Experimental lure design reveals the best attractants for increasing detection of multiple mesocarnivores

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).
, , # 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 sw...,