Lets talk catnip

[Bubber]

There has been way too much talk about beaver here lately. I want to talk about about something more interesting that holds a higher mystique, like cats.

How many of you cat trappers use catnip and how large of a part of your arsenal does it make up? In another forum I visit the topic has come up. Having recently grown some I of course tryied doping some house cats up with it. I got no response out of it. I know some cats aren't interested in it and I have been told that too much will repel cats. So lets hear your opinions on it. Considering the fact that cats are like women in that they only do what they feel like when they fell like it, and there isn't any way to get them to something else. How do bobs stack up against their domestic counterparts in responses to catnip.

[Bogmaster]

Bub,is no animal alive more interesting than a beaver.But this being a trappers forum,onward and upward on the bobcat.
 Tom

[Bubber]

It is not that beaver arn't interesting, they are a truly fascinating animal. However they hold little excitment for me. I catch and put up a few every year, mostly for canine bait and the castor. When I see a beaver in the jaws of a 330, the bottom of a drowner, or in a snare it does not give me the same emotional high as kneeling down and looking into the eyes of a cat. They seem to stare right into your soul, it is a a feeling that I get from few other animals.

[Wackyquacker]

. I catch and put up a few every year, mostly for canine bait and the castor.

Now there is the only sensible reason I've ever heard of for beaver trapping. :-D

[Newt]

BEAVER meat = CAT bait

See we dont want to leave beaver out off this thread LOL

[Bubber]

Ok, ok, ok, I have managed to say the wrong thing yet again putting my foot in my mouth. It seems to be an ongoing probelm with me latly.

How about my original question, I am sure someone here has an opinion on catnip.

[Wackyquacker]

A little bit goes along way; too much repeals them.  I use nit in one of my cat lures telling you how much would be useless to you since each tincture is different as is each base.  You're going to have too exoeriment.

[RdFx]

I will give you some of my experiences with bobcats and domesticated cats.   On the domestic cat :  ive seen cats eat it and really enjoy it.  Also ive seen cats not even pay attention to it.   Another case cat went bonkers and being a old 12 yr cat  turned into a teenage bounce around room and its eyes almost totally dialated and eyeballs look solid almost; something else.  

  On wild bobcats :  ive  seen tracks where they come up to catnip scent in sand and rub on it and play around and others walk right by and not do a thing with it thus   in  cases ive seen wild and tame cats act alot the same so watching  domesticated cats helps understand  the wild bobcat some.  
   Also have experimented using  catnip watching how a domestic cat rubs and approaches  a scented stick or object outdoors and it  gives you alot of info and with adjustments for size setting your foothold for bobcats.

[Asa Lenon]

My assessment from testing is about the same as RdFx.  Good working bobcat lures must contain a lot of glands, musks and curiosity agents to help get a cats attention because cats like to rub on the gland/musk odors of other animals.  It is said that they do this rubbing of odors on their fur as a cover scent while hunting and stalking.  As RdFx says, some cats get absolutely mesmerized by catnip while other pay no attention or anywhere in between.  Being that we don't know which catagory of cat will be approaching a set, catnip is a valuable addition to a well balanced cat lure formulation as long as the catnip odor isn't so strong as to overpower and nulify all of the other milder working glands/musks in the formulation. Big time, professional Western Mt. Lion trappers that my Dad consulted for lure testing many years ago when formulating Bobcat Super All Call lure warned Dad about overuasge of catnip, all stateing that too much catnip in a lure can and will scare off some cats, especially the big ones. My own experimentation in later years confirmed this fact in house cats and bobcats.   Ace

[jim-NE]

I never had decent luck with catnip at sets guarded with footholds, but could be how I used it with what Type of sets I used it at. Seemed like at Dirtholes when I used any catnip-based lure in or near the hole, the whole point was to get kitty to puts its foot on the pan of my trap. With catnip, there was a lot of movement (based on tracks left at the set) everywhere but the pan. When I switched to straight bait and a gland-type lure I nailed cats much more consistently.
So, I tried catnip lure on a sort of modified post-type set, where the point wasn't so much to have the pan/trap placement in proportion to kitty's nose/mouth and its front feet but moreso to where the cat would naturally step to work the set. I used "higher" type post to get the cat to stretch up a bit to rub its cheek against the lured spot on the post, and then just guessed about where I thought a foot would get placed when the cat worked the set this way.
After a lot of experimentation, walk-bys, empty trap checks, looking at tracks in the dirt pattern, etc. I switched back to big dirtholes loaded up with fish, red fox gland lure, and some cat glands...and I started picking up cats again.
Any other suggestions on catnip, where to use it and what sets it works with? I gave up on it but I'm always open to try things out...to some extent anyway.
Jim-NE

[Asa Lenon]

When testing formulas, I could never tell any difference at dirt hole sets whether the catnip was included in the formulation or not.  A good musky lure got every passing cat to step up for investigation of the hole and its contents anyway.  It was at cubbies in the deep snow months that subtle catnip added to the formula proved to help induce that occasional cat that was reluctant to go into a cubby.  As for rub type sets, a musky lure is all it takes to get a cat rubbing.  Anyway, a subtle amount of catnip in a lures formulation won't harm anything if the passing cat isn't interested in it but in my opinion the catnip can sometimes give an edge to an already well formulated cat lure. Ace  (I hope this thread doesn't go down the line, I would like to hear more trappers experiences with catnip)

[danny clifton]

I haven't fooled with catnip for several reasons. First being consistancy in the plant. I believe that different varrietys will produce different response levels. So buying or making a consistant strength tincture would be tough. The tinctures I have attempted to make did not hold any attraction for very long either. Seems like after a couple hours of being exposed to air they no longer held attraction. I did however find a source for true catnip oil. It is very expensive. I havnt fooled with it cause of price. I have to think the oil may last longer exposed to air and a consistancy in strength may be assumed. Anyone have experiance with the oil? Here is a link if anyone is interested. I plan to fool with it a little this year.
 http://essentialoil.com/catalog/advanced_search_result.php?PHPSESSID=&keywords=catnip
I almost forgot. Asa whatever your doing to your cat lure keep it up. Good stuff. Even pick up an occasional coyote with it. Coons seem to like it too.

[Wackyquacker]

These so called "oils" look to be distillation fractions of plant extracts.  It would be my guess that a wee wee wee bit of oil would go a very long way.  I'm thinking fractions of a ml per liter of "x" alcohol to make your working tincture, which you would add during lure formulations.

[Asa Lenon]

1/8 to 3/16 ounce of pure, genuine distilled catnip oil is plenty for formulation per  gallon of good bobcat lure or bait.  This is in combination with multiple glands and musks that pique the cat's attention.  Ace

[danny clifton]

How much bait/lure would the 1/8 to 3/16 go into Asa? and thanks for the information.

[Asa Lenon]

Oooppps, sorry about that Danny, meant to say 1/8 to 3/16 oz of catnip per gallon of lure or bait.   :grin: Ace

[Joelb]

I like catnip based lure.

I like to mix propylene glycol with ground dried leaves and let it sit.

Then I'll add some real catnip oil to the mix and use a lure base to give it body. It mixes well with castor, beaver oil, or rat musk. I've had good results with a tonquin mix as well.

In deep winter I use the imitation heavy in lure base. It is one odor that will go out there in below zero temperatures.

It's not the be all end all cat lure in my opinion but it has it's place.

Joel

[danny clifton]

Joel I tried tincturing the leaves in propylene glycol. In fact i have some that have been it about 3 years, but the smell wont last. After its been exposed to the air 15 minutes house cats wont respond. And this is different cats than the ones exposed to it immediatly. My neighbor has about a dozen she feeds. So I'm sure its not the result of the cat being overexposed. I couldnt smell it after a minutes so let the cats try again. Absolutly nothing. Although fresh from the jar they liked it.

[Asa Lenon]

I've never tried using just the pulverized leaves and stems but I have had several trappers tell me they sprinkle them around behind sets with good results on bobcat.  Ace

[Joelb]

Danny,

I share your concerns about the attractiveness of catnip alone in p glycol.

That is why I use the oil and or other ingredients in combination.

If nothing else it work as a binder filler to hold the other odors.

I like a grease base for the final product.

I spilled some dried leaves by my shed once and saw my cat digging and rolling around in them the next day.

Joel

[RdFx]

Over the years ive seen some cats go bonkers over any catnip and some that just walk right by and show no interest.  Im sure it is the same way with bobcats and  cougars also...  I have a cat that  goes bonkers on any catnip. fresh leaves, dry leaves,  oil.   My daughter has a cat  that eats it in any form , licks its  and doesnt go nuts except on the eating part.  
  Putting your  catnip in some kind of thick base to help enhance and keep scent longer fm drying out is a good idea.   Try differant things and keep  notes on what you do and also what SPECIFIC AMOUNTS and SPECIFIC INGREDIANTs  (also where you got it) so you can duplicate it hopefully again when you find a formula that works.... Good Luck