moonsal83 wrote:
What bait/lure do you use if any? Lures are good but IMO I have had better catches with local food sources as bait. Deer carcass here and there with a trap near the hind quarters and snares around has yielded more fur than any lures combined. Natural backing as well. That is if you're working in the hills. Near water I use beaver or fish. Also pick up roadkill tree rats and stuff em in a glass jar in a dark place for a bit until black, tarry and rotten. In my experience cats love fresh meat and yotes like 2 week+ hair falling off nastness. Would also be nice to see your sets. Sometimes folks like to "crowd the plate" as I call it and put too much junk around their set. Yotes are skittish and easily spooked so less is better with them.
Check those fence rows too man, fences are a godsend to trappers.
I have been using some old time coyote bait by forsyth lures, along with red fox urine, chicken feathers and sheep's wool for visual effect. Deer are in short supply these parts. Too many hard winters.
My sets are pretty basic dirt/snow holes, and I use no "forcing" so to speak.
My main issue right now, is they have only been back to the sheep pen once since they killed and ate a lamb before New years, and with the deep snow, they just do not seem to move much these days.
Check out my baitcicle post. Maybe you have insight there? I need to concentrate them a bit more..