Safe & Effective Contraception to Control Deer & Elk Overpopulation
There has been a rampant increase in elk and deer populations in national parks and other areas where management by hunting is not allowed and/or natural predators, such as wolves and mountain lions, have been removed. The large numbers of deer and elk have negatively affected the native vegetation, which then influences the habitats of other wildlife species (e.g., beavers) and reduces their ability to survive. As a result, the diversity of wildlife in many national parks is declining. There is now a contraceptive vaccine that could successfully control elk and deer populations. Winter is the easiest time of year to gather and vaccinate deer and elk; however, females are normally pregnant during the winter. So, scientists are studying the vaccine further to determine whether immunizing females will affect their offspring’s ability to reproduce normally later in life. This knowledge should provide wildlife managers with the information needed to implement this means of contraception and to control these wild populations safely and effectively.
