Having the right lure to attract a coyote to your trap set can be one of the most important aspects of making the catch. While there is not ‘magic’ lure, some formulas certainly work better than others. Let’s go over some basics on the different types of coyote lures, and then I’ll give some recommendations you can try out.
Types of Coyote Lures
There are three basic types of lures: 1)food lures, 2)gland lures and 3)curiosity lures. A food lure appeals to an animal’s sense of hunger or desire to eat. A gland lure suggests the presence of another animal, and often elicits a territorial response. A curiosity lure appeals to an animal’s natural sense of curiosity, and is something it is not accustomed to in its environment. Many lures include ingredients that fall in more than one of these categories.
How Trapping Lures Work
The purpose of a coyote lure is to get the animal to spend enough time investigating your set that it eventually puts its foot in the right place and gets caught. Sometimes lure isn’t even necessary – a piece of fried chicken tossed down a hole in the ground with a trap in front of it may be enough – but generally it’s a good idea to use lures that have a maximum appeal to coyotes in order to catch them more effectively.
Food lures typically contain the scent of something important to a coyote’s diet, like rotten meat from deer, horse, bobcat, mouse or other animals. Gland lures usually contain coyote glands and other body parts from coyotes. The idea behind a gland lure is to indicate that another coyote has been to the site. Being social and territorial critters, a coyote will be intensely interested in the scent of any other coyote in the area, and will spend a great deal of time investigating. Glands from other animals, like red fox, can be effective at coyote sets as well, since coyotes and foxes compete for similar food sources, and coyotes tend to run most foxes out of their territory every chance they get. A curiosity lure may be food related, or it may include some scent a coyote has never been exposed to before. As coyotes are curious animals, appealing to this characteristic can work well. It can also backfire. In some cases, coyotes may interpret a foreign scent as a threat.
Best Coyote Trapping Lures
The trapping industry is full of lure makers, and some of the most successful coyote trappers have developed some great lures over the years. You can certainly try making your own lures, but most trappers prefer to start by using proven effective formulas from the professionals. Here are some great coyote lures to get started with.
Craig O’Gorman is one of the top predator trappers and lure makers in the country. His lures and baits are without question some of the most effective on the market. If you’re looking for a bait, “Powder River Paste Bait” is really hard to beat. He has a pile of coyote lures available. “Missouri Breaks” and “Gumbo” are good ones to start with.
Mark June is one of the top selling lure makers in the country. Like O’Gorman, he traps coyotes for a big part of his living and good lures are part of the big catches. “Canine Candy“, “Coyote Frenzy” and “Windwalker” are some of his better lures.
Tim Caven from Minnesota Trapline Products has a popular line of lures. “Yodel Dog” and “Violator 7” work great for coyotes.
Lenon Lures, originated by legendary trapper Herb Lenon, has been helping trappers catch coyotes and other furbearers since 1924. “Coyote Super All Call” is a great choice.
Clint Locklear of Predator Control Group has a passionate following of trappers who have had incredible success using his lures. “Boss Dog” is one of the top coyote lures on the market.
Jeff Dunlap’s “Reaper” coyote gland lure is an excellent choice. Jeff has several other lures that will take coyotes effectively as well.
What’s the best coyote trapping lure? We’re all looking for ‘best’, aren’t we? There’s really no ‘best lure’ in trapping in my opinion, but by using lures from one of the reputable, accomplished lure makers in the trapping industry, you’ll be well on your way to success.
