What do you find is the best lure for your intended victims? Probably a very unscientific poll because there are so many variables, but I would be keen to know what your go to lure is.
My target species are stoats and rats and my by catch is mice and hedgehogs. For stoats I use PoaUku blocks in Doc 200 but have only caught one ferret and peanut butter mixed with cocoa powder for rats in victor snap traps.
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Mayonnaise. Your mileage may vary, but I’ve caught more pests with mayo than fresh rabbit.
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Yep, too many variables 
My gotos are fresh rabbit (mustelids, some cats and some rats), cooked chicken scraps (mainly cats, but some rats too) and Nutella (possums & ship rats). I’ve not had much luck with mayo, but there are a few variables there too. My rats are well fed on avocado.
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I use peanut butter, Nutella, & mayonnaise but all my lures are enjoyed by slaters & earwigs. I don’t have many rats left in my area but would like to find a lure not enjoyed by little critters
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Our group (Huka Trapping) has had a couple of succesful training sessions with Jason Day (Call of the Wild). One of the many tools in his box is Connovation Smooth Lure. We have found this very good. In particular it has hugely improved the performance of our A24 traps. I find the time the gas and the ALP system lasts in the A24’s varies widely. Now I check the traps monthly, replace any empty gas cannisters and use the smooth lure around the trap, some in the barrel and a little around the ALP as well.
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The best overall predator lure that I’ve used is tallow. I wrote about it a few months ago (Trappers, please try this lure) detailing the reasons why it’s so effective. Unfortunately, it isn’t always easy to find.
I’ve also had a lot of success with Goodnature’s Blood Lure, now known as meat-lovers’. I’ve killed at least 50 rats using it, and countless numbers of mice and small rats, but it can be easy for them to eat without setting off traps. Any paste or semi-solid lure can be, too, so it’s a minor disadvantage.
Meat Lovers’ is a good lure to use in DoC tunnels, particularly when it’s combined with a visual lure, like an egg (real or fake), and a conventional flesh-based lure (meat/fish, PB, Erayz,etc.). I press the blood lure onto the timber as I smear it on, which forces predators to lick it off (walls and ramps). Predators leave more natural lures inside tunnels this way, because it takes them a lot longer to consume the lure.
An especially potent rat lure is saliva, so a concentrated patch of it is a valuable olfactory lure. It signals to other rats that a nutritious, safe source of food exists inside a tunnel and/or a good material for sharpening their teeth.
A number of rat control studies that I’ve read, found natural lures that result from rat behaviour to be exponentially more effective than food-based lures, due to the social nature of rats. The best overall lures are, therefore, urine, faeces, and saliva. Obviously, all of these are very effective mustelid lures, too. Goodnature lures are one of the best ways to get the process started, because they’re long-lasting, waterproof, mold-resistant, insects don’t consume the lures, and predators love the stuff (at least they do where I trap). It’s cost-effective, too, because 1 sachet goes a long way, in my experience.
Cheers.
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With mayo, I’ve found that a good way to both enhance its appeal, and to extend its field life, is to give it a generous spray of white vinegar. I’ve had a fair bit of success with mayo, but there’s a big drop-off as the vinegar evaporates. Clearly, a large part of mayo’s appeal is the smell and taste of the vinegar. Until the vinegar coating has evaporated, the vinegar in the mayo won’t start to evaporate. Insects dislike vinegar, so the extra application is a good way to deter them for as long as possible. The extra vinegar also creates a stronger, longer-lasting smell, which increases the chances of predators finding traps.
I looked it up once, and avocados are reputed to be one of rats’ favourite foods. If rats are gorging themselves on avos, using a lure on the opposite end of the dietary spectrum might get their attention, like meat or fish.
In winter, I’ve had better trapping success with cooked meat, which takes longer to go moldy, because it’s dehydrated and has a coating of grease, which helps to repel moisture.
Bones are also effective, because rats eat bone marrow and use bones to sharpen their teeth. I’ve trapped rats using both cooked and uncooked bones, and they don’t have to be large. Lambchop bones will do the job nicely, especially if some gristle remains on them.
Good luck!
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Goodnature lures are great at attracting predators, but insects and invertebrates completely ignore them. In winter, their lures are great, because they don’t go moldy, so this is a good time to try them. I recommend using the Meat Lovers’ lure, because it appeals to the widest range of predator species.
Cheers.
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I’ve found horse meat to be my bait of choice
I mix peanut butter with cocoa powder which is not only cheaper than nuttella but i find it does not go mouldy as quickly as straight peanut butter.
(I actually live in Waikana Street in Broad Bay!!)