Because animals have keen scent they can soon locate bait. The art of selecting and placing the bait is worth all the attention one can give it. Spray trap with apple cider to remove human scent!!
For general field, setting an ear of dry corn and a smoked herring, or peanut butter mixed with molasses spread on whole wheat bread, will attract most varieties of wild animals. These baits will not spoil for a considerable length of time, so you can look at the trap from a distance without having to scent up the vicinity of the trap.
Specific Baits for Different Animals
| Armadillo- | Meal worms, other worms, or insects enclosed in a little cloth bag, maggots, sardines, fish. |
| Birds- | Sunflower seeds or scratch grain. |
| Cat or Bobcat - | Fish, meats, oil of catnip, sardines. |
| Chipmunks - | Prune pits, unroasted peanuts, corn, sunflower seeds, peanut butter, cereal, grains, popcorn. |
| Dogs, Coyotes - | Old meat, dog food. |
| Fox, Red & Gray - | Rancid fish or meat. |
| Gophers - | Peanut butter mixed with molasses, spread on whole wheat bread. |
| Groundhog - | Any kind of green vegetable, fresh string beans, sweet corn, lettuce, peas, broccoli. |
| Mink - | Chicken head and entrails, fresh fish, fish oil scent, fresh liver. |
| Nutria - | Muskmelon or cantaloupe rind, ripe bananas. |
| Opossum - | Vegetables, sweet apples, chicken entrails, sardines, crisp bacon, canned cat food, almost anything edible will work. |
| Otter - | Fish |
| Porcupine - | Apples, salt, carrots. |
| Rabbit - | Fresh vegetables, such as brussel sprouts, cabbage, carrots, lettuce, or apples. In winter time, bread is a good bait. Spraying the inside of the trap with apple cider has also proved effective. |
| Raccoon - | Anything of a fishy nature: Sardines, raw fish, etc. Smoked meat, sweet corn or fruit, molasses, peanut butter or honey, peanut butter on raison bread, crisp bacon. |
| Rats, Large - | Cheese, bread and butter, small nuts, cherry pits, oatmeal, sunflower or similar seeds, mixed peanut butter and oatmeal, gum drops, flour. |
| Ringtail or civet cats - | Same as raccoon. |
| Skunk - | Almost anything edible, chicken entrails, fish, fresh or canned, insect larvae, crisp bacon, eggs. |
| Snapping Turtle - | Freshly chopped fish or freshly chopped chicken entrails, also any whole fresh fish pieces. |
| Squirrels - | Cereals, nuts, popcorn, crackers, peanut butter or molasses on bread, field corn, oatmeal grains. |
| Voles - | Peanut butter mixed with molasses spread on whole wheat bread. |
| Weasels - | Fish, fresh liver, chicken entrails. |
| Woodchuck - | Any kind of green vegetable, fresh string beans, sweet corn, lettuce, peas. |