Sounds like a winner to me. Depending on the temperature where you were it sounds like 4 months is a pretty long time to let meat taint. I've heard you don't want to let it go too long or else it will start to rot and the smell will change.

Thanks! That's pretty similar to what I had seen people describe. I'll definitely have to try it out.

Trapping season just came in and I have some canine traps out right now. So hopefully I'll have some catches to show soon.

Me too...well I like catching things on my own baits and lures. The process of making them can be kind of nasty, but it's all worth it when you walk up on a tight chain.

Nice, thanks. I'll have to check out your channel.

No problem.

Thanks

Thanks for the tip. I think I remember reading spmethi mg similar to that in one of my bait making books. I'll definitely give it a shot.

Trapping opened up yesterday and I was busy, but I was able to get 4 nice coyote/fox sets out and used the 2 earlier season beaver baits I mentioned. I should be able to get some more traps out this week too so we'll see.

4 days in 75 degree temperature is pretty typical. However, when done correctly, tainted meat smells but not nearly as bad as rotten meat. Rotten meat gives me that immediate urge to gag and throw up, whereas tainted meat is typically not pleasant to smell but doesn't make me necessarily want to throw up immediately. This is all a bit subjective and difficult to quantify, because there is some tolerance build up to these smells when dealing with them often vs the first time. Based off what you described, it sounds like it went a little too far in the tainting vs rotting process. Maybe the peak temp was higher than 75 at times during the day (it is important to know peak temp because it's more of an exponential increase rather than linear as you get higher in temp.) So all that to say, it's just nasty smelling meat, if you have more you can taint, throw this stuff out. If not, use it as is or dilute it with some extra fresh meat. I've used more rotten than tainted meat and had success. I've heard with rotten meat you risk catching more possums, but personally, I think if the possums are around, they will find my sets anyway. Hope that helps. Good luck and tight chains!

Thanks for the quick response greatly appreciated I will try adding meat to it . Thanks again

Lots of people use bodygrip traps for fisher in cubby sets, but in PA there are rules against using bodygripping traps on dry ground. You are allowed to use bodygripping traps in a waterway, which personally I think the writing of that law is very vague. I just use leg holds because they are just about as easy and typically have the potential to catch a fox or coyote also.

Definitely true, I was smelling it at work days later.

From my research and observations, I have come to the same conclusions. Raccoons are seldom scavenged by most of the desired trapping predators. I do believe possums will eat it, but what won't they eat? Turkey vultures will eat about anything as well, and I have seen eagles and hawks scavenge just about every animal carcass in my area. I agree it is a shame because raccoon meat is so available to every trapper, and I really want to use it instead of letting it go to waste. I even had ideas to mix it with other meats to potentially make it more desirable to predators. However, I have come to realization that a little meat goes a long way when making baits (unless you are planning on selling it), so I should stick with the best stuff like beaver and muskrat. After making that decision and actively saving beaver and muskrat meat, I have found I have more than enough to make myself and some friends bait whenever I feel up to it.

@@NobleSavageOutdoors thanx for the reply,I guess it re-enforces what I already thought.

I have made my own castoreum with glycerin before and used it in lures. I didn't notice a difference but I believe a real lure maker probably could smell a difference if there is one. Maybe I'll try both at the same time let them age and see if I can tell a difference. Either way thanks for the tip.

I don't know exactly, but using sodium benzoate will preserve them very well. I have used it from season to season with out storing in a fridge and had success. As long as you follow the instructions for the sodium benzoate.

It's hard to tell when you compare different seasons with the limited amount of bait here. Anyway, I thought it did okay, but I think my mouse bait did better.

I have some books about using essential oils and have read through them, but haven't experimented with them too much yet. Mainly just because I like to experiment with things I can harvest myself for free or get for very cheap but are still effective.

@@NobleSavageOutdoors What books do u have. Thanks

I have "Making and Using Lures and Baits", "Formulating & Compounding Animal Lures and Baits", and "Trappers Guide To Using Essential Oils, Essenses, Powders, and Crystals". All by Nick Wyshinski. I put them in order of which I like best but they are all useful in their own ways.

I didn't notice too much of a difference between the beaver only bait and the beaver bait with hooves. I would like to try soaking the hooves next time. The muskrat bait had some action, but I think the best one I got action on was the beaver everything bait. After let it sit for a while with the 3-4 drops of skunk essence mixed in, it really mellowed out. In the future, I would add more essence to get the long call effect I was really going for. It ended up being a great midseason bait and during late season I ended up supplementing with store bought long call baits/lures. It's hard to tell when you compare different seasons with the limited amount of bait here, but I think my mouse bait did better the previous year.

@@NobleSavageOutdoors I think I'm going to try to throw together a bait made with some squirrels and another with some pocket gophers I've been trapping

I didn't notice too much of a difference between the beaver only bait and the beaver bait with hooves. I would like to try soaking the hooves next time. The muskrat bait had some action, but I think the best one I got action on was the beaver everything bait. I think the reason I had the most action on that bait was due to the skunk essence. After let it sit for a while with the 3-4 drops essence mixed in, it really mellowed out. In the future I would add more essence to get the long call effect I was really going for. This one ended up being a great midseason bait and during late season I ended up supplementing with store bought long call baits/lures.

Noble Savage Outdoors I want to do a mice one and a squirl and a woodchuck . I am just getting back into trapping so next year Hopfully some never and muskrat

@@toddcaskey9984 I also have a video of a very easy to make mice lure that worked very well. Similar to Clint Locklear's simply mice bait he sells.

Noble Savage Outdoors yea I watched. I’m trapping nice now for the season. Thanks for videos. How about one on your fur set up .

​@@toddcaskey9984 I have a video showing how I made my PVC fleshing beam. I have not shown my skinning setup yet. And my boarding setup is pretty simple but I could show that. Anything else you are looking for specifically?

It was hard to tell how well it did with the limited amount of bait here, but I did catch some critters on it. To be honest, I think my mouse bait did better and I plan on experiment with that a little more.

Thanks, I'll check it out.

Thank you, I appreciate the support.

I have seen people cook the hooves down to a almost like a burnt dust before. May have to try that in the future as well.

Nope they are not testicular. They are on both male and female. One is called the castor gland and one is called the Oil sac. Both secrete fluids through small openings in the side of the anus and are located directly adjacent to the anus. There are a number of videos on KZfaq showing how to remove them.