The Coyote Lure Operative Device revisited: A fresh look at an old idea

Abstract

We field-tested the Coyote Lure Operative Device (CLOD), a bait de- livery system for coyotes originally conceived by UC Davis researchers in the 1980s. Our objectives were to determine whether free-ranging coy- otes would activate CLODs repeat- edly when exposed to them over a 12-month period, and whether CLOD activations varied by season. We placed CLODs in pastures with a his- tory of chronic sheep depredation at the UC Hopland Research and Exten- sion Center in Mendocino County. Free-ranging coyotes activated the CLODs repeatedly, but more CLODs were activated during the winter months than at other times of the year. Our study suggests that the CLOD has the potential to become an impor- tant tool for managing coyote preda- tion on livestock when used to deliver contraceptive or predacide baits. P