Muskrat Meat?

Ok. Have 2 gallons of muskrat meat. Preserved with SB. How many drops of = Skunk Essence should I add to it? I always set a few dirt holes this time of year SO. What do you guys suggest on = How many drops to add to 2 gallons???

I would say 2 or 3.

Always start small. You can always add a little more but would take a lot more meat to dilute if too much. With bait and lure making I've found out a little goes a long way

I’m still pretty new to all of the bait/lure making stuff, but if you used 2-3 drops I can’t imagine there would be much to smell. I used 1ml in a half gallon of bait and after sitting for a couple weeks it’s just got a very slight skunk smell.

I don't have a bait with skunk so I can't help you. In my lures with skunk I go anywhere from 1/2 Oz to 1oz per gallon. And they are mild in the skunky department by some guys standards. I also add a fixative to my skunk essence to help keep it from fading as fast.

Thanks. I have = Eye dropper full in 1 gallon right now. Caught a juvenile coyote with it today. First night catch in a = James Lucero style dirt hole. SO up to 1 oz to a gallon ? Just wanted = a little skunk in the muskrat to reach out to them. Cold weather here. And I'm putting in a few dirt holes

I would think you would want a milder skunk smell in a bait than in a lure. But then I've never put skunk in a bait before. If I wanted skunk at a baited set I just dipped a stick in a lure with some skunk to it and added it to the set. I would think one or two eye droppers full would be about right.

Bearcat2. The muskrat meat was given to me It's 2 gallons of MB muskrat. It's preserved. I can even small it. So just though. I would add some skunk and see. I had. 1 gallon of beaver meat. Added 3 oz of Carmans Pro Choice. Ir did well. So. I wanted to try. Muskrat and skunk

I think it will work, I know a lot of people use the commercial bait solutions that have skunk in them and swear by them. I just have never added skunk to a bait. I have tried fresh preserved, tainted preserved, and just plain rotten meat as well as unpreserved bait that starts out fresh or lightly tainted and let it age at the set. I go back and forth on what kind of bait I prefer, but frankly I use very little bait. So I really don't have a good sized sample any year to compare what works best.

I don't think skunk essence tastes good, at least going by how dogs foam at the mouth and slobber when they get a good dose of it. But if the coyote is tasting the bait in the dirthole before it is caught you've already screwed up. Lol

Bearcat2. I don't use much bait either. BUT. Here is my thinking. I am in a low coyote density. I have set traps. On sign.Fresh turds and tracks. And had a coyote take 64 days to come back by. So. It's cleaned up here pretty good. I'm getting bout 80% juveniles. Just about the /= new coyotes moving in from down the road.

My idea was /= use something skunky to get the new hungry ones when they come by.

I would have left the meat as is. I don't like essence in baits as a rule. Once you start adding different odors it isn't a natural bait any longer. Some like that practice, if needed ad a dab of a lure with it as wanted if necessary. Sometimes all natural is the best choice. Keep the baits natural odor then put up a skunky call lure if you feel it is necessary. What we smell doesn't matter, those predators know exactly what they smell even if it seems mild or no odor to us.

Thanks Bob. I have 1gallon of muskrat left IF this don't work out. Also have 2 gallons of bobcat meat from MB ready to go at sometime I caught another coyote today. Large male. On the skunky muskrat. 2nd day out for this trap. I know VERY LITTLE about bait Just thought about = cold weather new coyotes and dirt holes. So I mixed 3oz of Carmans that I found in sheep camp to 2 gallons of beaver. Worked good. SO here I am

O Yea. IPhone 15 coming mail next week. Can hopefully post some pics

I am but a mere novice compared to many here; but I know enough to listen to Mr. Jameson when he speaks...

No doubt! Just to late for me to listen --- when I have already = Skunked this gallon up ! I will leave the next 3 gallons alone. Like I said. Just wanted a = call bait. So tried something new on the new coyotes moving in

thumbs up!

Have a friend that catches lots of coyotes. Year or two ago he was running a late season coyote line. He added skunk to his bait and ran it head to head against the unskunked bait. More coyotes caught on the skunky bait. Coyotes will always tell you what they like.

It's working! LoL! Basically. I found = Bottle of Carmans it was old and separated. So I shook it up. Poured 3 oz out of 4 oz bottle in beaver meat and stored. I have caught. Maybe 20 plus coyotes so far with it. I used = big spoon full. DEEP dirt holes It's all used up. So. Just wanted to try = skunky = muskrat! 2 coyotes so far with it in 2 days. Be back in a few days. To see how many more it catches. Running bout 60 % dirt holes 40 % flat sets with grub sticks I'm open minded. IF dirt holes work. This time of year? I'm setting them !! LoL!

I’ve never been a big fan of skunky bait , powder river paste bait in a BB sized amount has always been more than enough. This year I’ve been running double dirt holes placed about 18 to 20” apart with a skunky chicken bait in one hole with ground muskrat in sheep’s wool in the other . I would not want to run the skunky chicken by itself as the guy that made it said he couldn’t catch a coyote with it , lol .

Yep^^^

I add essence to ground beaver tails, ground deer stomachs, ground bobcat meat, etc. Coyotes work it very good.

I mixed it more to save time than any other reason. Many dirthole sets only get a good smear of one of those skunky baits....then I'm on to the next location.

New to the forum here but wanted to add my two cents. I add increasing amounts of skunk to half my bait as the weather gets colder. I like having the slightly tainted bait with no skunk for weary critters, it doesn’t seam to make them as nervous. Reading all the different opinions will make you nuts! Try three holes with different strength of smell and put a camera on them. The coyote will show you!