Whether you're looking to catch a single problem beaver, harvest a few beavers for their fur or meat, or trap large numbers of the rodents, using the right bait is critical to beaver trapping. Like many semi-aquatic animals, beavers feed on a variety of food sources and not all are created equal. In addition, the type of vegetation a beaver prefers can vary depending on … [Read more...]
What is the Best Bait for Coyote Trapping?
Coyotes are one of the most adaptable species in North America, and their diet and food habits can vary drastically throughout the year. If you're interested in finding a good bait to attract coyotes to your traps, it's important to consider naturally available foods in your area as well as foreign types of food that coyotes are attracted to. Natural Foods The coyote is … [Read more...]
The Basics of Bait Preservation for Trappers
In a perfect world, we trappers would have all the bait we need, from the animal we want to use, at the desired level of freshness or taint, just at the moment we need to deploy it on the trap line. But we know that's totally impossible, so bait preservation is a must. Preserving bait, quite simply, is what we do to keep it from rotting. Left to its own devices, meat will … [Read more...]
Thoughts on Trapping Bait (Live Free and Trap)
A while back, Jeff Traynor over at the "Live Free and Trap" blog wrote a thought provoking article on trapping bait. Citing a Wildlife Society study that looked at bait preferences of raccoon and skunk, he expressed some thoughts on bait that have bounced around in my head a great deal as well. How much of a difference does bait make? Are species-specific preferences … [Read more...]