Lure making is not that difficult, but it takes time and a certain amount of organization. It may take up to a year to collect the ingredients and then brew up a batch of quality canine lure. Now is the time to start!

Collecting the glands and other usable parts from the animals you trap is the first step.

Even if you never make gland lure, you should consider harvesting the glands. Properly handled glands are valuable, and you may be able to trade them to other lure makers for finished product or sell them outright. Call and ask which glands the lure maker wants and how he wants them harvested and preserved. Most likely, he will want them stored separately and frozen fresh.

The following is a good basic formula that requires just one coyote or fox. Harvest the glands from each leg, both ears, the brains, kidneys, half the liver with the gall bladder, the tender loins, anal gland with 6-10 inches of colon and rectum, either the uterus or testicles, and the pads from all four feet.

Grind it up and store in clean 1-quart glass jars out of the sun, stirring every few weeks. After 8 months, adjust the consistency by adding urine or a thickening agent to get more of a paste. When the consistency is acceptable, add 1 cup canning salt or sodium benzoate and enough glycerin to prevent freezing in winter. For added long-range attraction, about 10 drops of skunk essence may be added to each 4-ounce jar of finished product.

This basic formula can be used as a foundation for endless experimentation. If you have a pile of fox and coyotes to work with, try different ratios of glands and other scents, and write it all down so when you find something that really works, you will be able to make another batch just like it.

If you don’t collect glands, the next time you skin a canine, consider what you are about to throw away. Harvesting is fairly simple, and you can use them to make your own lure, trade them for lure, or even sell them outright.