Lone Wolf Lures

My name is Jack Hill, and I am the maker and creator of Lone Wolf Lures. I hold a Bachelor of Arts degree in Chemistry and Biology from the University of Wisconsin–Green Bay. These disciplines provide a strong foundation for developing effective animal attractants, lures, and baits. When formulating lures using ingredients like base materials, preservatives, essential oils, crystals, tinctures, freeze-proofing agents, and blending agents—chemistry plays a critical role. Biology, especially animal behavior, is equally important. For example, when trapping canines, you definitely don’t want a lure that triggers a roll response when trapping canines.

In my early years of trapping, I tried numerous animal lures with disappointing results. I quickly discovered that many of them lost their scent rapidly—what’s known as being “extremely volatile.” A good example is shellfish oil, which is widely used. Try this test: place some on a Q-tip, hang it up, and check back in three or four hours. You’ll likely find, as I did, that the scent is nearly gone. There are much better attractants out there. Russ Carmen once wrote that a good lure should last at least three days. Test it for yourself—apply some to a stick, leave it outside during trapping season, and see if you can still smell it after three days, you should still be able to smell the lure!