DOI: 10.5061/dryad.8cz8w9h5b
title: Data from: Experimental lure design reveals the best attractants for increasing detection of multiple mesocarnivores

description: This dataset includes: (i) detection data for seven mesocarnivores sampled
 with motion-triggered cameras at 82 randomly selected sites in southeast
 Oklahoma (USA) during January–May 2023; (ii) covariates data
 characterizing the site-specific combination of lures used at each site
 and the survey-specific temporal variation in environmental conditions
 over the 35-day sampling period at each site; and (iii) the 35-day
 encounter histories for each species indicating if the species was
 detected or not during each 24-hr sampling occasion. Mesocarnivores
 included in the study were plains spotted skunks (Spilogale
 interrupta), striped skunks (Mephitis mephitis), Northern
 raccoons (Procyon lotor), gray foxes (Urocyon cinereoargenteus), coyotes
 (Canis latrans), bobcats (Lynx rufus), and Virginia opossums (Didelphis
 virginiana).
description: # Data from: Experimental lure design reveals the best attractants for
 increasing detection of multiple mesocarnivores Dataset DOI:
 [10.5061/dryad.8cz8w9h5b](10.5061/dryad.8cz8w9h5b) ## Description of the
 data and file structure We collected data to evaluate the effects of lures
 and environmental covariates on the detection of sympatric mesocarnivores
 in southeast Oklahoma (USA), including plains spotted skunks (*Spilogale
 interrupta*), striped skunks (*Mephitis mephitis),* Northern raccoons
 (*Procyon lotor*), gray foxes (*Urocyon cinereoargenteus*), coyotes
 (*Canis latrans*), bobcats (*Lynx rufus*), and Virginia opossums
 (*Didelphis virginiana*). We conducted surveys during spring 2023
 (January–May) using motion-triggered cameras. We surveyed each site using
 a cluster of 4 cameras. We used a leave-one-out lure design, where 3
 cameras were randomly assigned 1 of 4 lures and 1 camera was a control
 (i.e., no lure). The lures we used included a skunk-based lure, fatty acid
 tablets, a sweet lure, and sardines. We used a conditional-replicate
 design based on the detection of a primary target species, the plains
 spotted skunk. We intended to sample each site for up to 35 days; after 14
 days, we checked the camera, and if a plains spotted skunk was detected,
 we refreshed the lure present and continued to survey the site for another
 21 days. Alternatively, if a plains spotted skunk was not detected in 14
 days, we stopped surveying that site to facilitate surveying more sites. 
 Due to logistical constraints, some sites were surveyed &gt;35 days. We
 identified camera images to species and generated site-level
 species-specific detection data for use within an occupancy modeling
 framework. For species in which the probability of detection at the
 site-level was influenced by the lure combination, we compared the number
 of independent detections at each camera to evaluate species-specific
 preference among lures (and the control).  ### Files and variables ####
 File: Image_Data.txt **Description:** Details and species identification
 for images collected by remote cameras deployed at 82 sites for detecting
 mesocarnivores in southeastern Oklahoma (USA) during spring (Jan-May)
 2023. Original image files are not included but are available by
 contacting the corresponding author, given the conservation status of the
 species involved. ##### Variables * File__Site__DateTime: Image file name
 indicating (i) year, site number, and lure used (G = skunk-based lure, F =
 fatty acid tablet, B = a sweet lure, S = sardines, C = control [no lure])
 as YYSSSL (e.g., 23000F: Year = 2023, Site = 000, Lure = fatty acid
 tablet), (ii) Date and 24-hr Time as YYYY-MM-DD__HH-MM-SS, (iii) the image
 number (provided parenthetically; which indicates the position of the
 image within a sequence of images of a single species from a single
 camera), and (iv) the file type (i.e., JPG).   * Site: 3-digit Site ID
 (e.g., 000 = Site 000) * Date_Time: Date and 24-hr Time as YYYY-MM-DD
 HH-MM-SS * Animal: Common name of mesocarnivore species detected * Number:
 Number of individuals detected in the image #### File:
 Detection_Covariates.txt **Description:** Site-specific and
 survey-specific covariates characterizing lure combination and
 environmental conditions, respectively, over the sampling period at each
 of 82 camera sites deployed for detecting mesocarnivores in southeastern
 Oklahoma (USA) during spring (Jan-May) 2023. Four lures—(1) a fatty acid
 tablet, (2) a skunk-based lure, (3) sardines, and (4) a sweet lure—were
 used in the study. Each site was set with a 3-lure combination (i.e., at
 each site, 1 of the 4 lures was randomly excluded). Thus, data associated
 with Lure covariates (i.e., LureA, LureB, and LureC) represent binary
 coding indicating which lure (among the 4 lures) was excluded. A site for
 which LureA, LureB, and LureC equal 0 indicates that the site had a lure
 combination excluding a sweet lure. For survey-specific (i.e.,
 time-varying) covariates, "." is used to indicate values that
 were excluded (i.e., these represent covariate values that were not
 necessary because the data were associated with a site-date combination
 during which a survey was not conducted). ##### Variables * Site: Site
 identification * LureA: Binary coding indicating if the lure combination
 excluding fatty acid tablets was present (1) or absent (0) * LureB: Binary
 coding indicating if the lure combination excluding skunk-based lure was
 present (1) or absent (0) * LureC: Binary coding indicating if the lure
 combination excluding sardines was present (1) or absent (0) *
 TMIN_1–TMIN_41: Minimum daily temperature (degrees Celsius) during survey
 K1–K41 (where each survey was a 24-hr period); "." = missing
 value. * RAIN_1–RAIN_41: Total precipitation (cm) during survey K1–K41
 (where each survey was a 24-hr period); "." = missing value. *
 MOON_1–MOON_41:  Percent moon illumination during survey K1–K41 (where
 each survey was a 24-hr period); "." = missing value. #### File:
 Detection_PlainsSpottedSkunk.txt **Description:** Camera-based detection
 histories for plains spotted skunks (*Spilogale interrupta*) sampled at 82
 sites in southeastern Oklahoma (USA) over 41 days during Jan-May 2023.
 ##### Variables * Site: Site identification *
 SpottedSkunk_Encounter_History: Binary encounter history indicating if a
 plains spotted skunk was detected (1) or not (0) during an active survey
 (where each survey was a 24-hr period); "." indicates that the
 site was not actively surveyed. #### File: Detection_StripedSkunk.txt
 **Description:** Camera-based detection histories for striped skunks
 (*Mephitis mephitis*) sampled at 82 sites in southeastern Oklahoma (USA)
 over 41 days during Jan-May 2023. ##### Variables * Site: Site
 identification * StripedSkunk_Encounter_History: Binary encounter history
 indicating if a striped skunk was detected (1) or not (0) during an active
 survey (where each survey was a 24-hr period); "." indicates
 that the site was not actively surveyed. #### File:
 Detection_VirginiaOpossum.txt **Description:** Camera-based detection
 histories for Virginia opossums (*Didelphis virginiana*) sampled at 82
 sites in southeastern Oklahoma (USA) over 41 days during Jan-May 2023.
 ##### Variables * Site: Site identification *
 Opossum_Encounter_History: Binary encounter history indicating if a
 Virginia opossum was detected (1) or not (0) during an active survey
 (where each survey was a 24-hr period); "." indicates that the
 site was not actively surveyed. #### File: Detection_Coyote.txt
 **Description:** Camera-based detection histories for coyotes (*Canis
 latrans*) sampled at 82 sites in southeastern Oklahoma (USA) over 41 days
 during Jan-May 2023. ##### Variables * Site: Site identification *
 Coyote_Encounter_History: Binary encounter history indicating if a coyote
 was detected (1) or not (0) during an active survey (where each survey was
 a 24-hr period); "." indicates that the site was not actively
 surveyed. #### File: Detection_Bobcat.txt **Description:** Camera-based
 detection histories for bobcats (*Lynx rufus*) sampled at 82 sites in
 southeastern Oklahoma (USA) over 41 days during Jan-May 2023. #####
 Variables * Site: Site identification * Bobcat_Encounter_History: Binary
 encounter history indicating if a bobcat was detected (1) or not (0)
 during an active survey (where each survey was a 24-hr period);
 "." indicates that the site was not actively surveyed. ####
 File: Detection_NorthernRaccoon.txt **Description:** Camera-based
 detection histories for Northern raccoons (*Procyon lotor*) sampled at 82
 sites in southeastern Oklahoma (USA) over 41 days during Jan-May 2023.
 ##### Variables * Site: Site identification *
 Raccoon_Encounter_History: Binary encounter history indicating if a
 Northern raccoon was detected (1) or not (0) during an active survey
 (where each survey was a 24-hr period); "." indicates that the
 site was not actively surveyed. #### File: Detection_GrayFox.txt
 **Description:** Camera-based detection histories for gray foxes (*Urocyon
 cinereoargenteus*) sampled at 82 sites in southeastern Oklahoma (USA) over
 41 days during Jan-May 2023. ##### Variables * Site: Site identification *
 GrayFox_Encounter_History: Binary encounter history indicating if a gray
 fox was detected (1) or not (0) during an active survey (where each survey
 was a 24-hr period); "." indicates that the site was not
 actively surveyed. ## Code/software No specialized software is required.
 All data is formatted as simple text files that may be viewed with any
 text editor. ## Access information Not Applicable