I defer to the gentleman with the greater experience. His vast experience reinforces my limited observations.

Perhaps the most relevant point he has made is not that the cat will come to bait , but the cat might come to bait if he is in the area

Most of my lion encounters were made when I didn't know they were there. Mainly when I was calling coyotes.

I have also had bobcats and coyotes killed in traps by lions.

I had this happen once at a site where something was killing lambs. We couldn't tell what was killing the lambs, but were seeing lots of coyote sign on and around the carcass'. I set several traps leading into the carcass pile and caught two coyotes. Both coyotes were killed in the traps and ripped up. Big cat tracks were found at the site. The carcass pile was untouched. Several more lambs were killed that night and a couple of the carcass' were hidden in tall weeds.

The following night the sheep herder caught the lion in his head lights on another fresh lamb kill. The lion didn't try to run off, so it died.

In this instance the lion was showing a preference for live fresh caught bait.

I have had several bobcats killed in traps by lion. (The bobcat another animal reluctant to go to bait). This appeared to be a Lion finding the bobcat in passing. I have also had one bocat kill another bobcat in the same fashion.

On bait piles used for bears and coyotes I have seen cat-lion and bobcat- tracks, but it never appeared that they came to eat. The just passed by. Coyotes will come to carrion in good times and bad.

The gentleman also made the point that is not lost on me, that in hard times they will visit carrion and feed at opportunity. But again his point is they have to be in the area of the carrion and does make sense. When there is nothing else to eat...

That being said I will stand by my original statement.