Is birth control available for deer populations?
Cleveland Metroparks has seriously investigated alternatives to the current deer management program. From 2001 to 2006 nearly $500,000 was spent to investigate the efficacy of immunocontraception as an alternative means of controlling deer populations. Cleveland Metroparks concluded, as have other recent studies, that immunocontraception did result in decreased pregnancies. However, the free-ranging nature of the deer herd in the region where both immigration and emigration take place make it difficult to deliver the contraceptive to a large number of deer. Studies are being followed in other states that are testing immuno-contraceptive vaccines based on porcine zona pellucida (PZP) and gonadotropin releasing hormone (GnRH) (SpayVac™ and GonaCon™) and more effective delivery methods. Currently, immunocontraceptives (or other contraception agents) may only be used legally for research and not management purposes on wild deer populations in Ohio. This use must be authorized by federal re
