Attempted Control Methods

Attempts to manage deer through repellants, fencing, relocation and birth control have proven unsuccessful. Deer adapt to repellents, and find ways around/through fences. Relocation causes 80% death rate due to shock and birth control attempts have been unsuccessful.

Non-lethal methods to reduce deer numbers or slow population growth in suburban and urban areas are being sought. Chemical and immunosterilants probably will become available in the next 3-5 years, but the problem of inoculating large numbers of deer remains. Silastic implants and direct intramuscular injections are neither economical nor efficient.

Containing treated deer can still remain to be the insurmountable problem. Attempts to gain FDA approval on sterilants, which apply to free ranging animals, may yet be in the far distance future.