait selection as well while I’m there grabbing that!

I may have told you the story of that trap when you were here: it was gave to me by an old Okefenokee beekeeper/bear houndsman about 25 years ago. It is a Newhouse #5 with teeth...never modified. It was still attached to a chewed/clawed up 8' fat-lightered log as a drag. It had been lying in his yard for 30-plus years. It is amazing that it wasn't pit rusted.

I'll be dang if I'm gonna try to dig bait or lure out of the ground when I'm pulling traps...

The guys that do it usually put it on something that easily removed

Why would anyone do this^^^??

The critters come along, smell it, there is no trap there....they dig at it...and move on....not spooked.

A lot of overthinking things is what this thread is about....

Bingo, Swamp Wolf

You may actually find the opposite is occurring. You are conditioning a predator with an interesting odor. Most likely causing them to visit, mark it and move on. No trap, no fear, no concern. Then the next one comes along and does the same thing. ETC. Then this cycling may go on for months with each individual animal marking, digging, scratching at the odor until the odor has dissipated.

However, the animals continued marking with urine, feces, rolling on occasion and getting hair and trace hair oils at the location. All this activity keeps the location of interest for some time.

For the record I don't do it. But I'm a hobby fur trapper. But I do know of several guys that make there living catching coyotes in sheep country that do it. Guys that have been trapping coyotes for 30 to 50 years that think it's important. Two schools of thought I can see possibly for it are ,they what the new factor and intrest from their target. I suppose just like people sometimes we will go a little farther out of our way to try something new. The second fact I could see being at catch circles. To high pressured coyotes the smells from a catch circle can definitely communicate danger/stress/ fear and some situations you don't want those feelings associated with a particular lure or bait. Now after a catch you probably can't totally remove the lure or bait odor but you sure could reduce the amount and longevity of it.

As stated before I don't do it but I know guys that know coyotes and I listen to when they talk coyotes that do it. These guys are are highly respected by other coyote guys that make their livelihood catching coyotes in sheep country. I sure ain't in no position to tell them they are wrong.

One thing I've learned is that if I've never tried it I probably don't know what I'm talking about.

A fellow could go behind trappers that remove their lures (and baits) and put traps back at those locations and likely do pretty good....I sure would.

I have enjoyed reading everyone’s opinions on this. Many of you have way more lure/bait testing and observation of coyote behaviors than I have! Definitely gives us some info to think about!

I usually use the same lure and bait the last couple of years. I am really thinking there is something about it. This year I had trail cam pictures of coyote in areas. I went in and set two different properties miles apart. Sets were in for two weeks and absolutely no coyote since the pictures. Was it the trail camera or lure and bait that I use every year.It has been unusually warm for this time of the year maybe that's why they are not working sets. I sure would like to know what is happening?.?

How hard is it to pick up either of these to things????

You can = get a plastic drink bottle. Cut off end. Put bait in it. Put down hole. 1 plastic water bottle makes = 2 dirt holes. Easy to get back out. And put in 5 gallon bucket. IF you want too

The two primary factors that work in favor of the trapper are that animals in general are curious and they are opportunists. That being known, it comes down to what they see / smell and if they may have had some previous trap set encounters from another scenario. Pressured / experienced based coyotes can be a challenge, but most can be caught over time if they keep cycling back through and don't move out of the area.

I have seen several situations where a trail cam presence overlooking a trap set area have spooked coyotes. Not sure if it is due to the noise of the cam or the illumination feature. But it happens.

Bob. I have often wondered about = do some camera’s make a sound we can’t hear BUT a hog or coyote can??? I have been lucky with hogs. I have used = HogEye and other 2000 dollar high end type cameras. Even with those. An occasional old sow. Will act wary. Just luck? Sound we can’t hear? Shape or contrast of camera? Location of camera? It’s something

I have had several reactions that spooked coyotes and alerted fox and some coon even. Those animals picked up something from those cams, Triggering or IR , black light, I have both types.

Don’t have a pic of anything spooked with my Spartans. I have them walk past a dirt hole and flat set like neither were there before. Actually got that the first night I put the sets in. The next night the same thing. I mean never broke stride in either sets of pics. The third night it made a beeline for the dirthole. I have no clue if it was the same coyote or different, but I mean come in, make a 90 straight to the hole, and caught. This was a high fence place, not that it matters, but to me that explains the three nights in a row.

The issue with cameras is people get pics of critters ignoring sets then go back to tweak or add something. I speak from experience, lol. Once I put them in and left them, I started catching more often.

It was also explained to me that less is more. I thought a match tip dip was just a metaphor…it was actually a match tip dip in the lure. And I’ve seen that work 4 weeks a one day after setting.

If I put a set in, it doesn’t get touched until I pull or it makes a catch. Listening to that type of advice and actually doing it increased my catches. Now that works for Summer, Spring, and Winter time trapping. There’s plenty of advice on this sight if folks would just read.

Now if someone can tell me how to keep possums or cats out of coyote sets I’d really pay attention!!! I could use no bait, lure, or urine and make a set where there’s nothing but coyote tracks and a possum or bobkitty will clog it up!

Spartan is a quality camera. But there is always the coyote that is =. By natural or age. Going to act strange. Just like the hogs do at times. I think. It’s often just luck?? Ever just spotted something you have never seen before at a place? Maybe that’s just luck? But a coyote may freak out from that. Simply because of its nature. Just like some coyotes are supper spooky. Same as with them old sows

Wanna Be. I think you are on the right track about = Leave the set alone! The catch I made today sat for weeks. And 2 rains and 2 heavy frosts untouched till Coyote came back through. Last 3 days. I could see a black spot. Size of a dime. Where the pan was showing on MJ 600. I resisted the idea of brooming dirt over it. I think. Many southern trappers. Myself included. Have or are guilty of using to much lure or reluring when unneeded.

This is coyote #88 out of the field in front of my house. I have been here for 18 years and trapped them all within 300 yards in one corner of my field. At first they were easy and pretty much committed suicide - sometime two at a time. After a few years they got harder and I switched to only flat sets for them with a different lure and presto it was easy peasy again. After a couple more years they started passing by the flat sets so I went to a Robbins style dirt hole with a big bait. and gland and lure down the hole. I ran this way till last year when I got 5 in about a week then it went dry. This year all 5 sets have been there since 11/11/ and this morning I finally got this male. I made a stubble pile 12'' high and 12'' around and put gland on the front of it and every time I went by on the 4 wheeler I dribbled urine on it. I call this place the corner of death. Some coyotes stay way away from this corner. They like to stay across the road in fact. And across the road they are plain easy to catch. The advice for using different lure is good. I think you should. I think you'll never catch every one. they head for the hills if they get spooked. I have to go to the neighbors to get those. There's more to it than getting shy of smells - some smells are good and they do associate others they had a bad time with as bad- sometimes if they see one of there's in a trap they might stay with them but never come back to that spot - or maybe next year they are there if you fur trap- but you might only get one shot at them -so switching lure and set is a good thing. using a lure holder like steeltraps says is good too but a lot of us just don't do it.
I typically use one gland lure, one bait, one lure and urine until I see something is not working. I also use one or two sets until I see something is different and then I look at my notes before I show them something else so I am not doing the same thing I did in the recent past.
I don't see coyotes get tired or scarred of natural baits like deer or beaver but I do see it and other reactions from prepared baits and lures. If I use the same one year after year - they just aren't interested or mom and dad are keeping junior away from it - or maybe they don't see it as food or something interesting because the interesting things in their lives so far have not been that smell. Some coyotes are just leery of anything like people. Set every trap like you are setting it for the one that is the smartest and hardest to catch.

If you like a certain lure you don't need to outsource form a different source either - just a different one that person makes usually is the trick.

In one way this is similar to calling in the sense that you are creating a picture in the coyotes head of what happened here or what is here and he takes it from there. Give him a new smell and his frame of mind may freak out or even be reminded of a good or bad thing. We have no way of knowing how it will react. We don't know if our neighbor is using the same lure? If you have the time just mess with them and try some thing different and they will usually show you how they can be caught. Sometimes a toy helps.

I have used 2 different baits, 1 gland, and 3-4 lures from one maker for 5 yrs now. I have ran the same basic lines for at least 15 yrs with these lures/baits in different combinations. Most every year I’ve set many of the same catch circles or very close to them. I do keep a log book for reference. It seems to me that the interest shown in the sets have decreased. Fewer visits, fewer tracks, less commitments to the attractors. I have had the occasional digger like most get. So I appreciate the comments you all have made !

How many lure salesmen are selling lures initially based off the same formulas. How many guys are using variants of the nelson formulas?

Lots.

Coyote investigates another trapped coyote, comes back again later, the coyotes gone, smells like the same bait/lure, you, there’s some blood there, it MAY avoid the spot.

Coyote investigates another trapped coyote, smells your bait/lure, smells you, gets nipped by the trapped coyote, next time it comes across the smell of those baits/lures and you it MAY avoid it.

Coyote goes a mile to a fresh set, same bait/lure, smells like people, it MAY associate all that with its previous experience(s) and avoid it.


Another thing to consider, even though commercial baits and lures can all smell different, MANY of them utilize the SAME dozen or so ingredients. Castor, skunk, rat and mink glands, etc etc etc.

Scent habituation and avoidance is a thing.

Likewise for location avoidance when to much has happened at a spot. I regularly see this at good snare locations with no baits or lures. To many coyotes die there, the spot eventually burns out.

I’m believing that for me a bait/lure change is due. Will need to do some research on new smells and some slight changes in setting routines!

I have run bait piles for 10 plus years. Initially, all the bait piles were hit hard and many coyotes were caught in the vicinity. I learned very quickly that coyotes learned to avoid those piles to the point where a fresh load of deer scraps in an established spot would be ignored all winter while a fresh location 200 yards away would get pounded. The question is, does one generation of coyotes teach the next generation to avoid certain spots? Is it the same with baits? After all, coyotes (and dogs) learn by association.

Taught and learned behavior Been saying this for years

There is no question that there are behavioral changes with many animals to a degree. Stimulating, frightening, habitat changes, disrupted behavior by hunting, depleted food sources, odor changes or associated learned behaviors can all affect coyote behavior.

It all comes down to some of those factors and possibly others. It isn't difficult to understand. That is why we must evolve as well to these behavioral changes if we are to continue to have results. Adaptability and interpreting these changes as an aware trapper will help you to be more successful.

We just have to keep in mind and consider this:

As populations come down the experience level and awareness of those left goes up in most cases. Due to their individual and collective experiences, this can lead to some changed and avoidance behavior of some. Depending upon how startling or stressful the experience it will certainly leave a mental mark.