Proceedings of the Vertebrate Pest Conference

This study was designed to evaluate the attractiveness of eight aldehyde volatiles (octanal nonanal, decanal, undecanal, dodecanal, tridecanal, tetradecanal, and hexadecanal) found in sheep liver extract and coyote (Canis latrans) estrous urine to determine their potential for use as odor attractants in predator control. The odors were presented to captive coyotes at the Hopland Field Station and the length of time coyotes responded to the odors was recorded. Octanal, nonanal, decanal, and undecanal all elicited as much sniffing and rub-rolling as did a known coyote attractant, trimethylamnonium decanoate (TMAD). Generally male and female coyotes were equally attracted to the odors; however, nonanal was preferred by males in summer and by females in winter. In comparison to TMAD, some aldehydes were effective in eliciting sniffing and rub-rolling but ineffective in eliciting lick-chewing and biting. Thus, the aldehydes are probably best suited as odor attractants for use with capture devices such as the steel trap, and least suited for use with toxicant-delivery systems such as the M-44.