A little background on how I came up with this.....
I've trapped for over 35 years and after expanding into
the world of DP traps, I was looking for an effective bait that was not
messy to handle, would not turn rancid, and was not a fish based bait /
lure like most of the ones on the market. I began by experimenting
with different recipes and tested them by simply driving PVC pipes into
the ground and placing different trial recipes in each of the pipes. I
then placed a trail camera looking over PVC to see which blend the coon
preferred. The final recipe I went with was the hands-down
favorite. Night after night, trial after trial, the coon spent more
time going after this mix than any other. The PVC actually stuck up
about 8 inches out of the ground so they could not reach all the way to
the bottom to get all of the bait out, thus, keeping the coon working
the test area. The duration of time the coon spent working the pipes
ranged from 7 minutes to the current time record of 53 minutes.
Using in DP traps:
I use Duke DP traps which are equipped with a pull-only
trigger. There are several other brands / styles of DP traps on the
market and this bait will work in all of them. I put about 12 pieces in
the trap which fills it to the bottom of the trigger. I have also put a
few pieces on the ground around the trap on occasion and honestly can't
say if it makes a difference or not. If you have a problem with mice
taking the bait out of your DP traps, you can stop them by putting a
golf ball or small rock over the opening of the trap. In rainy weather,
a golf ball or rock won't keep the bait from getting soggy because the
water will drip off the lowest part of the ball which happens to be in
the center of your trap. I've experimented with various mouse and rain
barriers and have had the best results by placing a 9oz. waxed paper cup
over the trap. The cups fit snug over the trap and it works great to keep
mice and rain out. In addition, it adds visual attraction to the set.
I prefer waxed paper cups over styrofoam because if the coon shreds it,
the remnants will decompose relatively quickly. At the rate I use it, 3 pounds will make around 115 sets.