Center, Internet, Wildlife Damage Management
Great Plains Wildlife Damage Control Workshop Proceedings
Accessibility Remediation
If you are unable to use this item in its current form due to accessibility barriers, you may request remediation through our remediation request form.
Date of this Version
April 1995
Document Type
Article
Abstract
In an enclosure-type study, I investigated the use of odor, auditory, and visual cues to enhance lithium-chloride (LiCl)- induced prey aversion in coyotes (Canis latrans). Eight adult, male, wild-caught coyotes that killed 2 adult sheep during successive daily, 1 -hr trials were assigned to LiCl- and sodium-chloride (NaCl)-bait groups. The 4 LiCl-bait coyotes were sequentially presented with leg-of-sheep and whole-sheep carcasses injected with a 33% LiCl water solution (4.5 ml/kg) 1 -hr daily until bait shy. The 4 NaCl coyotes were exposed to baits and carcasses injected with 25% NaCl/water solution (4.5 ml/kg) for matched trials. Additionally, 2 coyotes within each LiCl and NaCl group were presented with baits/carcasses sprayed with cologne and fitted with a red collar and attached bell, and 2 "reference coyotes" within each LiCl and NaCl group were offered similar baits/ carcasses without these stimuli. Following onset of bait aversion, coyotes were again paired for 1 hr daily with a live sheep that had either the "stimuli" or "no stimuli" affixed until 2 sheep were killed. Coyotes required 7 to 23 1-hr exposures to LiCl meats to cease ingestion (develop bait shyness). Coyotes presented both LiCl-baits/carcasses and subsequent live sheep affixed with stimuli showed greater suppression of predation, but this effect was of limited duration (<9 pairings with sheep).