Aged fox urine & lure

how long

I have kept good lures for several years but with urine I have never kept it past the second season. Not that it might not keep longer than that but that I used it up.

Most urine suppliers stress "FRESHNESS" when talking about the urines they sell. While some may age the urine, it is done so in a controlled invironment under certain conditions. Urines collected that may have tiny (even microscopic) bits of feces or food particals in the urine will go sour with time.

Personally, I would have some concern about keeping pure urine for 5 years. No, I will go further than that! If I found a gallon of urine that I had misplaced or put away 5 years ago, I would pour it out and buy fresh. I would be concerned with the molecular breakdown on the urine after that much time. Urine is not that expensive and not worth the risk of contaminating your sets.

Open it and smell it! Does it smell exactly the same as when you first bought it? If it smells stronger, that is not a problem and can be compensated for if desired by adding glycerin or distilled or rain water to it. If it has a slight metallic smell-- I WOULD CHUNK IT!

Urine is not so expensive that I would risk the gamble of having my sets contaminated.

fresh urine

I most whole-heartedly agree with Asa and Jim-NE that good lures will last many years. And some (like Doc says) age well like a fine wine.

However, I had a bad experience with old urine. It may have gotten contaminated some way, not sure. The urine was stuck back and forgotten about for about 3 years. Normally, I would use the "left-overs" the next season and start on fresh. But somehow, this had gotten misplaced and was in the 4th year of me having it. I know it was good when I put it away after that first season, since it did it's job very well. It was not a home collected urine but that from a very reputable supplier.

Anyway, when I went ahead and tried it in that 4th season, it was a disaster. Everything shyed away from my sets where I had used it. After a couple of rains, I re-set the exact same locations with new urine and made my catches as expected. Sorry guys, but I just don't trust urine that is several years old after that one. How much time did I waste making those sets and using the bad when a gallon of good would have netted me much more $$$ than empty traps did.